284: Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



grownde betweene the woode and the bogge, on the lefte hande was a 

 village,* from behinde which the rebell might safely sallye, and 

 return e agayne to his strength at his pleasure." To make his way 

 through this passage with security, Essex divided his army into "three 

 battells," or divisions. Before the vanguard marched the forlorn hope, 

 consisting of "40 shott and 20 shorte weapons." The musketeers 

 received orders that they should not discharge their fire-arms until 

 they presented these pieces to the rebels' breasts in their trenches. 

 Then, suddenly, the short weapons were to enter the trenches "pell- 

 mell." Banks of soldiers marched upon either side of " the vaunt- 

 guarde." Such order was observed also in "the battell," or middle 

 division, and in the rearguard. Thus marched " wings of shott, enter- 

 lyned with pikes to which were sent secondes, with as much care 

 and diligence as occasion required." Hence, it would seem, the Eng- 

 lish were threatened on both flanks. The baggage, and part of the 

 horse, marched before the main division, while ' ' the rest of the horse 

 troopes fell in before the rearewarde, except 30, which in the head of 

 the rearelorne hope, conducted by S. Hen: Danvers, made the retreit 

 of the whole army." Then the vanguard " haveing by a provident 

 order of march gayned" the end of the passage or road along the steep- 

 hill side, discovered " a large champion." This must have lain to the 

 south and west of Ballyknockan Castle, now in ruins. f In that 

 place, until the horse, baggage, and whatever else was an incumbrance 

 in " the strayte," or upper hill roads, had been advanced into " the 

 playne," a halt had been commanded. We are then told by Harring- 

 ton, that " order of march providently appoynted by the Lord Lieute- 

 nant" had not been "observed in all partes of the army with lyke 

 dilligencc.'' How far into the open plain Essex had advanced his 

 forward columns does not appear, from what has been written ; but 

 the subsequent account seems to favour a supposition that his rear- 

 guard and flanks had been thrown into confusion by the O'Moores 

 attacking them in the defile. Brobably a running fight and a hur- 

 ried march by ths English to gain the open country would best 

 describe the nature of this onset. Like hornets, the Irish bands galled 

 their opponents from the woods and high embankments over the road. 

 Here the English were unable to use their cannon or cavalry, while the 

 lightly-armed kernes of Leix were found to be swift in retreat, as they 

 were sudden and scattered in making an onset. Although three days 

 afterwards Essex calls them "rogues and naked beggars," when writing 

 to the English Council from Kilkenny, yet he candidly acknowledges 

 " this people against whom we fight hath able bodies, good use of the 

 arms they carry, boldness enough to attempt, and quickness in appre- 

 hending any advantage they see offerred them." Apparently, too, 

 in reference to this contest, he complains that they fight in woods and 



* Most probably at tbe rising ground near Moneen na fullagb, where tradition 

 states a town formerly stood, at Ballyheyland. 



t A familiar knowledge of tbe scenes, so imperfectly described by Harrington, 

 enables me to put tbis natural construction on bis meaning. 



