Lords Lucan, Annesley, and Lifford had contributed largely, and that Lord Downshire had been exceedingly liberal in promoting lines on his estate.  But all was vain.  The noble absentee, who drains about 60,000 l. a year from his Irish property, and who often pays 5,000 l. for a picture, refused to lend 15,000 l. to aid in finishing a railway, which runs for three-fourths of the mileage through his own estate.  During the interview Mr. W.T.  Stannus urged on the marquis that the investment would be the best that could be made, as preference shares paying five per cent. would be allocated to him as security for the amount.  All arguments and entreaties, however, were lost on the noble invalid.  Even the appeal of the old gentleman who, for more than half a century, had managed the estate so advantageously for the successive owners of that splendid property, was made in vain.  ’You never refused me anything before,’ urged the dean, ’and I go away in very bad spirits.’  What a wonderful history lies in this episode of Irish landlordism.  Here is an unmarried nobleman whose income from investments in British and French securities is said to exceed 30,000 l. a year, besides the immense revenue of his English and Irish estates, and yet he refuses to part with 15,000 l. towards aiding in the construction of a railway on his own property.

CHAPTER XX.

TENANT-RIGHT IN ARMAGH.

Among the undertakers in the county of Armagh were the two Achesons,
Henry and Archibald, ancestors of Lord Gosford, who founded Market
Hill, Richard Houlston, John Heron, William Stanbowe, Francis
Sacheverell, John Dillon, John Hamilton, Sir John Davis, Lord Moore,
Henry Boucher, Anthony Smith, Lieutenant Poyntz, and Henry M’Shane
O’Neill.

In connection with each of these settlements Pynar uses the phrase, ‘I find planted and estated.’  What he means is more fully explained in his reference to the precinct of Fews, allotted to Scottish undertakers, where Henry Acheson had obtained 1,000 acres.  The surveyor says:  ’I find a great number of tenants on this land:  but not any that have any estates but by promise, and yet they have been many years upon the land.  There are nominated to me two freeholders and seventeen leaseholders, all which were with me, and took the oath of supremacy, and petitioned unto me that they might have their leases, the which Mr. Acheson seemed to be willing to perform it unto them presently.  These are able to make thirty men with arms.  Here is great store of tillage.’  The whole of the reports indicate that the Crown required of the undertakers two things.  First, that they should themselves reside on the land, that they should build strong houses, fortified with bawns, and keep a certain number of armed men for the defence of the settlement.  Secondly, that the English and Scotch settlers who were expected to reclaim the land and build houses, were to have