in return.  He next explains his hopes and desires.  He declares that he wishes for the Presidency of Ulster, “more for the service he might there do his Majesty, than for the profit he expects,”—­a statement which the Earl no doubt read exactly as it was intended; and he says that he only mentions his case because “charitie beginnes with myeselfe,” which, indeed, appears to have been the view of that virtue generally taken by all planters and adventurers.  He concludes with delicately informing his correspondent, that if he can advance any friend of his in any way he will be most happy to do so.  This letter is dated from the “Castle of Dublin, 7th of February, 1607.”  The date should read, according to the change of style, 1608.  The Lord Deputy knew well what he was asking for.  During the summer of the preceding year, he had made a careful journey through Ulster, with John Davies; and Carte has well observed, that “nobody knew the territories better to be planted;” and he might have added, that few persons had a clearer eye to their own advantage in the arrangements he made.

[Illustration:  CASTLE MONEA, CO.  FERMANAGH.]

The plan of the plantation was agreed upon in 1609.  It was the old plan which had been attempted before, though with less show of legal arrangement, but with quite the same proportion of legal iniquity.  The simple object was to expel the natives, and to extirpate the Catholic religion.  The six counties to be planted were Tyrone, Derry, Donegal, Armagh, Fermanagh, and Cavan.  These were parcelled out into portions varying from 2,000 to 4,000 acres, and the planters were obliged to build bawns and castles, such as that of Castle Monea, county Fermanagh, of which we subjoin an illustration.  Tully Castle[466] was built by Sir John Hume, on his plantation.  Both these castles afford good examples of the structures erected at this period.  The great desiderata were proximity to water and rising ground—­the beauty of the surrounding scenery, which was superadded at least at Tully Castle, was probably but little valued.

Chichester now proposed to call a Parliament.  The plantation of Ulster had removed some difficulties in the way of its accomplishment.  The Protestant University of Dublin had obtained 3,000 acres there, and 400,000 acres of tillage land had been partitioned out between English and Scotch proprietors.  It was expressly stipulated that their tenants should be English or Scotch, and Protestants; the Catholic owners of the land were, in some cases, as a special favour, permitted to remain, if they took the oath of supremacy, if they worked well for their masters, and if they paid double the rent fixed for the others.  Sixty thousand acres in Dublin and Waterford, and 385,000 acres in Westmeath, Longford, King’s county, Queen’s county, and Leitrim, had been portioned out in a similar manner.  A Presbyterian minister, whose father was one of the planters, thus describes the men who came to establish English rule,