as made Governor.
He obtained the name of "Scorch Villain," from having cast into the fire
the leases of the tenants of his see, whom he had cited to produce these
documents in his court. The enraged landholders attacked the attendants,
and laid hands on the Archbishop, who was compelled to do them justice
from fear of personal violence. When such was the mode of government
adopted by English officials, we can scarcely wonder that the people of
Ireland have not inherited very ardent feelings of loyalty and devotion
to the crown and constitution of that country.

Such serious complaints were made of the unjust Governor, that Henry was
at last obliged to check his rapacity. Probably, he was all the more
willing to do so, in consequence of some encroachments on the royal
prerogative.

After the death of the Earl of Pembroke, who had obtained the pardon of
Hugh de Lacy, a feud arose between the latter and the son of his former
friend. In consequence of this quarrel, all Meath was ravaged, Hugh
O'Neill having joined De Lacy in the conflict.

Some of the Irish chieftains now tried to obtain protection from the
rapacity of the Anglo-Norman barons, by paying an annual stipend to the
crown; but the crown, though graciously pleased to accept anything which
might be offered, still held to its royal prerogative of disposing of
Irish property as appeared most convenient to royal interests. Though
Cathal Crovderg had made arrangements with Henry III., at an immense
sacrifice, to secure his property, that monarch accepted his money, but,
nevertheless, bestowed the whole province of Connaught shortly after on
Richard de Burgo.

Crovderg had retired into a Franciscan monastery at Knockmoy, which he
had founded, and there he was interred nobly and honourably. After his
death there were no less than three claimants for his dignity. De Burgo
claimed it in right of the royal gift; Hugh Cathal claimed it as heir to
his father, Crovderg; Turlough claimed it for the love of fighting,
inherent in the Celtic race; and a general guerilla warfare was carried
on by the three parties, to the utter ruin of each individual. For the
next ten years the history of the country is the history of deadly feuds
between the native princes, carefully fomented by the English settlers,
whose interest it was to make them exterminate each other.

The quarrel for the possession of Connaught began in the year 1225. The
Anglo-Normans had a large army at Athlone,