‘A Levite’s Lamentation,’ published at the same time, thus refers to those atrocities:  ’Mr. Griffin, Mr. Bartly, Mr. Starkey, all of Ardmagh, and murdered by these bloudsuckers on the sixth of May.  For, about the fourth of May, as I take it, we put neare fourty of them to death upon the bridge of the Newry, amongst which were two of the Pope’s pedlers, two seminary priests, in return of which they slaughtered many prisoners in their custody.’

A curious illustration of the spirit of that age is given in the fact that an English officer threw up his commission in disgust, because the Bishop of Meath, in a sermon delivered in Christ Church, Dublin, in 1642, pleaded for mercy to Irish women and children.

The unfortunate settlers fled panic-stricken from their homes, leaving behind their goods, and, in many cases, their clothes; delicate women with little children, weary and footsore, hurried on to some place of refuge.  In Cavan they crowded the house of the illustrious Bishop Bedell, at Kilmore.  Enniskillen, Derry, Lisburn, Belfast, Carrickfergus, with some isolated castles, were still held by the English garrisons, and in these the Protestant fugitives found succour and protection.  Before their flight they were in such terror that, according to the Rev. Dr. Maxwell, rector of Tynan, for three nights no cock was heard to crow, no dog to bark.  The city of London sent four ships to Londonderry with all kinds of provisions, clothing, and accoutrements for several companies of foot, and abundance of ammunition.  The twelve chief companies sent each two pieces of ordnance.  No doubt these liberal and seasonable supplies contributed materially to keep the city from yielding to the insurgent forces by which it was besieged.

Meantime the Government in Dublin lost not a moment in taking the most effectual measures for crushing the rebellion.  Lord Ormond, as lieutenant-general, had soon at his disposal 12,000 men, with a fine train of field artillery, provided by Strafford for his campaign in the north of England.  The king, who was in Scotland, procured the dispatch of 1,500 men to Ulster; and authorised Lords Chichester and Clandeboye to raise regiments among their tenants.  Thus the ’Scottish army’ was increased to about 5,000 foot, with cavalry in proportion.  The Irish, on the other hand, were ill-provided with arms and ammunition.  They were not even provided with pikes, for they had not time to make them.  The military officers counted upon did not appear, though they had promised to be on the field at fourteen days’ notice.  Rory O’Moore, like ‘Meagher of the sword’ in 1848, had never seen service; and Sir Phelim O’Neill, like Smith O’Brien, was only a civilian when he assumed the high-sounding title of ’Lord General of the Catholic army in Ulster.’  He also took the title of ‘the O’Neill.’  The massacre of a large number of Catholics by the Carrickfergus garrison, driving them over the cliffs into the sea at the point