territories he more directly impinged. In the track of both peoples,
"death follows like a squire." Neither truce nor oath was kept by the
English; while their fiery adversaries, necessarily stung to frenzy at
the presence of yet another invader in their midst, made sudden
reprisals in a manner so unexpected and daring, that the laws of the
hour like those of Draco, were literally written in blood. While the
dash and chivalry of the Irish prevented them from adopting the stealthy
dagger of the assassin, and prompted them rather, to bold and open deeds
of death, the enactments of "The Pale" as the English patch or district
was termed, were absolutely of a character the most demonical. According
to their provisions, the murder of an Irish man or woman was no offence
whatever; while the slaughter of a native who had made submission to the
Pale, was visited with a slight fine only--not for the crime _per se_,
but for the murderer's having deprived the king of a servant. From this
it can be easily perceived, that a cowardly system of warfare obtained
on the part of the English, which, were it not for the quick eye and
fierce agility of the inhabitants, would soon have resulted in their
total annihilation.

This foul and dastardly system of assassination was but simply a
leading expression of the bastard nationality of the invader. Not
one, single drop of proud, pure blood coursed through his veins. His
degraded country had been in turn the mistress of the Roman, the
Saxon, the Dane and the Norman, and he was the hybrid offspring of
her incontinence. Consequently, he had neither a history nor a past
of his own, calculated to prompt even one exalted aspiration. He was
a mongrel of the most inveterate character, and was therefore, and
inevitably, treacherous, cowardly; and cunning. Not so the brave sons
of the land he so ardently coveted. Ere the mighty gnomon of "The
Great Pyramid" had thrown its gigantic shadow o'er the red dial of