Page:Confiscation in Irish history.djvu/49

 THE PLANTATION OF ULSTER

the death of Elizabeth, and the accession of the Stuarts, a new era opens in Ireland. To conquest by force of arms and accompanying confiscation succeeds confiscation based on legal subtleties.

At first matters seemed to go smoothly under James I. Earl Hugh O'Neill, who had submitted a few days after Elizabeth's death, was pardoned and restored to all his lands. Rory O'Donnell, brother and successor of Red Hugh, received an earldom together with a grant of all Tirconnell.

In general all the Irish who had survived the rebellion were pardoned, and so secured in all their rights to land, whatever those might be. All the inhabitants of Ireland were admitted to the protection of the law, and made "denizens," thus sweeping away the old legal distinction between those of Irish and of English blood. Serfdom was abolished by a proclamation of the Deputy, Chichester, in March, 1605. A commission for