Page:History of Redmond O'Hanlon.pdf/6



6 prevailed so far in court, as to have the trial postponned; but this was of no other service than to give rise to as pleasant a fit of merriment in court as ever happened upon such an occasion, the judges and every one else laughing until they were ready to burst, at the conceit of Redmond's acting the justice of peace.

Redmond had a much greater antipathy to the English, than to the Scotch and Irish: for he was always kind to his countrymen, and made a bargain both with them and the North country pedlars, and all such as acknowledged his jurisdiction, all over the kingdom, alledging for excuse, that as he was a reduced gentleman, he hoped his countrymen would not refuse to pay him tribute towards his maintenance, upon his desisting to plunder. Upon this he made proposals, that whoever paid him half a crown per annum, he would indemnify them from robbers of all kinds; but if at any time they neglected to remit him his salary, and run in arrears, they were sure to pay for it. Such as made this bargain with him, had their names registered in his pocket-book, and were so little afraid of losing any of their goods by robbers, that they thought their effects as safe in the fields as in the house; for if at any time they happened to have any thing stolen, upon application to Redmond, he would make the most diligent search that could possibly be made in all parts of the kingdom, until he found it and restored it to the owner, and if he failed to find it, always allowed his benefactor two years salary to compensate the loss. But he had so many emissaries, and such good intelligence, and all other petty rogues were so much afraid of him and his party, that none of them dared to disoblige him;