troduced
and promoted;[**] agriculture, by means of the English and Scottish
plantations, gradually advancing; the Protestant religion encouraged,
without the persecution or discontent of the Catholics.

* Nelson, vol. ii. p. 45.

** Rush. vol. iv. p. 124., Warwick, p. 115.

The springs of authority he had enforced without overstraining them.
Discretionary acts of jurisdiction, indeed, he had often exerted, by
holding courts martial, billetting soldiers, deciding causes upon paper
petitions before the council, issuing proclamations, and punishing their
infraction. But discretionary authority during that age was usually
exercised even in England. In Ireland, it was still more requisite,
among a rude people, not yet thoroughly subdued, averse to the religion
and manners of their conquerors, ready on all occasions to relapse into
rebellion and disorder. While the managers of the commons demanded every
moment, that the deputy's conduct should be examined by the line of
rigid law and severe principles, he appealed still to the practice
of all former deputies, and to the uncontrollable necessity of his
situation.

So great was his art of managing elections and balancing parties, that
he had engaged the Irish parliament to vote whatever was necessary, both
for the payment of former debts, and for support of the new-levied army;
nor had he ever been reduced to the illegal expedients practised in
England for the supply of public necessities. No imputation of rapacity
could justly lie against his administration. Some instances of imperious
expressions, and even actions, may be met with. The case of Lord
Mountnorris, of all those which were collected with so much industry, is
the most flagrant and the least excusable.

It had been reported at the table of Lord Chancellor Loftus, that
Annesley, one of the deputy's attendants, in moving a stool, had sorely
hurt his master's foot, who was at that time afflicted with the gout.
"Perhaps," said Mountnorris, who was present at table, "it was done in
revenge of that public affront which my lord deputy formerly put upon
him: but he has a brother who would not have taken such a revenge."
This casual, and seemingly innocent, at least ambiguous expression,
was reported to Stafford; who, on pretence that such a suggestion
might prompt Annesley to avenge himself in another manner, ordered
Mountnorris, who was an officer to be tried by a court martial for
mutiny and sedition agai