- 
“Shipped for the Barbadoes.’ 347 
the decisions of the Irish Judges of James I. in the case of Tanistry 
and the case of Gavelkind that we must trace the origin of that 
great fight of the Irish peasants for their tribal rights which has 
been at last closed by the Land Purchase Acts. Sheriffs were 
appointed and judges rode circuit in the Ulster territories, girt at 
first with armies, asthe inhabitants loved not novelties and when 
King James’s first surveyor appeared in old Tyrconnell the inhabitants, as I 
have already mentioned, cut off his head. By every possible annoyance of 
officials and their favourites the lives of the two earls were made a burden to 
them. They were surrounded by spies. The Arch-Earl said he could 
not drink a carouse of sack in his castle of Dugannon but messengers 
were spurring to inform the Council. The tale is too long to tell. 
Attempts were made by the Government to enforce the proclamations 
against the Catholic religion in the new shire-lands. They feared seizure by 
the Government and captivity with the last Desmond, the so-called Sugan 
Lord, and with Florence McCarthy and many more of their late allies in the 
Tower. Had their resources been adequate they would have rebelled again 
but without aid from abroad they could do little except bring fresh devasta- 
tion upon their faithful clansmen by such a course. They fled to the conti- 
nent (in a ship chartered by the Maguire and brought to Rathmelton on the 
Swilly) to secure aid from abroad for a fresh outbreak, with some hope at the 
same time of dictating better terms for religious and personal liberty to King 
James as an alternative to invasion. Historians speak of their flight as 
wrapped in mystery but they sent separately to the king a detailed 
narrative of their respective grievances, and their wrongs and forebod- 
ings are tangible enough to any careful student of the epoch. Theit 
escape, however, was naturally, taken to be damning evidence of black treason 
and ingratitude, and to their country and class the result was dire. 
~ They were unlucky in the occasion of their flight. Europe was at peace 
with England but they were received with great courtesy abroad as 
suited their high renown and fair accomplishments. We can readily 
discard the talk of the brutish manners of those magnanimous soldiers 
and high-born gentlemen: O'Neill at all events was used to the courts 
and palaces of Elizabeth. This was in 1607 and next year O'Donnell died in 
Rome of the country fever. Assassins were on the watch but death himself 
was quicker in his arrest. O’Neill lingered on, hoping against hope 
to be able to return, sleeping with drawn sword by his restless bedside 
to beready for the eventful hour. Plot after plot was formed, sometimes 
in conjunction with plots and outbreaks at home, sometimes independent- 
ly. Agents negotiated with the European courts and the Salviati palace where 
he lived hummed and buzzed with exiles and their friends, also with spies Irish, 
English and Italian, paid by the far-seeing Cecil. Italians offered their services 
to the Government as poisoners but no definite acceptance is known to have 
been given. Hugh Roe had died of poison, so the State Papers disclose. Shane 
O’Neill and his whole household nearly died from a present of Government 
wine and the Karl’s eldest and most stirring son was to die strangled in his 
bed in Brussels. Nobody was shocked at the suggestion. No statesman 
