long enjoyed by that house to the offence of most of the inhabitants of that county and of the neighbouring counties adjoining.' No doubt it was very desirable to get rid of such an anomaly, provided it were done openly on public grounds, and with some reasonable compensation for the financial loss. But that was not James's way of doing things. The political advisability of dividing the great Ormonde heritage went for something with him, but the really important matter was to secure a large part of it for a Scotch courtier.[127] [Sidenote: Litigation about the Ormonde estates.] [Sidenote: James I. as an arbitrator.] [Sidenote: Harsh treatment of the Earl of Ormonde.] The heir to the late Earl's title was his nephew, known for his devotion as 'Walter of the beads and rosaries,' and to make everything safe this had been secured to him by fresh letters patent. He married a daughter of Lord Mountgarret, and her brothers, after Earl Thomas's death, plotted to carry off his widow and to secure her jointure by marriage to one of themselves; but this plan was frustrated, and she married Sir Thomas Somerset. The estates were all carefully entailed upon the new Earl; but Lady Desmond was heir general, and lawyers in those days could generally find flaws in titles if those in authority wished it. In this case James did wish to give much of the property to his favourite; but it was always possible that the courts of law might act independently, and Earl Walter was induced to give a bond for 100,000_l._ to abide by the King's personal decision in the matter. Perhaps he was forced to this by his difficulties for want of money, or by an exaggerated belief in James's wisdom, or he may have been simply a bad man of business. When James made his award, the Earl found that he would not have enough to support his dignity, and declined to submit. The result was that he spent eight years under restraint, chiefly in the Fleet prison, where he endured extreme poverty and misery. The King seized the revenues of that portion which he had adjudged to the prisoner, as well as the palatinate of Tipperary, which belonged to him as heir male. Taking advantage of his adversary's distress, Desmond even set up a claimant to the Earldom of Ormonde, but the imposture was too absurd to have any chance of success. After his death his daughter and heiress married Earl Walter's grandson, the future Duke of Ormonde, but this did not take place until the next reign.[128] [Sidenote: The MacDonnells in Antrim. Sir Randal MacDonnell.] [Sidenote: MacDonnells and O'Neills.] [Sidenote: Tortuous policy of Sir Randal.]