use 'he ever lived like a free prince, or, rather,
like an absolute tyrant, there. The law of England, and the ministers
thereof, were shackles and handlocks unto him.' He states that _after
the Irish manner_, he made all the tenants of his land _villeins_.
'Therefore to evict any part of that land from him was as grievous
unto him as to pinch away the quick flesh from his body ... Besides,'
the attorney-general added, 'as for us that are here, we are glad to
see the day wherein the countenance and majesty of the law, as civil
government, hath banished Tyrone out of Ireland, which the best army
in Europe, and the expense of two millions of sterling pounds did not
bring to pass. And we hope his majesty's happy government will work
a greater miracle in this kingdom, than ever St. Patrick did; for St.
Patrick did only banish the poisonous worms, but suffered the men full
of poison to inhabit the land still; but his majesty's blessed genius
will banish all that generation of vipers out of it, and make it, ere
it be long, a right fortunate island.'

Again, Sir Geoffry Fenton, writing to Salisbury on the same subject,
says, 'And now I am to put your lordship in mind what a door is open
to the king, if the opportunity be taken, and well converted, not only
to pull down for ever these two proud houses of O'Neill and O'Donel,
but also to bring in colonies to plant both countries, to a great
increasing of his majesty's revenues, and to establish and settle the
countries perpetually in the crown; besides that many well-deserving
servitors may be recompensed in the distribution; a matter to be taken
to heart, for that it reaches somewhat to his majesty's conscience and
honour to see these poor servitors relieved, whom time and the wars
have spent, even unto their later years, and now, by this commodity,
may be stayed and comforted without charges to his majesty.' This
advice was quite in accordance with the views of the prime minister,
who in a letter to Chichester said, 'I do think it of great necessity
that those countries be made the king's by this accident; that there
be a mixture in the plantation, the _natives_ made his majesty's
tenants of part, but the rest to be divided among those that will
_inhabit_; and in no case any man is suffered to embrace more than
is visible he can and will _manure_. That was an oversight in the
plantation of Munster, where 12,000 acres were commonly allotted to
bankrupts and country gentlemen, t