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deals with the inferior animals the Cromwellian thought himselfat liberty to deal with the Homan Catholic. Coningsby there-fore drew on himself a greater storm of obloquy by his few goodacts than by his many bad acts. The clamour against him wasso violent that he xvas removed; and Sidney went over, withthe full power and dignity of Lord Lieutenant, to hold a Par-liament at Dublin.*

* The charges brought against Coningsby will be found in the Journalsof the two Houses of the English Parliament. Those charges were, afterthe lapse of a quarter of a century, versified by Prior, whom Coningsbyhad treated with great insolence and harshness. I will quote a few stanzas.It will be seen that the poet condescended to imitate the style of the streetballads.

“OfNero, tyrant, petty king,

Who heretofore did reignIn famed Hibernia, I will sing,

And in a ditty plain.

“The articles recorded standAgainst this peerless peer;

Search but the archives of the land,

You ’ll find them written there.”

The story of Gaffney is then related. Coningsby’s speculations aredescribed thus:

“Vast quantities of stores did heEmbezzle and purloin:

Of the King’s stores he kept a key,

Converting them to.coin.

“The forfeited estates also,

Both real and personal,

Did with the stores together go.

Fierce Cerberus swallow’d all.”

The last charge is the favour showrn the Roman Catholics:

“ Nero, without the least disguise,

The Papists at all times

Still favour’d, and their robberiesLook’d on as trivial crimes.

“The Protestants whom they did robDuring his government,

Were forced with patience, like good Job,

To rest themselves content.

“For he did basely them refuseAll legal remedy;

The Romans still he well did use,

Still screen’d their roguery.”