The territory of Leitrim, though as yet uninvaded, was at the same time declared a county; and the Magranals, who had probably no wish to be "civilized" on Sir Anthony's plan, appear to have endeavoured to avert the coming storm, by employing an agent in Dublin, at an immense expense, considering the scarcity of money in Ireland in those days, "to advocate their cause with the lords justices and council:" or, in plain English, to crave permission to be allowed to remain in quiet. The person chosen was one of their own sept, John Magranal, a soldier of fortune, who, having served in the English army in the subjugation of the King's and Queen's counties, had been rewarded with a grant of the forfeited lands of Claduff, in the former county, and was supposed to stand well with the lords justices. Him they elected their chief. With what success he advocated their cause has been already stated. The late George Nugent Reynolds, the dramatist, was a member of the sept of the Magranals; as was the notorious Tom Reynolds, the informer, well known in the history of the rebellion of 1798. There is a copy of this deed in the library of the Duke of Buckingham, at Stow. H.S. TRANSLATION. This is the deed of gift of the two[1] Mac Ranalds; to wit, Cahal, son of Conachar Mac Ranald, Toraylach and Gerald Magranal, heads and chiefs of their kindred, with the consent of their brethren and followers in Munterolish, to John Magranal, of Claduff, in the King's county, and to his heirs:-- [1] The preamble speaks of _two_ Mac Ranalds, (chiefs,) and then enumerates _three_. It is probable there were two families who had been usually elected to the chieftaincy, and that Cahal, the son of Conachar, represented one family, Toraylach and Gerald the other. I give this, however, only as a conjecture. Perhaps the safest way will be to set it down as an _Irish bull_, the earliest upon record.