state of the country after it had continued seventeen years under the rule of Elizabeth, and is substantially as follows.*

Starting from the Pale, he travelled towards Knockfergus (Carrickfergus) on the 5th of October 1575, accompanied with 400 foot and 200 horse. Passing from Drogheda to Dundalk, and thence to the Newry, he found the whole country in policy and good order; the land was well "manured;" the towns had improved in beauty and building, and were well planted with inhabitants. O'Hanlon's country, next to the Newry, and the Fews on the east of it, were in extreme disorder, partly from "the intolerable annoyances and spoils of their neighbours in both "borders, as well English as Irish," partly from the nonresidence of those to whom the lands had been granted. The country of Magennis, though now independent of O'Neill, was still suffering from former disorders. Thence to Kinnaliarty, desolate and waste, full of thieves and outlaws, none of the former owners caring to occupy the land, as it had been conferred by the Queen on Capt. Nicholas Malby. Dufferin was wasted, but Lecale was greatly improved since the arrival of Essex. Ardes (Armagh) the same; "for there are many freeholders of English race, of "ancient habitation there." Crossing the water at Belfast, his passage was opposed by an Irishman named McNeill Brian Ertaugh. Clandeboy was wholly uninhabited; Knockfergus much decayed and impoverished; no ploughs were going where many were going before; churches and houses had been burnt, the inhabitants had fled, and not more than six remained; "yet they so comforted to hear of "her Majesty's gracious disposition to wall their town,

* The abstract of these letters will be found in Carew Cal. II. 30 sq., and at full length in Collins, I. 75 sq.

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"whereby they assure themselves of safety and quiet dwelling hereafter, as that hope hath and doth procure "and draw divers to resort and build there." The Glynnes (on the west coast of Antrim), held by the Scots under Sorley Boy, was full of corn and cattle. Kilultagh he found rich and plentiful, but the captain of it insolent. All Dungannon was wasted. The cathedral of Armagh was in ruins, and the town miserable. Here he had an interview with O'Neill and his wife, both of whom were desirous of living like good subjects, and were anxious to receive a patent of nobility from the Queen.

Turning to the English Pale, Louth was much impoverished by the continual concourse of soldiers passing to and from the North; Carlingford, Dundalk, and Ardee no better; Drogheda was improved by the great expenses of the Earl of Essex; the rest of the country in a state of recovery, for the gentlemen were "willing to obey, and "forward to serve." Meath had been " cursedlye scorched

on the outside," by the incursions of the O'Connors and O'Molloys; was not yet recovered, but in a good way to be, and a great deal the better for "the good neighbour"hood and just dealing" of O'Reilly in Connaught. Sydney commends him "as the greatest Irishman," and his country as the best ruled by any Irishman in all Ireland. The border baronies of West Meath had been sorely spoiled and wasted by the rebels, but the Deputy was in good hope of their reformation, especially through the exertions of the Baron of Delvin. Annaly or Longford was in better wealth and order since it had been made shire ground than it was before. The county of Kildare was greatly impoverished, partly by thieves, partly by the disorders of the O'Mores; "and in one barony of the said county, called Carbery, it was constantly affirmed unto me by old Henry Cowley, with tears in his eyes, that

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"that barony was 3,000l. in worse case than it was the "last time before I was there with him." Carlow was more than half wasted, for the same reason; Wexford in the same condition, mainly through the dissensions of English captains. The Irish counties of the O'Tooles and O'Birnes, in the east of Leinster, are commended for their good order. The same remark applies to Ferns. King's County was spoiled and wasted by the decay of the English tenants, and the great increase of the native inhabitants. They were defended by an English garrison of 200 men, but the charges far exceeded the revenues. In Queen's County, Rorie Oge occupied what portion he liked, and wasted it at his pleasure. Whilst the Deputy was at Maryborough, the Earl of Clanricarde came, and very humbly offered his services. Upper Ossory was now well governed under the new baron, who was contented to have it made shire-land. "The last of this province in "this my account is the county of Kilkenny, which I find "in very bad case, yet by many due circumstances proved "to be the sink and receptacle of innumerable cattle and goods stolen out of many other countries; but undone by their own idle men, and partly by harbouring of protected rebels, which yet was done by order and for "the avoidance of a greater or at least a more present "mischief." Here Rory Oge, the cause of much of this disorder, appeared, and promised amendment.

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In a subsequent letter Sydney continues his narrative. Leaving Waterford, of which he speaks in terms of great satisfaction, he slept at Corraghmore, and found the whole country in excellent order, which he attributes chiefly to the suppression of coyne and lyvery. "And albeit the soil, "for the most part, of itself is very barren, yet is there not "any gentleman or freeholder in that country but may "make more of an acre of land there than they have of

"three in the county of Kilkenny. The next country of "the Decies (near Dungarvan) belonged to Sir James FitzGerald, four times as large as the former, full of idle "vagabonds. The lord of it was a spendthrift, and his "land so spoiled and wasted that it did not afford competent "food for a mean family." Thence to Dungarvan Castle, much decayed by the rebellion of James Fitz Maurice. Here he was met by the Earl of Desmond. Leaving Dungarvan, the Deputy proceeded to Cork, where he was received with every demonstration of respect, and remained six weeks. "The good estate and flourishing of that city "well approveth the good effects of resident authority "amongst them, for it is so amended, as in so few years "I have seldom seen any town; and out of doubt if "ministration of justice be continued, it will daily multiply in people and amplifiy in building." Here he was met by a large company of the Irish nobility and others, and many of the ruined relics of the ancient English inhabitants, as the Arundels, the Rochfords, the Barretts, the Flemings, and others, whose ancestors did once live like gentlemen, but now are in all misery, oppressed or banished from their own. Many widow ladies were there who had been wives to earls and others of note. All of those then present were anxious to do homage, and hold their lands of her Majesty.*

Leaving Cork he entered the county of Limerick, and lodged at Kilmallock, "lamentably spoiled and burned by that vile traitor and rebel James FitzMorris; but "so speedily again re-edified, as surely it is not almost

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* Sir Henry had forgotten to state that whilst he was in the neighbourhood of Cork he had visited Kinsale, and thought it had suffered much in the late rebellion, "yet through the continuance of justice and English "government near them it held its own well enough, and was on the "mending hand, the people honest and obedient." Collins, ib. I. 102.

"to be credited, but by the constant report of them that "knew it and saw it then, and now have perused and "seen it again; for where there was not one roof nor "floor left unburned, few or no houses, within the wall,

are now uncovered; whereby the benefit and good "fruit of English laws and forces most sensibly is felt; "without which, the people confess themselves they "would for ever have abandoned that place and sought some other habitation, and the like desolation become " of that town, as may be seen by ruins of many other "within this land, whom Irish rebels have suppressed, "and English forces and government failing, were never "since restored."

Thence to the city of Limerick, where he was entertained with greater splendour than he had ever witnessed. Here many of the ancient Irish and Anglo-Irish nobility had met to receive him; "all lamenting the spoil and waste of the country," and begging to have English laws planted among them, and English sheriffs to see them executed. Among those who presented themselves on this occasion were Ulick and John Burke, sons of the Earl of Clanricarde, "execrable evil doers," since pardoned; the Earl of Thomond, and two of the M'Namarras, anxious like the rest for the establishment of English rule. Munster was generally in a state of reformation in consequence of the establishment of a President; and the Deputy was of opinion, that if Sir John Perrot, who had left Ireland the year before, had continued in his charge until Sydney's arrival, Munster would have been found as obedient as Wales. Most of the people in Munster were "papists, and that in the malitioust degree, "et novarum rerum cupidi," delighting in ravin and licentious life; above all James FitzMorris, "a man subtle,

malicious, and hardy, a papist in extremity, and well