no Peggy, and the Cluricaune was gone, with a laugh and a shout that made the bog shake again. Well, Jack took off his garter, and tied it three times round the bouchlawn, and cut a slip of witch hazel off a tree that grew convanyent, and making a ring of it, dropt on his knees, saying an avy over it, and then let it fall over the bouchlawn, so that he might preserve it from harm, and then went home; and by break of day he was back again at the nine-acre, and as true as that you are standing there, there war above nine hundred bouchlawns sprung up in the night, with nine hundred garters tied to them, and in the midst of as many hazel rings! His heart was splitting into halves, and he sat down in the bames of the rising sun, and cried just like a babby that had lost its mother; and all of a sudden the words of the Cluricaune came into his head-'If you kept your thoughts as steadily fixed on your work as you have kept your eyes on me, you'd have money enough without hunting for Cluricaunes.' From that day out Jack was a new man; he took the little brogue-maker's hint, and in five years told down two guineas for Peggy's one, all through the fortune; and, maybe, they haven't thirteen to the dozen of children this blessed day!"

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That Cluricaunes, however, have been caught, is established upon undoubted authority;" and that they have been forced to yield up their gold, to disburse their treasures, to reveal the secrets of the earth, and confess where the diamond, and the emerald, and amethyst were hidden "underground," is an acknowledged fact. A man called by the plain name of Tom, Steady Tom Murphy," was believed by all his neighbours to have had the singular good fortune; and though he himself denied it, yet, according, to the old adage, “ what everybody said must be true." The most remarkable thing was, that "Steady Tom" never wasted an hour looking for a Cluricaune in all his life, which made it very provoking that he should have been the "boy" to catch one; the neighbours, those popular soothsayers of every village, always declared that if luck came to "Steady Tom," it must come of itself, for he never had a turn but for two things,-the hardest of work, and driving a dry bargain; a dry bargain signifying one that is not ratified and washed down by a glass of whiskey. But even in those intemperate times, "Steady Tom "never patronised the burning alcohol; on the contrary, he was never known to toss off a glass, or raise his elbow in a "manly manner" at a fair; this would have brought him into contempt, had it not been for his indomitable courage, and there is a story told of his having once sided suddenly with the Mac Murroughs, and so turned the day against a field full of the Mac Sweeny faction; and after he had set the quarrel right, he wiped his brow, shouldered his shillala, and walked home, though several of his own

dear friends, the Mac Murroughs, swore, "they'd have his life, if he didn't steep their luck in a gallon of punch." But "Steady Tom" continued of the same mind, and the next morning was at work by the Fairy-folly before the lazy sun got over an inch of his morning's march.

It was reported that Tom's Cluricaune had become so fond of the good usage of Tom's house, that he had a little place " under the bame" to himself, and that "he'd sit there enjoying innocent divarshin with the family, unknown to any stranger; every creature in the place would be at Tom to tell how he 'caught the cratur,' hoping to have the same chance; but he'd toss off the questions with a dry, hard laugh, and seeing that he never was overtaken, (that is to say, never intoxicated,) there was no way of getting anything out of him that he hadn't a mind to tell; and moreover, he wasn't one that would spend an hour chatting to a neighbour; go when you would to his little place, he was always turning his hand to something, and even a poor blind boy he had, made bee-hives and potatoe-baskets for the whole country. There was, after a few years," added our informant, "so extraordinary an improvement in everything belonging to Steady Tom Murphy, that if he hadn't caught the heel of a Leprehaun's leather purse, or found a crock of gold, there was no other way of accounting for his growing so much above his neighbours, for he wasn't a bit better nor them, though every man of us remembered him a cottier, and then saw him grow and grow, and spread and spread, into a warm farmer. My wife in a joky way, one summer evening, asked him the name of the Cluricaune he caught down by the Fairy's Folly, and he said it was Workall,' rather an unmannerly answer, that one might take two meanings out of; for I've heard tell of 'Knock,' and 'Moonbeam,' and 'Robin,' and 'Larkspur,' and little innocent names that way, but such a name as‘Workall' never was on a right Cluricaune since Ireland was Ireland; and it was only as a back-handed hit to others who wouldn't slave themselves into nagurs, that made him say that to my dacent woman."

TYRONE.

TYRONE is an inland county of the province of Ulster. Its boundaries are, on the north, the county of Londonderry; on the south the counties of Fermanagh and Monaghan; on the west the counties of Donegal and Fermanagh; and on the east the county of Armagh and Lough Neagh. It comprises, according to the Ordnance survey, an area of 754,395 statute acres ; 555,820 of which are unimproved mountain and bog, and 27,261 of which are covered with water. The population in 1821 amounted to 261,865 ; and in 1831, to 302,943. It is divided into four baronies-Clogher, Dungannon, Strabane, and Omagh. The towns of size are Omagh, Strabane, Clogher, and Dungannon.

The county is conspicuous in history; it was the principal arena of the contests, incident to the rebellion, recognised as the "Tyrone rebellion," of Hugh O'Neale in 1597; a very circumstantial account of which is given by Fynes Moryson, who was actively employed in its suppression, and by whom it was published in his "Itenerary "-London, 1617.

The O'Neils were kings in Ireland antecedent to Christianity," tyrannising it in Ulster," according to Camden, "before the coming of St. Patricke.” The "great rebel" was the son of an illegitimate son of Con O'Neil, who was slain by his legitimate brother, Shane O'Neil; and Shane was, in his turn, assassinated by Mc Donnell, the leader of the Scots in Ulster, to whom he had fled for refuge from the English. The chieftainry was claimed by Tirlogh O'Neil, to whose daughter Hugh was married; but Tirlogh being old, was persuaded to relinquish his right in favour of Hugh. Hugh had previously been a frequent visitor at the English court, and at one time stood high in favour with Elizabeth. This portrait of him is drawn by Fynes Moryson :-" He was of a meane stature, but a strong body, able to indure labors, watching and hard fare, being with-all industrious and active, valiant, affable, and apt to mannage great affaires, and of a high, dissembling, subtile, and profound wit, so as many deemed him borne either for the good or ill of his countrey." For some time after his creation as Earl of Tyr-Oen, or Tyrone, he continued “a good subject," having entered into a series of articles-one of which was "to cause the wearing of English apparell, and that none of his men wear glibbes

(or long haire)." The first intimation of his design to turn out "an arch-rebell" was given on the death of Tirlogh, who had resigned in his favour; when the earl took the title of the O'Neal-" which was treason by act of parliament;" still, however," excusing himselfe that he tooke it upon him least some other should usurpe it."

During the subsequent five or six years, he devoted his energies-with considerable skill and cunning-to the forming, equipping, and disciplining an army; first obtaining permission to train his men for the ostensible purpose of employing them against the queen's enemies; next getting licence to cover his house at Dungannon with lead, which lead he converted into bullets; and succeeding all the while in lulling the suspicions of the lords justices, venturing even to present himself before them in Dublin, "where he was not stayed." Thus he continued, " with all subtilty, and a thousand sleights abusing the state," until he conceived himself ready for action. In 1597, he struck the first blow against the queen's forces; in an attempt to relieve the fort of the Blackwater, they were attacked by the Kernes of Tyrone, and utterly routed; losing "thirteen valiant captaines and fifteen hundred common soldiers," their commander, Sir Henry Bagnall," Marshall of Ireland," being among the slain. In consequence of this victory, "all Ulster was in arms; all Connaught revolted; the rebels of Leinster swarmed in the English Pale;" and subsequently Munster was "corrupted." Still Tyrone continued his attempts at deception; "though now," writes Fynes Moryson, "the gentleman was growne higher in the instep, as appeared by the insolent conditions he required;"—so that "Carthage never bred such a dissembling fœdifragous wretch." The unfortunate Earl of Essex was sent to Ireland to subdue Tyrone; the favourite of Queen Elizabeth was, however, no match for the subtle Irishman; and so the enemies of Essex well knew, for the mission was a plot to accomplish his destruction, which it completely effected. His successor was the Lord Mountjoy; "a bookish man," at whom the daring outlaw laughed; but by "woful experience, he found his jeasting to bee the laughter of Salomon's fool;" although "the meere Irish, now puffed up with good successe, and blinded with happy encounters, did boldly keepe the fielde, and proudly disdaine the English forces."

The new lord-deputy pursued the "bloody and bold rebells" with fire and sword, slaying them without mercy, cutting down their corn, and subjecting them to frightful visitations of pestilence and famine *. Proclaiming

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* Fynes Moryson, who seems to consider the mere Irish as mere savages, and takes every opportunity so to describe them, bears, occasionally, reluctant testimony to their civilised habits as well as indomitable courage. In reference to the cutting down of the rebels' corn in the Queen's County, he says, "It seemed

the heads" of their leaders, and adopting every available means for subduing Ireland. And this was at length effected. One by one, the chieftains submitted, making "humble suite for mercy," while Tyrone, who had long calculated upon maintaining his position only by aid of the Spaniards, saw his allies “walled up” at Kinsale (1601); he was himself, with all his forces, signally defeated, in an attempt to relieve them; he retired to his own fastnesses, where he "drew faintly his last breath, without hope of better living than as a wood-kerne, or as a fugitive abroad," and abandoning all hope of a successful issue, did, in 1602, signify his desire to make absolute submission to the queen's mercy, humbly beseeching her to remember that "he was a nobleman, and to take compassion on him, that the overthrow of his house and posterity might be prevented." He received "security for his life only;" and subsequently accompanied the Lord Mountjoy to London, so that, "upon his knees," he might obtain mercy from King James the First. On his way from Beaumauris, "no respect to his lordship could prevent many women who had lost husbands and children in the Irish warres, from flinging dirt and stones at the earle as he passed, and reviling him with bitter words." He returned, however, to Ireland; his rank, power, and estates were partially restored to him; but being, some time after, suspected of attempting a new rebellion, he fled into Spain, leaving his enormous property at the disposal of the king, by whom it was parcelled out and distributed among English settlers; out of this rebellion, therefore, arose the famous "plantation of Ulster "-a subject to which we shall refer in treating of the county of Londonderry; which was principally given, or rather sold, to the "London Companies," and of which they are still in possession.

It is scarcely necessary to add that out of this prolonged warfare in the province of Ulster, arose many of the castles, the ruins of which exist as records of its history, and, at least, add something to the picturesque character of the scenery. Among the most striking of them, is Castle Caulfield, which owes its erection to Sir Toby Caulfield, afterwards Lord Charlemont. Having previously "performed many serviceable and memorable actions" in Spain. and the Low Countries, he was appointed to the command of 150 men against the "formidable traitor" O'Neil. He was rewarded by the queen with a

incredible that by so barbarous inhabitants the ground should be so manured, the fields so orderly fenced, the townes so frequently intersected, and the high wayes and paths so well beaten as the Lord Deputy here found them." The horrible straits to which the unhappy Irish were reduced during this rebellion are too revolting for publication. Fynes Moryson, an eye-witness, concludes a more frightful picture by stating that "no spectacle was more frequent in the ditches of townes, and especially in wasted counties, than to see multitudes of these poor people dead, with their mouths all coloured greene, by eating nettles, docks, and all things they could rend up above ground."

VOL. III.

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