THE SPANISH ARMADA--LORD DEPUTY FITZWILLIAM--ESCAPE OF
HUGH ROE O'DONNELL FROM DUBLIN CASTLE--THE ULSTER
CONFEDERACY FORMED.

In pursuing to its close the war in Munster, we were
obliged to omit the mention of an affair of considerable
importance, which somewhat consoled the Catholics for
the massacre at Smerwick and the defeat of the Desmonds.
We have already observed that what Aharlow was to the
southern insurgents, the deep, secluded valley of Glenmalure
was to the oppressed of Leinster. It afforded, at this
period, refuge to a nobleman whose memory has been most
improperly allowed to fall into oblivion. This was James
Eustace, Viscount Baltinglass, who had suffered imprisonment
in the Castle for refusing to pay an illegal tax of a
few pounds, who was afterwards made the object of a
special, vindictive enactment, known as "the Statute of
Baltinglass," and was in the summer of 1580, on his
keeping, surrounded by armed friends and retainers. His
friend, Sir Walter Fitzgerald, son-in-law to the chief
of Glenmalure, and many of the clansmen of Leix, Offally
and Idrone, repaired to him at Slieveroe, near the modern
village of Blessington, from which they proceeded to form
a junction with the followers of the dauntless Feagh
McHugh O'Byrne of Ballincor. Lord Grey, of Wilton, on
reaching Dublin in August of that year, obtained information
of this gathering, and determined to strike a decisive
blow in Wicklow, before proceeding to the South. All the
chief captains in the Queen's service--the Malbys, Dudleys,
Cosbys, Carews, Moors--had repaired to meet him at Dublin,