d in a
fortnight. They levied sums of money on the middling and lower farmers
in order to support their cause, by paying attorneys, etc., in defending
prosecutions against them; and many of them subsisted for some years
without work, supported by these contributions. Sometimes they committed
several considerable robberies, breaking into houses, and taking the
money, under pretence of redressing grievances. In the course of these
outrages they burnt several houses, and destroyed the whole substance of
men obnoxious to them. The barbarities they committed were shocking.
One of their usual punishments (and by no means the most severe) was
taking people out of their beds, carrying them naked in winter on
horseback for some distance, and burying them up to their chin in a hole
filled with briars, not forgetting to cut off their ears. In this manner
the evil existed for eight or ten years, during which time the gentlemen
of the country took some measures to quell them. Many of the magistrates
were active in apprehending them; but the want of evidence prevented
punishments, for many of those who even suffered by them had no spirit to
prosecute. The gentlemen of the country had frequent expeditions to
discover them in arms; but their intelligence was so uncommonly good by
their influence over the common people, that not one party that ever went
out in quest of them was successful. Government offered large rewards
for informations, which brought a few every year to the gallows, without
any radical cure for the evil. The reason why it was not more effective
was the necessity of any person that gave evidence against them quitting
their houses and country, or remaining exposed to their resentment. At
last their violence arose to a height which brought on their suppression.
The popish inhabitants of Ballyragget, six miles from Kilkenny, were the
first of the lower people who dared openly to associate against them;
they threatened destruction to the town, gave notice that they would
attack it, were as good as their word, came two hundred strong, drew up
before a house in which were fifteen armed men, and fired in at the
windows; the fifteen men handled their arms so well, that in a few rounds
they killed forty or fifty. They fled immediately, and ever after left
Ballyragget in peace: indeed, they have never been resisted at all
without showing a great want of both spirit and discipline. It should,
however, be observed, that