When the Bill became law a Court of Claims was appointed to hear applications for restoration from ancient owners, and applot the territory to be awarded in exchange. This tribunal was presided over by Sir Audley Mervyn, Speaker of the Irish House of Commons, one of the trio who promoted the “famous paper.” He was a venal parasite who ruled against every contention on behalf of the Irish. To make sure that the Cromwellians should suffer no deprivation, his “Court” announced, at an early sitting, that there were no lands available out of which the Undertakers could be “reprized”—i.e., receive equivalent estate. This was in flat contradiction of the assurance to the King in the “famous paper”; but it was true, for the Adventurers so managed that all such property had meanwhile been given away among themselves. This was done by way of what was blandly called “cautionary reprize,” which meant that—taking time by the forelock—they had annexed everything for their faction. Colonel O’Neill, Protestant though he was, could not get back a rood of his land. Even Charles II. proved powerless to help him. The King created him Postmaster-General of the United Kingdom, but nothing in the way of restitution could be wrung from Lord Massereene. When O’Neill died his Majesty interested himself on behalf of one of his cousins, Sir Henry O’Neill, whose lands were also in Massereene’s hold. Pressed to make restitution in a debate in the Irish House of Lords, the new peer rose and, taking the Royal Declaration in one hand, he drew his sword with the other, exclaiming: “I will have the benefit of it with this.” When any Royalist soldier or “innocent Papist” asked for reinstatement, the Planter in possession demanded what equivalent land he was to get before being ousted? None was to be had, and the intruders, after a fine parade of legality, retained their domains, while the natives were left out in the cold. The promises made them in the King’s Declaration, in the “famous paper,” and in the Act of Settlement remained a dead letter. Certain Catholic officers were mentioned by name in the Act and guaranteed restoration by its clauses. This created a difficulty, so they were left to die in London of hunger and plague. Charles II. would not as much as pay their way to Dublin to enable them to seek redress. CHAPTER XXIII. LORD DONEGALL’S ROMANCES.