mony of his ancestors
seemed nothing for his feastings and spending.' His widow received
a pension of 300 l. a year out of his forfeited estates. O'Neill
survived his brother earl eight years, having made various attempts to
induce the King of Spain to aid him in the recovery of his patrimony.
He died in 1616, in the seventy-sixth year of his age. Sir Francis
Cottington, announcing the event from Madrid, said, 'The Earl of
Tyrone is dead at Rome; by whose death this king saves 500 ducats
every month, for so much pension he had from here, well paid him.
Upon the news of his death, I observed that all the principal Irish
entertained in several parts of this kingdom are repaired unto this
court.'

CHAPTER VII.

GOVERNMENT APPEALS TO THE PEOPLE.

The flight of the earls caused great consternation to the Irish
Government. Letters were immediately despatched to the local
authorities at every port to have a sharp look out for the fugitives,
and to send out vessels to intercept them, should they be driven back
by bad weather to any part of the coast. At the same time the lord
deputy sent a despatch to the Government in London, deprecating
censure for an occurrence so unexpected, and so much to be regretted,
because of the possibility of its leading to an invasion by the
Spaniards. In other respects it was regarded by the principal members
of the Irish Government, and especially by the officials in Ulster, as
a most fortunate occurrence. For example, Sir Oliver Lambert, in his
report to the lords of the council, already referred to, said:--'But
now these things are fallen out thus, contrary to all expectation
or likelihood, by the providence of God I hope, over this miserable
people, for whose sake it may be he hath sent his majesty this rare
and unlocked for occasion: whereby he may now at length, with good
apprehension and prudent handling, repair an error which was committed
in making these men proprietary lords of so large a territory, without
regard of the poor freeholders' rights, or of his majesty's service,
and the commonwealth's, that are so much interested in the honest
liberty of that sort of men, which now, in time, I commend unto your
lordships' grave consideration and wisdom, and will come to that which
nearest concerns ourselves and the whole.'

According to Sir John Davis, in his letter to the first minister, Lord
Salisbury, Tyrone could not be reconciled in his heart to the English
Government, beca