Ireland under the Tudors, with a Succinct Account of the Earlier History. Vol. 3 (of 3)Bagwell, Richard
History
Ireland under the Tudors, with a Succinct Account of the Earlier History. Vol. 3 (of 3)
Bagwell, Richard
Ireland -- History -- 16th century
Cuellar helped MacClancy to defend his castle against the Lord Deputy,
and the chief was as unwilling to let him go as the smith had been. He
escaped with four other Spaniards, during the first days of the new
year, and after three weeks' hardship in the mountains found himself
at Dunluce in Antrim, where Alonso de Leyva had been lost. He was
told that his only chance of a passage to Scotland was by some boats
belonging to O'Cahan, which were expected to sail soon. The wound in
his leg had broken out afresh, and he was unable to stand for some
days. His companions left him to shift for himself, and after a painful
walk to Coleraine he found that the boats had gone. There was a
garrison there, and he had to take shelter in a mountain hut, where
some women compassionately nursed him. In six weeks his wound was
well enough to enable him to seek an interview with O'Cahan, but that
chief, who was afraid to help any Spaniard, had gone upon a foray with
the soldiers. 'I was now,' he says, 'able to show myself in the town,
which was of thatched houses, and there were some very pretty girls,
with whom I struck up a great friendship and often visited their house
to converse. One afternoon when I was there, two young Englishmen came
in, and one of them, who was a sergeant, asked me if I was a Spaniard,
and what I did there. I said yes, and that I was one of Don Alonso de
Luzon's soldiers who had surrendered, that my bad leg had prevented me
from going with the rest, and that I was at their service to do their
bidding. They said they hoped soon to take me with them to Dublin,
where there were many Spaniards of note in prison. I replied that I
could not walk, but was very willing to accompany them. They then
sent for a horse, and their suspicions being set at rest, they began
to romp with the girls. The mother made me signs to leave, which I
did very quickly, jumping over ditches and going through thick covert
till I came within view of O'Cahan's castle. At nightfall I followed a
road which led me to a great lagoon.' This was probably Lough Foyle,
and here he was befriended by herdsmen, one of whom, after a visit to
Coleraine, told him that he had seen the two Englishmen 'raging in
search' of him. He kept his counsel, but advised Cuellar to remove into
the mountains. He was conducted to the hiding-place of a bishop, 'a
very good Christian,' who prudently dressed like the country folk. 'I
assure you,' writes the devout Spaniard, 'that I could not restrain my
tears when I came to kiss his hand.' It seems almost certain that this
was Redmond O'Gallagher, papal bishop of Derry and acting Primate, one
of the three Irish prelates who had attended the Council of Trent. He
had twelve other Spaniards with him, and by his help Cuellar managed to
reach Scotland. 'He was a reverend and just man,' says the latter; 'may
God's hand keep him free from his enemies.'
[Sidenote: Final escape of Cuellar.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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