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

Thb Fortunes ov an Irish Chief. 46
that order for an undoubtedly loyal gentleman of
"the MacCarties," to go into the country of the head
of his house with such hostile purpose. It was truly
encouraging, from an English point of view, to see
such enmity arising between two great branches of
Hie powerful Clan Carthy.
It is hard to say what particular thoughts were
passing in the mind of this young Irish gentleman,
fresh from the Court of London, as he journeyed on,
with one or two attendants, into the remote regions
of Kerry. Considering the peculiar nature of his er-
rand it was strange that he took with him no larger
following. It was well known ''hat he stood high in
favor with his uncle. Sir Owcl MacCarthy Reagh,
and that he had had command, duiing the late war,
of the entire contingent furnished by the MacCar-
thys of Carbery, yet neither kerne nor gallowglass
rode in his company to the wilds of Kerry to enforce
claims to large tracts of land and strong castles belonging
to the lord of all that country. A bold man
must have been Florence MacCarthy, for all his bland
courtesy of manner, and his calm, passionless face.
With his tall commanding figure, far above the average
height: of men, and his air of high superiority, he
looked ju9t the man to maintain his own rights
against any odds, and at any risk ; he looked, too,
like a man who would do nothing rashly or impru-
dently, yet here he was, riding post haste into the
country of MacCarthy More, with intentions hostile
to that chieftain, yet having with him but one or two