yrconnel's
ancestors for 1,300 years. But it was taken from him without
compensation, by Sir Henry Folliott and the Bishop of Derry, with
the ultimate sanction of the lord deputy, who confirmed the bishop in
possession 'both for that season and for all times ensuing.' Sir H.
Folliott on one occasion took away for his carriage the horses
that served the earl's house with fuel and wood for fire, 'and the
soldiers, scorning to feed the horses themselves, went into the earl's
house, and forcibly took out one of his boys to lead them, and ran
another in the thigh with a pike for refusing to go with him.' He
had a number of tenants, who held their lands 'by lease of years for
certain rents.' Yet the lord deputy sent warrants to them, directing
them to pay no rents, and requiring the Governor of Derry 'to raise
the country from time to time, and resist and hinder the earl from
taking up his rents.'

To crown all, when Tyrconnel made a journey into the Pale to know the
reason why he was debarred from his rents, he lodged on his way in the
Abbey of Boyle. He had scarcely arrived there when the constable of
the town, accompanied by twenty soldiers, and all the churls of the
place, surrounded and set fire to the house where he lay, he having no
company within but his page and two other serving men. 'But it befell,
through the singular providence of Almighty God, whose fatherly care
he hath ever found vigilant over him, that he defended himself and his
house against them all the whole night long, they using on the other
side all their industry and might to fire it, and throwing in of
stones and staves in the earl's face, and running their pikes at him
and swords until they had wounded him, besides his other bruisings,
with stones and staves in six places; they menacing to kill him,
affirming that he was a traitor to the king, and that it was the best
service that could be rendered to his majesty to kill him. And that
all this is true, Sir Donough O'Conor, who was taken prisoner by the
same men, because he would not assist them in their _facinorous_ and
wicked design of killing the earl, will justify; but in the morning
the earl was rescued by the country folk, which conveyed him safely
out of the town. And when the earl complained, and showed his wounds
unto the lord deputy, he promised to hang the constable and ensign,
but afterwards did not once deign so much as to examine the matter
or call the delinquents to account, by reason