bound, his body chained, and then his
feet and legs were thrust into long boots, filled with oil, turpentine,
and pitch, and stretched upon an iron grate, under which a slow fire was
kindled. The spectacle which was exhibited when the instruments of
torture were withdrawn has been described, but I cannot write the
description. What sufferings he must have endured during that long
night, no words could tell. Again he was tempted with the offer of
earthly honours, and threatened with the vengeance of prolonged
tortures. Through all his agony he uttered no word of complaint, and his
countenance preserved its usual serene and tranquil expression. His
sister was sent to him, as a last resource, to tempt him to apostatize,
but he only bade her ask God's forgiveness for the crime she had
committed. Meanwhile, the cruelties which had been executed on him
became known; public feeling, as far as it was Catholic, was excited;
and it was determined to get rid of the sufferer quietly. At early dawn
of Friday, May 6, 1584, he was carried out to the place now called
Stephen's-green, where what remained of human life was quickly
extinguished, first by putting him again to torture, and then by
hanging.

O'Neill had hitherto acted merely on the defensive; but the memory of
the events just related was still fresh in the minds of thousands, and
it was generally felt that some effort must be made for freedom of
conscience, if not for deliverance from political oppression. A
conference was held at Dundalk. Wallop, the Treasurer, whose name has
been so recently recorded in connexion with the torture of the
Archbishop, and Gardiner, the Chief Justice, received the
representatives of the northern chieftains, but no important results
followed.

In 1598 another conference was held, the intervening years having been
spent in mutual hostilities, in which, on the whole, the Irish had the
advantage. O'Neill's tone was proud and independent; he expected
assistance from Spain, and he scorned to accept a pardon for what he did
not consider a crime. The Government was placed in a difficult position.
The prestige of O'Neill and O'Donnell was becoming every day greater. On
the 7th of June, 1598, the Earl laid siege to the fort of the
Blackwater, then commanded by Captain Williams, and strongly fortified.
Reinforcements were sent to the besieged from England, but they were
attacked _en route_ by the Irish, and lost 400 men at Dungannon. At last
the Earl