AMONG the numerous committals in Elizabeth's reign, were those of Hickey and Barry, the "Harbinger" and " Steward" of Gerald, the eleventh Earl of Kildare, for the murder of the two Keatings in Ireland. The story affords a fearful picture of the barbarity and contempt of law and justice, which then prevailed in that country; but what appears so strange in the matter is, that the Queen, or her councillors, should have thought it worth while to incur all the expence and trouble of bringing over to London such subordinate miscreants as Hickey and Barry, instead of causing them to be executed at once, near the spot where their crimes were committed, to serve as an example to their comrades, which their removal to London must have rendered almost nugatory.

The Earl of Kildare was, it appears, in the habit of keeping up a frequent, though secret, communication with the chiefs of the petty insurrections, which were always smouldering within the English pale, and these Keatings, who were agents and spies of the rebel chiefs, were occasionally received by him as guests at his castle

1574.-Being desirous of courting the favour of the Lord Deputy (Sir W. Fitzwilliam), the Earl, by a base and unworthy deception, invited the brothers Keating to his castle, under a safe-conduct, as he had often done before, and, after causing them to be hospitably entertained, by his dependants and servants, allowed Shan, the elder brother, to depart upon the faith and security of his usual " protection or safe-conduct." The Earl afterwards declared that the safe-conduct was only to enable the Keatings to come to his castle in safety, but contained no engagement as to equal safety after their departure.

On this base pretext, he despatched Hickey, his harbinger, and his steward, Barry, accompanied by another ruffian, to waylay Shan Keating, whom they overtook in a lonely spot, where the road led through a dreary bog. It would seem that the unfortunate man at once guessed their errand, for, as soon as he saw them, he dismounted from the " stout black horse" which he rode, and drawing his sword, boldly faced his assailants. They had made up their minds, however, to all hazards, and at once fell upon him, and after a desperate combat, in which, but for the odds of three to one, it is probable his courage might have saved his life, they eventually threw him to the ground, covered with wounds, and, cutting off his head, carried it back to the Earl, who immediately forwarded the ghastly offering to Dublin Castle, as a

Meyler Keating, the brother of Shan, and his fellow guest at Kilkea, remained meantime feasting unsuspiciously in the castle, when the Earl, on the following night, ordered Hickey and Barry to decoy him out into the demesne, despatch him, and cut off his head, as they had served his brother, which these unscrupulous wretches performed, without hesitation, and Meyler's head was sent as a second tribute of loyalty to Sir W. Fitzwilliam in Dublin.

The Deputy endeavoured to disclaim having given the Earl any authority or encouragement to commit these acts of cruelty and treachery, but the Earl, when on his trial, quoted a letter of his, which, if it did not convey any direct order, certainly would bear the interpretation by which he attempted to justify the act.

Whether Fitzwilliam really did write the letter produced by the Earl, in his justification, or whether he was ashamed to confess to any share in these savage murders, it is certain that Hickey and Barry were sent to England, imprisoned in the Tower, and tried and executed for their crimes.

Such, however, was the devotion of Hickey to his Lord, that, when interrogated with a view to bring to light other deeds of violence laid to the charge of the Earl, he said, the only illegal act he could remember of his master's, was the cutting off a man's nose, " which certainly was not to be liked;" but then the man was

Upon the subsequent inquiry by a Commission, into the conduct of the Earl, who was brought to London under an escort (the expense of his journey as a prisoner was no less than 400L.), a list of interrogatories was given him to answer or refute. These questions, and the Earl's replies, are preserved in original, and show the wonderful shrewdness, with which he applied himself to his defence, in which he so far succeeded, as to escape the fate of the two wretches, who, at his direct instigation and command, committed the perfidious murders of Shan and Meyler Keating.