lawful as to kill a sheep or a dog. The insurgents threatening to burn Burke's house if he kept Johnson any longer, he managed to convey him to Clanricarde's castle at Loughrea, and he 'ever after that time lived by the noble and free charity of that good earl, until of late his lordship sent him and divers other Protestants away with a convoy.'[6] [Sidenote: Murders at Galway.] [Sidenote: Clanricarde and the clergy.] Clanricarde returned to Galway on March 1. After a fortnight's argument he succeeded in getting both town and fort to make declarations of loyalty and of peaceable intentions towards each other. As soon as his back was turned the flames fanned by the clergy broke out afresh. A party of armed townsmen disguised as boatmen seized an English ship, murdered some of the crew, and towed her off in spite of Willoughby's fire. When Galway surrendered to Coote in 1652 the perpetrators of the outrage were specially excepted from pardon. The malcontents then closed the gates, disarmed all the English within the walls, took an oath of union, and invited the O'Flahertys and the Mayo insurgents to join them. Willoughby burned some of the suburbs to prevent the O'Flahertys from occupying them, and this military precaution still further exasperated the citizens. But Clanricarde collected a quantity of provisions at Oranmore and relieved the fort. His castle of Tirellan, which commanded the river, enabled him to blockade the town, the neighbourhood being constantly patrolled by cavalry. Supplies ceased to reach the market, and before the end of April the leading citizens were tired of resisting. While negotiations were proceeding a man of war arrived with powder and provisions, and Clanricarde then took high ground. In vain did the warden Walter Lynch, whom Rinuccini afterwards made a bishop, fulminate the greater excommunication against all who agreed to Clanricarde's articles. The mayor signed them nevertheless, agreeing that all soldiers harboured in the town should be sent away, that access to the town should be free and open, that the Anglican clergy should enjoy their legal rights, and that no arms or powder should be sold without Clanricarde's orders. The gates were accordingly thrown open on May 13, the young men of the town laid down their arms, and Clanricarde received the keys publicly from the mayor's hands. Ormonde approved of these proceedings, but the Lords Justices thought the rebellious town had been too leniently treated.[7] [Sidenote: Order against intercourse with the Irish.] [Sidenote: Sir James Dillon at Athlone.] [Sidenote: Ormonde relieves Athlone.] [Sidenote: An English party destroyed.]