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Fitz William again Deputy -
State of the Army - Violence and Greed of the Soldiery - Wretchedness of
the People - Ulster as described by a Survivor of the Armada - An
Avaricious, Cruel Viceroy - His Treacherous Conduct towards Two Ulster
Chieftains - MacMahon is betrayed and judicially murdered by him.
Perrot was succeeded by Sir
William FitzWilliam, who had filled the position of Deputy sixteen years
previously, during an interval in Sidney's viceroyalty. At the date of his
appointment (1588) the English Government apparently enjoyed an
uncontested supremacy in Ireland, and the Irish seem to have temporarily
laid aside any design of insurrection or hope of foreign succour. The
Spaniards who, after the defeat of the Armada, were wrecked upon the
western coasts were treated as enemies; the only Irish chief who received
them as friends was transferred to London and executed. In Munster the
natives had been crushed, and in Ulster the power of the 6'Neills was
paralysed.
The state of the army has
already been referred to as disgraceful from an economic point of view; it
now became outrageous from a political. The troops of this period were not
restrained by a rigid discipline; they were accustomed to look upon
plunder and free quarters as portion of their remuneration; their officers
in money matters were not trained to a high standard of honour and
honesty; the pay of privates was generally scandalously in arrear.
Soldiers of this description were scattered in small detachments
throughout the country with very little duty to perform, and living among
the Irish, whom they had been taught to despise as an inferior race. They
looked upon the natives as their legitimate prey.
This is a picture of the
times when the conduct of the troops became a subject of enquiry: "The
horse companies, in passing through the Pale, every man hath double
horses, some officers treble; each of them one boy, some of them two;
travelling not four miles in the day and that not directly, but crossing
the country to and fro wasting with their lingering journeys the
inhabitants' corn excessively with their horses, and their goods with
their extortion. The foot companies likewise observing the same course in
travelling, most commonly not above two or three miles in the day, though
their appointed garrisons be not ten miles off, yet do they go thirty
miles about, being followed and accompanied as they go through the Pale,
each soldier with his boy at least, and for a great part with their women,
and many horses as well of their own as of the country, taken violently
from their owners to carry them, their children, and women; pleasing
themselves at their pleasures; exacting meat and drink far more than
competent, and, commonly, money from them; their boys, women, and
followers, much exceeding the people's ability, taking money for their
officers after a double rate, whereof among every seven and eight soldiers
they affirm commonly to have one.
"And if there be any
wanting of a full company as commonly in these journies, and all other
cases tending to the country's charge, there be rather more than under,
though at all other times far fewer than due then are the numbers, which
they report to be absent, said to be employed in necessary causes, and
they which are present do oftentimes take up money for the diet of them
pretended to be absent.
"And if they be not
satisfied with meat and money according to their outrageous demands, then
do they beat their poor horses and their people, ransacking their houses,
taking away cattle and goods of all sorts, not leaving so much as the
tools and instruments that craftsmen do exercise their occupations withal,
nor the garments to their backs, nor clothes to their beds; so as, at
their next meeting places, there are to be found many times such plentiful
store of household stuff, or what else they could carry or drive away with
them, as at ordinary markets; which, if the owners did not redeem at the
will of the takers, then are they sold and dispersed in such sort as they
that owned them shall never come by them again.
"And if any do withstand or
gainsay such their inordinate wills, then they do not only exercise all
the cruelty they can against them, in far worse sort than before, in
nature of a revenge, so as whosoever resisteth their will shall be sure to
have nothing left him, if he can escape with his life.
"This course of ranging and
extorting her silly people is become so common and gainful, as that many
other soldiers (as is said) have no other entertainment from their
captains; and many others that are not soldiers, pretending to be of some
company or other, have, in like outrageous sort, ranged up and down the
country, spoiling and robbing the subjects, as if they were rebels. And
most certain it is that the rebels themselves, pretending to be soldiers,
and knowing how gainful the course, have often played the like parts,
unbeknown to the poor people, who live in such awe of the soldiers, as
they dare not resist any that take upon them that profession. So as, of
all sides, the poor subjects go so miserably to wreck, as no tongue or pen
can at full express.
"At other times the
garrisons oppress the inhabitants without cause, consuming wastefully and
needless such provisions as people make for relief of themselves and their
families, and in misusing of their persons, in such wise as the poor
creatures, being thereby deprived of food and rest, together with the
spoils of the rebels, are forced to forsake their houses, which out of
hand are plucked down, and the timber therefore burned in garrisons; which
waste is made the more grievous that the inheritors or inhabitants of
those waste places are forced to carry the timber of their houses to be
burned; the soldiers leaving no trees, fruitful or otherwise, unspoiled;
the planters and preservers, with heavy hearts, looking on their long
labours and expectations thus defaced and brought to so uncomfortable an
event.
"Many companies appointed
to lie in garrisons, and victualled with your Highness's store, when the
same is near at an end, and sometimes before, pretending want, and not
procuring or having care of supply from your Highness's victualler, from
whom they are to have the same, issue forth into the country where they
list, taking beeves or what else they pretend to want, at their own
pleasures, far exceeding any ordinary or competent portion, whereof some
part they restore for money, and the rest use as they will, thinking all
they do lawful, for they give their tickets, which many times they deny.
"And if the owners of the
goods prefer to stay the same, as some have done, demanding by what
authority or warrant their goods are thus violently taken from them, their
common answer is that their drum and colours is a sufficient warrant.
Then, if the owners seem not to be satisfied, they may be assaulted, and
as vigorously used as if they were disobedient and disloyal subjects.
"Upon complaint exhibited
unto the state for other the abuses of soldiers, proclamation was sent
forth that in their thoroughfare, upon pain of death, they should not
exact the country, but take such meat and drink as the inhabitants could
afford them, giving ready money or their officers' tickets for the same ;
and if they did otherwise, then it should be lawful to sheriffs, justices
of the peace, and others to apprehend and commit the soldiers so offending
to the shire gaol, or failing thereof, to present their names, that they
might inflict such punishment on them as their misdemeanour and abuses did
merit."
Such was the state of the
army in Ireland at this period. When we reflect on the misery, poverty,
and degradation of the inhabitants resulting from the rude licence given
to a lawless and savage soldiery, the picture drawn of an Irish household
at the same period does not appear to be painted in too squalid colours.
Here is a vivid description of an Irish household as given by one of the
survivors from a vessel belonging to the Armada wrecked in Donegal Bay:
"The habit of those savages
is to live like brutes in the mountains, which are very rugged in the part
of Ireland where we were lost. They dwell in thatched cabins. The men are
well-made, with good features, and as active as deer. They eat but one
meal, and that late at night, oat-cake and butter being their usual food.
They drink sour milk because they have nothing else, for they use no
water, though they have the best in the world. At feasts it is their
custom to eat half- cooked meat without bread or salt. Their dress matches
themselves tight breeches, and short loose jackets of very coarse texture;
over all they wear blankets, and their hair comes over their eyes. They
are great walkers and stand much work, and by continually fighting they
keep the Queen's English soldiers out of their country, which is nothing
but bogs for forty miles either way.
"Their great delight is
robbing one another, so that no day passes without fighting, for whenever
the people of one hamlet know that those of another possess cattle or
other goods, they immediately make a night attack and kill each other.
When the English garrisons find out who has lifted the most cattle, they
come down on them, and they have but to retire to the mountains with their
wives and herds, having no houses or furniture to lose.
"They sleep on the ground
upon rushes full of water and ice. Most of the women are very pretty, but
badly got up, for they wear only a shift and a mantle, and a great linen
cloth on the head, rolled over the brow. They are great workers and
housewives in their way. These people call themselves Christians and say
Mass. They follow the rule of the Roman Church, but most of their
churches, monasteries, and hermitages are dismantled by the English
soldiers, and by their local partisans, who are as bad as themselves.
"In short there is no order
nor justice in the country, and everyone does that which is right in his
own eyes. The savages are well affected to us Spaniards, because they
realize that we are attacking the heretics and are their great enemies. If
it was not for those natives who kept us as if belonging to themselves,
not one of our people would have escaped. We owe them a good turn for
that, though they were the first to rob and strip us when we were cast
ashore."
Of the ships which belonged
to the Armada the majority wrecked on the Irish coast were wrecked on the
western side. Of those wrecked on the coast of Ulster three appear to have
been lost in Donegal Bay, near Killybegs, and one in Lough Foyle. It is
difficult to estimate the number of men who escaped being "drowned,
killed, and taken", but, judging from the list of the ships and their
crews, there must have been about 2000 alive in Donegal, and it is said
that 500 Spaniards escaped from Ulster to Scotland, "miserable, ragged
creatures, utterly spoiled by the Irishry".
A commission was issued by
FitzWilliam to search for the treasure which these Spaniards were supposed
to have brought; but none, of course, could be found, and the Deputy, not
content with this result, resolved to visit the locality himself, "in
hopes to finger some of it". He determined to deal very severely with
those chiefs who had countenanced the Spaniards. Tyrone had done what he
could for the unhappy wretches by sending them provisions. A thousand
Spaniards, under an officer named Antonio de Leva, had found refuge with
O'Rourke and MacSweeny of the Battle-axes, the foster-father of young Hugh
Roe O'Donnell, and were urged to recommence hostilities, but before doing
so they determined to return for orders to Spain. The vessel on which they
embarked went down with all on board within sight of the Irish coast.
The MacSweenys all helped
the Spaniards, as also did O'Dogherty, while O'Rourke gave them arms. When
they became aware of the Lord Deputy's approach they knew well the object
of his visit, and sought safety, some by flight, some by putting on a bold
front. O'Rourke and MacSweeny preferred not to meet FitzWilliam, but Sir
John O'Dogherty came to meet him, and so did Sir John O'Gallagher. The
result of this interview, about which there is some mystery, was that the
Deputy seized these two chiefs ("two of the most loyal subjects in
Ulster") and threw them into prison in Dublin castle. The latter died from
the rigour of his imprisonment, and the former remained two years in
captivity, and owed his liberation in the end to the payment of a large
bribe to the corrupt Viceroy, who, on taking office, had solicited a
reward for his services in his former administration, and had received an
answer that "the position of an Irish Lord Deputy was an honourable one
and should challenge no reward".
There is no doubt that
FitzWilliam was both mean and avaricious, and it is equally true that he
was cruel and treacherous. His action with regard to O'Gallagher and
O'Dogherty set up a barrier of bitter hatred and distrust between the
Irish and the Government, and further acts of a like nature intensified
these feelings. One of these glaring acts of injustice was in connection
with the estate of a Monaghan chieftain named Rossa MacMahon, who, having
abandoned the principle of tanistry, and taken a re-grant of his territory
from Elizabeth by English tenure, died without male issue. The dead chiefs
brother, Hugh Roe MacMahon, repaired to Dublin to have his claims as
heir-at-law admitted.
His claim was perfectly
legal, but nevertheless he found that a bribe to the venal Viceroy was
necessary, and that the gift of 600 cattle would meet the case. On a point
of difference, that some cows out of the number stipulated were missing,
MacMahon was imprisoned; but when, later, matters were adjusted, and his
claim to his brother's property admitted, he was released, and accompanied
the Deputy to Monaghan, in order to get possession. Arrived in Monaghan,
FitzWilliam had MacMahon suddenly arrested on a charge of treason, giving
as his reason that, two years before, he had employed an armed force to
recover rents due to him. MacMahon was tried by a jury composed of private
soldiers, some of whom, being Irish, were imprisoned and kept without food
until they agreed to see the merits of the case from the Deputy's point of
view; while the English soldiers, having agreed to convict, were at
liberty. The result was that, within two days of his arrest, the
unfortunate MacMahon was tried, convicted, and hanged in front of his own
door.
Nor was this all.
FitzWilliam, who had come north in order to be free to deal with the case
by martial law, now hastened to partition the vast estates of the murdered
man. According to instructions with regard to the possessions of persons
who were executed (see p. 250), the Lord Deputy sold a portion of the
estates to Sir Henry Bagenal, the Marshal at Newry; MacMahon's chief
residence and some lands became the property of Captain Henslowe, who was
appointed seneschal; and the bulk of the property was, on payment of (4 a
good fine underhand", divided amongst four of the MacMahon sept, subject
to an annual rent to the Queen.
Such was law and justice in
Ireland under the administration of FitzWilliam. Of course the Lord
Deputy, when accused of acting corruptly in this case, denied the charge.
"I did it", he said, "to the profit of her Majesty and good of this State,
nothing regarding mine own private; I speak it in the presence of God, by
whom I hope to be saved . . . if ever there was such a motion or meaning
for me, or for any of mine, let God wipe us all out of His Book." With
which solemn declaration before us, we fear, at this distance of time,
even the most sceptical must rest, if not content, at least prepared to
say that possibly this is a case in which there were faults on both sides.
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