MacCarthy more, or, The fortunes of an Irish chief in the reign of ...

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PREFACE.
whom all his sympathies were entertained, was
BO trammeled by the jealous policy of Elizabeth
and her ministers that he was unable to turn it
to account. That he carried on for many years
extensive negotiations with Catholic princes
abroad there can be no doubt, and that he stood
high in the estimation of the King of Spain and
other powerful friends of the persecuted Catho-
lics of Ireland is equally certain. Perhaps his
great error was excessive caution, and a too
great fondness for temporizing. Had he lived
in our day he would probably be called " a
trimmer," and there is no doubt that he was
entitled to the name of "The Munster Machia"
velli," given him by our friend already referred
to ; yet, we think, the diflBculties of his position
were net sufficiently considered by O'Neil and
Desmond and the other Catholic leaders of his
own day,—and we, of modern times, have been, and
are, too apt to take the characters of historic men
and women as their enemies represent them. We
are of opinion that, as time rolls on, and Irish
history becomes more known, through the labors
of Irish scholars, the character of Florence Mac-
Carthy More will be seen in a more favorable
light. Much has been done to justify his charac-
ter by the admirable work of Daniel Mac Car thy,
BO often quoted in this volume— " Life and Letters
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