Savage character of the contest 333 Conjectural estimates 334 The rising in Tyrone 335 In Armagh and Down 336 In Fermanagh 337 In Cavan--the O'Reillys 338 In Monaghan 342 The Portadown massacre 342 Imprisonment and death of Bedell 344 Irish victory at Julianstown 347 Belfast and Carrickfergus 348 The Pale joins the Ulster rebels 349 Meeting at Tara 350 Defence of Drogheda 351 Fire and sword in the Pale 357 MAP Ireland in 1625, to illustrate colonization projects _to face p. 1_ [Illustration: IRELAND IN 1625 GEORGE PHILIP & SON LTD. _Longmans. Green & Co., London, New York, Bombay & Calcutta._] IRELAND UNDER THE STUARTS CHAPTER I MOUNTJOY AND CAREY, 1603-1605 [Sidenote: Accession of James. The new era.] [Sidenote: Submission of Tyrone.] The change from Elizabeth to James I. marks the transition from an heroic age to one very much the reverse. The new court was scandalous, and after the younger Cecil's death public affairs were administered by a smaller race of men, not one of whom gained the love or admiration of his countrymen. Raleigh, the typical Elizabethan, spent thirteen years in the Tower, and died on the scaffold. But outside the sphere of politics the first Stuart reign must be regarded with interest, for it saw the production of Shakespeare's finest plays and of Bacon's chief works. Meanwhile England had peace, and silently prepared for the great struggle. Eliot and Pym, Wentworth and Cromwell, were all young men, and Milton was born some three years before Prospero drowned his book. The great Queen died at Richmond very early on March 24. By nine o'clock Sir Robert Carey was spurring northwards with the news, and King James was proclaimed in London the same morning. It was not until the next day that Cecil found time to send Sir Henry Danvers to Ireland, but the news had preceded the official messenger by a full week, so that Mountjoy was quite prepared. Danvers landed at Dublin on April 5, and within an hour after the delivery of his letters King James was duly proclaimed. Oddly enough, Tyrone, who had reached Dublin the day before, was the only peer of Ireland present, and he signed the proclamation which was circulated in the country. Three days later he made submission on his knees to the new sovereign, 'solemnly swearing upon a book to perform every part thereof, as much as lay in his power; and if he could not perform any part thereof he vowed to put his body