nantry, both in the county of the town and county of Galway, and in the counties of Clare, Roscommon, and Mayo. The lamented Chief of Clooneene was interred in the Forster Chapel, at the ancient Abbey of Kilmacduach.

Father Dermot Moylan, the pious priest of St. Anne's, was most assiduous in his attentions, early and late, during the Chief's last illness. Dermot Oge constantly visited him for hours at a time, and his son Major Forster of Rathorpe, his grandsons, and all his relatives, watched by his bedside. Having arranged all his worldly affairs, he told his family that he feared very much they would have many serious difficulties to contend with from the present bigoted Government, and strongly advised them to bear up with fortitude against whatever their fate might be. He exhorted them to be always united, and live in amity with each other, and desired them never to forget that the Prince of Orange was an usurper, and that the head of the House of Stuart was the lawful heir to the Crown. He expressed his regard for his relatives in Northumberland, particularly for young Cuthbert Fenwick, his great love for Ireland, and then calmly expired (150). Vast crowds of the gentry, his tenantry, retainers, and followers attended the funeral, and his coffin was lowered to its last resting-place, amidst the wailings of the people, who sincerely regretted his demise.

Dermot Oge wrote to the Chief of Cineal Aodh, informing him of the lamented death of his old friend, the Chief of Clooneene, and that the traitor Prendergast had, by the authority of King William, taken possession of the territory of his forefathers. He forwarded this letter by the Flying Eagle, which was still commanded by the Chevalier de Tourville, who, as yet, fearlessly visited the Irish coast, and in defiance of the enemy regularly landed his cargoes at Duras, and brought over to France great numbers of recruits for the renowned Irish Brigade.

Prendergast, the new proprietor of Gortinsiguara, endeavoured to please the tenantry, and did all in his power to make himself popular with them, and cunningly had the estate of the O'Shaughnessys valued at so low a rate (151) that he received another grant from King William of over £300 a year, to make up for the £500 which was promised. to him when he gave the required information about the Assassination Plot. He also visited Lady Helena O'Shaughnessy, who still resided at Fidane Castle, and was now the wife of Captain Hugh O'Kelly, a near relative of The O'Kelly of Mullaghmore, who was slain at Aughrim, and prevailed on her Ladyship to give up the bond (152) which was then in her possession, and which had been given to her first husband,

the Chief of Cineal Aodh, by her deceased father, Lord Clare, in payment of the fortune to which her Ladyship was entitled. The faithful Dermot Oge, who always had the interests of the O'Shaughnesys at heart, was indignant on hearing this family document was given by Lady Helena to Prendergast, and bitterly complained to Major Forster of Rathorpe, who succeeded his father as Chief of Clooneene, and all his other friends, of how unwisely her Ladyship had acted, in giving to an enemy of the House of O'Shaughnessy a private family paper which she should have preserved for her absent son.

The state of the country was now really frightful. Many of the ancient Catholic families of Ireland were exiles, and fighting in the armies of nearly every European sovereign (153). Their estates were granted to new Williamite settlers, whose only recommendation was their intense hatred of the Catholic religion and the Irish nation. The intolerant Parliament that violated the Treaty of Limerick, not content with their base conduct, passed a few more bigoted Acts-one to prevent Protestants intermarrying with Catholics, and another to prevent Catholics from becoming solicitors, or even game-keepers.

The peace with France continued, and the Chief of Cineal Aodh still remained in that country, being resolved never to return to Ireland while it was ruled by the Dutch usurper.

Prendergast, with the assistance of some Government minions, held possession of the estate of Gortinsiguara, and no event of importance took place until the year 1700, when Colonel Francis Forster of Rathorpe, being heir to his brother John, whose health was fast declining, though he was yet quite young, considered it was time for him to marry. Accordingly, on the 17th of August, 1700, he espoused Mary, only daughter of Captain James Mac Donnell (154), of Kilkee, in the county of Clare, a Jacobite gentleman of ancient Milesian lineage, being grandson of the Honourable Charles Mac Donnell, and great grandson of Randal Earl of Antrim, of Dunluce Castle, who was maternally sprung from the heroic Robert I., King of Scotland (155). This happy event caused great rejoicings, which were kept up for a considerable time at Clooneene, Rathorpe, Kilkee, Gortinsiguara, and Lissine.

Dermot Oge still held possession of Lissine, though Prendergast was on the alert to find an opportunity to dispossess him.

Charles O'Shaughnessy and his family were compelled by Prendergast to retire from his residence, Ardemilevan Castle, which was so long the property of the Chieftains of Cineal Aodh. He was the father of three sons, Joseph, Colman, and Robuc, who were next heirs to the

rights of the House of O'Shaughnessy, in case O'Shaughnessy of the Irish Brigade, then Chief of his name and head of his sept, should die without male issue.

CHAPTER XLIII.

DEATH O F KING JAMES II.

Ox Friday, the 4th of March, 1701, King James was seized with illness, which afterwards proved fatal to him. His Majesty, accompanied by his devoted consort, while attending divine service in the Chapel Royal of St. Germain-en-Laye, was so much affected by the application of the following passage, which occurs in the last chapter of the Lamentations of Jeremiah, to the misfortunes of his own family, that it caused him to faint:-"Remember, O Lord, what has come upon us: consider and behold our reproach. Our inheritance is turned to aliens: our houses to strangers." A torrent of blood burst from his nose and mouth, and having been carried out of the chapel in a state of insensibility, a report of his death was rapidly circulated. From the effects of this severe fit he never afterwards thoroughly recovered. Notwithstanding the many sufferings his beautiful consort, Queen Mary Beatrice, had endured during long years of adversity, her grief on this occasion was most profound, as she feared the life of her beloved husband was drawing to a close; and even the most malignant of King James's enemies who witnessed this sad occurrence, could not but sympathise with her in her overwhelming affliction. Shortly after the King had a fit of paralysis, and was ordered, as a last resource by his physicians, to the celebrated baths of Bourbon, which were then much resorted to by persons affected with paralysis or gout. The King, who felt that his end was approaching, was, nevertheless, perfectly resigned, and could only be prevailed on to undertake this journey by the tender solicitations of the Queen. Having consented, the only obstacle to their departure was the want of funds, though they only required 30,000 livres. This sum was immediately forwarded to King James by Louis XIV. He also sent Monsieur Fagon, his chief physician, to attend him while at Bourbon, and ordered Monsieur d'Urfi to accompany them, to pay all their expenses on the journey, and see they were treated with regal honours, though it was their wish to be permitted to travel privately. Having

taken an affectionate leave of the Prince of Wales and the beautiful young Princess Louisa, to whom King James was greatly attached, the King and Queen departed from the Palace of St. Germain on the 5th of April. The Royal party did not pass Paris, and though the journey was only sixteen miles, the King felt very much fatigued. On arriving in the capital, they at once proceeded to the mansion of the Duke de Lauzun, the same nobleman who had conducted the retreat of the Irish army after the battle of the Boyne. Here many of the English, Irish, and Scotch nobility then in Paris waited on the King, to inquire after his health and kiss his hand, and that of the Queen.

Though they privately visited the exiled monarch, their movements were so closely watched by the Earl of Manchester, King William's Ambassador, that he sent a dispatch to the English Court with an account of their proceedings and the initials of their names. On receipt of this intelligence, the Secretary of State in London communicated it to King William.

On the 6th, King James and his Queen had an interview with Louis XIV., who received them at the Palace of the Louvre, after which they attended High Mass at the Cathedral of Nôtre Dame. Having rested at the different convents on the way, the Royal party reached Bourbon on the 17th; and although the Queen felt the journey long and fatiguing, she bore all patiently for her husband's sake.

The baths and waters acted so favourably on the King's health that he became well of the gout, and was able to commence his journey to St. Germain on the 4th of June, where he and the Queen arrived in time to participate in the birthday fêtes of their children. The Prince of Wales completed his thirteenth year on the 10th of June, and the Princess Louisa her ninth on the 28th of that month. On their return to the Palace of St. Germain, King Louis, the Dauphin, the Duke of Burgundy, and the other Princes of the Blood Royal paid them congratu latory visits; and the amiable Queen Mary Beatrice was in great spirits, as the King was now to all appearance quite recovered. His Majesty often rode out, for hunting was always one of his favourite amusements, and took long walks, accompanied by the Queen and his children. However, on Friday, the 2nd of September, while attending Mass at the Chapel Royal, the choir sung the anthem for the day. It was the same which on a previous occasion had had such a serious effect on King James. As it again recalled to his memory the misfortunes of his House, he swooned and fell into the arms of his faithful wife. His Majesty was carried from the chapel to his chamber in a state of insensibility; but, to the inexpressible joy of the Queen, after a short

time animation returned. Immediately after, however, he was seized with a more violent fit, which lasted a long time. The Queen was in the greatest agony, as her Majesty now believed the King's death was inevitable, and many of those present were under the impression that he had already expired; but the King, who was naturally of a robust constitution, after a long death-like swoon, regained consciousness, and appeared so well during the whole of the following day that the Queen began to entertain hopes of his being out of danger. Notwithstanding the relief which he got, the King determined to be prepared for death, and accordingly sent for his confessor on Sunday morning. Just when his Majesty concluded his general confession he was seized with another fit, which lasted so long that all his attendants for the second time believed his spirit had departed. At length his teeth being forced open a dreadful hæmorrhage took place. The Queen was inconsolable on this occasion, but the King, who remained perfectly calm and collected, as soon as his physicians had succeeded in stopping the hæmorrhage desired to receive the last rites of the Catholic Church, but said he would first see his children to give them a parting advice, and accordingly the Prince of Wales was sent for. When the young Prince entered the chamber of his dying parent, and beheld his pale, wasted countenance, and the bed all covered with blood, he burst into tears, in which he was joined by all present, except the King, who remained unmoved during this affecting scene. When his sorrowing son approached the bed, the dying King raised himself with difficulty, and reached forth his arms to embrace him. Notwithstanding his feeble condition, the King thus addressed the Prince, in a firm and most impressive manner

"I am now leaving this world, which has been to me a sea of storms and tempests, it being God Almighty's will to wean me from it by many great afflictions. Serve IIim with all your power and strength, and never put the Crown of England in competition with your eternal salvation. There is no slavery like sin, nor no liberty like His service. If His Holy Providence shall think fit to seat you on the throne of your Royal ancestors, govern your people with justice and clemency. Remember kings are not made for themselves, but for the good of their people. Set before their eyes in your own actions a pattern of all manner of virtues. Consider them as your children. You are yourself the child of vows and prayers, behave yourself accordingly. Honour your

mother, that your days may be long; and be always a kind brother to your dear sister, that you may reap the blessings of unity and concord." The courtiers who were present, fearing the exertion caused by speaking on such a solemn subject would be injurious to King James, sug