t had not been
premeditated. Grey's official despatch places the matter beyond
question, and Dr. Saunders' letter supplies the details on authority
which cannot be disputed.

Three persons who had been treacherously given up to the Viceroy, were
spared for special torments; those were--a priest named Lawrence, an
Englishman named William Willick, and Oliver Plunket. They were offered
liberty if they would renounce the faith; but on their resolute refusal,
their legs and arms were broken in three places, and after they had been
allowed to pass that night and the next day in torment, they were hanged
and quartered. The State Papers confirm the account given by Saunders of
these barbarities. The English officers now endeavoured to rival each
other in acts of cruelty to obtain official commendation and royal
favour. Sir Walter Raleigh was especially active in Cork, and brought a
charge of treason against the Barrys and Roches, old English settlers;
but Barry set fire to his castle, and took to the woods, where he joined
Lord Desmond. Lord Roche was taken prisoner, but eventually escaped from
his persecutors. Pretended plots were rumoured in all directions, and
numbers of innocent persons were executed. William Burke was hanged in
Galway, and forty-five persons were executed. The Geraldine cause was
reduced to the lowest ebb by the treachery of Jose. The Earl of Desmond
and his sons were fugitives in their own country. The latter was offered
pardon if he would surrender Dr. Saunders, the Papal Legate, but this he
resolutely refused. Saunders continued his spiritual ministrations until
he was entirely worn out with fatigue, and he died, at the close of the
year 1581, in a miserable hovel in the woods of Claenglass. He was
attended by the Bishop of Killaloe, from whom he received the last rites
of the Church.

Immense rewards were now offered for the capture of the Geraldine
leaders, but their faithful followers would not be bribed. John was at
length seized, through the intervention of a stranger. He was wounded in
the struggle, and died immediately after; but his enemies wreaked their
vengeance on his remains, which were gibbeted at Cork. The Earl of
Desmond was assassinated on the 11th of November, 1583, and the hopeless
struggle terminated with his death. He had been hunted from place to
place like a wild beast, and, according to Hooker, obliged to dress his
meat in one place, to eat it in another, and to sleep in a third