The descendants of Cromwell's men lord it in the homes of those who were faithful to King Charles." "It certainly seems so, sir," Colonel L'Estrange said; "but I am no politician.

I am simply a soldier, and obey orders; but I own that it does seem a cruel injustice, that the great portion of the lands of this country should be held by the descendants of Cromwell's soldiers, while the lawful owners, whose only fault was that they were loyal to their king, should still be dispossessed of it." "But I think better times are coming," Mr.Davenant said.

"There can be no doubt of the king's leaning towards our religion.

He has been restrained from carrying his goodwill towards us into effect, by his privy councillors and by the English party here, whose interest it is to prevent any change being made, and who constantly misrepresent the feelings of this country.

From the days when Strongbow first landed, this island has been the prey of adventurers, whose only object has been to wrest the land from the native population." "But you are yourself a descendant of one of the early English settlers, Mr.Davenant." "That is true enough," Mr.Davenant said smiling, "and, no doubt, he was as bad as the rest of them; but, you see, we have held the land for some centuries now, and, like the other descendants of Strongbow's men, have come to look at matters from the Irish point of view, rather than the English.