346 Timehri. 
“Twas not war that wrought the ruin! Sister portents, yoked for 
hire, 
Side by side dragged on the harrow, Famine’s plague, and plague 
of Fire : 
Slain the herds, and burned the harvests, vale and plain with 
corpses strewn : 
*Mid the waste they spread their feast ; within the charnel reigned 
alone.” 
Over whole counties no living being could be found and as they marched 
from destroying the O’Neill’s crowning stone at Tullaghogue to Toome they 
passed a thousand unburied corpses ;_ but O'Neill was stillin arms. Aid might 
still come from Spain and the last fight of his allies the O’Sullivans at Dunboy 
and Glengariff had cost the state dear. It was now issuing base money. The 
defence of Dunboy and the northward retreat of the Prince of Beare are 
among the most stirring tales in Irish or any other story. Elizabeth was 
dying and the future king James VI. of Scotland had long been in friendly 
correspondence with the mighty Earl. 
The State secured and offered terms and made peace. It gave back to the 
Earl and to Rory O’Donnell, whom it made Earl of Tyrconnell, all their lands 
and privileges, declared an amnesty and abandoned the traitors Nial Garbh 
O’Donnell and O’Cahan. The restored Lords went to Hampton Court 
and made their homage as dutiful subjects to King James. Elizabeth had died 
during the negotiations and when Mountjoy broke the news to Hugh after the 
Treaty of Mellifont was signed itis recorded that the Earl burst into sudden 
tears. Perhaps the recollection of the useless slaughter of those wasted years 
during which King Harry’s daughter had used the whole resources of her 
kingdom to wear down hearts as proud as her own was too much for the 
reticent and silent Harl. After eleven years the State had saved itsface if not 
its credit. 
Tue New PLANTATION. 
O’Neill was still virtually Prince of Ulster but it could not last. Sir John 
Harrington voiced the sentiments of those who had borne the burden and heat 
of the day. He had lived to see Tyrone received in high favour at the Court 
of King James [. Time was when he had seen him reduced to a single wood- 
land fastness in Glenconkeine. 
* How I did labour after that knave’s destruction. I adventured perils 
“ by sea and land, ate horseflesh in Munster, and all to quell that man who now 
“gmileth in peace at those who did hazard their lives to destroy him ; and now 
“doth Tyrone dare us old commanders with his presence and protection. ” 
The powers of these Gaelic dynasts could not endure in harmony with the sov- 
ereignty of James, especially with this new sanctity of absolute monarchy under 
the theory of the divine right of kings. English law was substituted by mere judi- 
cial decision for the Brehon Code, I think the most tremendous exercise of 
the law making power of judicial decision on record. Bills were introduced 
into the Irish Parliament on the subject but were never passed and it is to 
