As his character and schemes were known, though the behaviour of the English government towards him was not so decided and firm as it ought to have been with this know ledge, it was deemed proper to send a new deputy. Tho• mas Lord Burgh was appointed to this situation. His ac tions displayed immediately his just sense of the state of Ire land, and of the real views of O'Neil ; without loss of time, he attacked him him in his strong camp near Armagh, drove him from it, and afterwards defeated him a second time. Unfortunately De Burgh died in the midst of his victories, and O'Neil took advantage of this and other cir cumstances, and managed with so much adroitness, as to obtain from the queen a pardon under the great seal.
He sought, however, only a breathing time ; and having, during this, recruited his forces, he again took up arms. His first engagement being successful, the royal army be ing routed, and the fort of Blackwater having surrendered, nearly the whole of Ireland, encouraged by these events, burst into open rebellion. Elizabeth was at last alarmed ; but, unfortunately, her partiality for Essex induced her to send hint over as lord lieutenant. But he was not equal to his situation ; so that while the royal forces in different parts were defeated by the rebels, Essex himself was so completely deceived by O'Neil, as to grant him a truce for six weeks. Soon afterwards Essex left Ireland, and O'Neil renewed the war, having called in the powerful aid of reli gion to extend and support his cause.
Blunt, Lord Mountjoy, was next appointed to cope with O'Neil, who at first affected to despise him on account of his character for literature ; but Blunt soon convinced him, that sagacity was more than a match for cunning ; and by his rapid and successful movements so disconcerted O'Neil, and lowered him in the opinion of his confederates, that they began to exhibit symptoms of declining zeal and confidence.
The south of Ireland was, at the same time, the scene of nearly equally judicious and successful measures, adopted and pursued by Sir George Carew, who commanded the Queen's forces there. Sensible that he could not act with any prospect of success against thb united Irish chieftains, and well acquainted with their jealousies and suspicions of one another, he turned these jealousies and suspicions to his own advantage ; and having thus disunited the enemy, he carried on his military operations with vigour and success.
Hitherto the King of Spain had withheld the assistance which he had promised; but, at length, in September 1601, about 6000 men landed at Kinsale. Against these Blunt marched, and blocked them up in that town. As soon as the landing of the Spaniards wag khown to the rebel chiefs, O'Donnel moved to join them from Connaught and Lein ster, and O'Neil from the north. Thua the fate of Ireland seemed to be brought to a point : on the one hand were the forces of the Spaniards, which had been augmented by 2000 men, and the armies of ()Monne' and O'Neil ; on the other were the forces of the Queen, under the Deputy.
O'Donnel, with the Spaniards that had last landed, and O'Neil with his troops, took up such a position as to cut off the Deputy's forces on the land side, while by sea their supplies were very it regular and insufficient. The conse quence was, that the royal army was gradually reduced in numbers and spirit, and must have fallen before the continu ed blockade of its enemies ; but they were divided in opin ion, and O'Neil reluctantly gave way to the opinion of those who advised an attack. As soon as Blunt saw them advance, he also left his entrenchments ; and while Carew, with part of the forces, continued the siege, he himself, with only 1200 infantry and 400 cavalry, resolved to meet the enemy, who were very far superior in numbers. On this occasion, the advantage of talent over mere personal bra very was evident. The Irish, first intimidated by the bold ness of the measure adopted by Blunt, and afterwards per plexed by his judicious disposition of his forces, displayed symptoms of indecision. Of these Blunt immediately took advantage, and the enemy were defeated in a very short time, and with very little loss on the part of Blunt. The effects of this victory were most important : Kinsale surrendered ; O'Neil was deserted by his allies and troops. and he himself submitted, almost at the very moment of the Queen's death. Thus Elizabeth lived just long enough to effect the subjugation of Ireland, a measure which had been attempted in vain by her predecessors.
In the reign of James I. there were some disturbances in Ireland, partly of a political and partly of a religious na ture ; but they were so uninteresting, and so unimportant in their consequences, that we shall pass them by, and ad vert only to such measures and transactions as relate to the internal policy of this country. Before Blunt left Ireland, he freed the Irish peasantry from the tyranny of their chiefs, and ordered them to he considered and treated as the im mediate vassals of the crown. His successors seem to have been animated with the same spirit of concilia tion, and to have imbibed his views ; and, fortunately, James either approved, or at least did not oppose their measures: circuit judges were appointed ; the law was administered with impartiality ; the right to landed property was render ed more secure, and more conformable to justice ; such lands as were held under the great lords had a fixed rent put upon them ; and, in the distribution of lands, proper at tention was paid to the support of the church. Free schools were endowed in the principal towns, and the university of Dublin recched large grants of lands.