much abused by persons who had cunningly terrified, and diverted him from going to the king; ’or else he had within him a thousand witnesses testifying that he was as deeply engaged in these secret treasons as any of the rest, whom they knew or suspected.’  At all events he had received information on the previous day from his own brother Sir Cormac O’Neill, from the primate, from Sir Toby Caulfield and others, that the earl had taken shipping with his lady, the Baron of Dungannon, his eldest son, and two others of his children, John and Brien, both under seven years old, the Earl of Tyrconnel, and his son and heir, an infant, not yet a year old, his brother Caffar O’Donel, and his son an infant two years old, ’with divers others of their nearest and trusted followers and servants, as well men as women, to the number of between thirty and forty persons.’

The Rev. Mr. Meehan gives graphic details of the flight of his two heroes.  Arrived at Rathmullen they found Maguire and Captain Bath laying stores of provisions on board the ship that had come into Lough Swilly under French colours.  Here they were joined by Rory, Earl of Tyrconnel.  At noon on Friday they all went on board and lifted anchor, but kept close to the shore waiting for the boats’ crews, who were procuring water and fuel; but they had to wait till long after sunset, when the boats came with only a small quantity of wood and water.  According to a fatality which makes one Irishman’s extremity another Irishman’s opportunity, the foraging party was set upon by M’Sweeny of Fanad, who churlishly prevented them getting a sufficient supply of these necessaries.  This barbarous conduct is accounted for by Mr. Meehan, from the fact, that this M’Sweeny had recently taken a grant of his lands from the crown.  At midnight, September 14, 1607, they spread all sail and made for the open sea, intending, however, to land on the Island of Arran, off the coast of Donegal, to provide themselves with more water and fuel.  The entire number of souls on board this small vessel, says O’Keenan in his narrative, was ninety-nine, having little sea store, and being otherwise miserably accommodated.  Unable to make the island of Arran, owing to a gale then blowing off the land, and fearing to be crossed by the king’s cruisers, they steered for the harbour of Corunna in Spain.  But for thirteen days, continues O’Keenan, ’the sea was angry, and the tempest left us no rest; and the only brief interval of calm we enjoyed, was when O’Neill took from his neck a golden crucifix containing a relic of the true cross, and trailed it in the wake of the ship.  At that moment, two poor merlins with wearied pinions sought refuge in the rigging of our vessel, and were captured for the noble ladies, who nursed them with tenderest affection.’  After being tempest-tossed for three weeks, they dropped anchor in the harbour of Quilleboeuf in France, having narrowly escaped shipwreck, their only remaining provisions being one gallon of beer and a cask of water.