Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 7.djvu/584

564 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [cri. 46. approved his judgment. The monastery with a few sheds attached to it provided shelter. The English troops had not been idle, and had already entrenched themselves 'in a very warlike manner/ O'Donnell, O'Dogherty, and the other friends of England ' agreed all of them that it was the very best spot in the north- ern counties to build a city.' At all events for present purposes the northern force was to remain there during the winter. Sidney stayed a few days at Derry, and then leaving Randolph with 650 men, 350 pioneers, and provisions for two months, continued his own march. His object was to replace O'Donnell in possession of his own country and castles, restore O'Dogherty and the other chiefs and commit them to the protection of Randolph, while he himself would sweep through the whole northern province, en- courage the loyal clans to return to their allegiance, and show the people generally that there was no part of Ireland to which the arm of the Deputy could not reach to reward the faithful and punish the rebellious. Donegal was his next point after leaving Lough Foyle once a thriving town inhabited by English colo- nists at the time of Sidney's arrival a pile of ruins, in the midst of which, like a wild beast's den strewed round with mangled bones, rose ' the largest and strongest castle which he had seen in Ireland.' It was held by one of O'DonnelPs kinsmen, to whom Shan to attach him to his cause had given his sister for a wife. At the appearance of the old chief with the English army it was immediately surrendered. O'Don-