Cromwell in Ireland
ment in 1641 this Irish war has held four divisions in the ranks of its royalists:—
First—the old Irish element, the people of Milesian descent. This party in numbers and fighting instinct may be said to have been six-tenths of the whole, but they lacked arms and estates and influence.
Second—The Catholic lords and gentry of Norman-Irish descent, who had still considerable estates and influence.
Third—the Ormond Catholic Section, sometimes embraced in the second party, sometimes acting distinct from it.
Fourth—the English Protestant party, more or less loyal to the King, but hating the three other sections, and particularly detesting the old Irish element. To this fourth party the execution of the King had joined the Scotch Presbyterian section in the north, hitherto hostile, so that at the time of Cromwell's landing, or shortly after it, there was at least a nominal union amongst these four or five often discordant and even warring elements. But such a union, with so many memories of recent strife and cruel deeds still fresh among them, could promise only a weak homogeneity, compared with the solid force, the trained collective knowledge, and the spirit of implacable animosity to all
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