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
Wearied by want of bread and all comforts, the rebel Earl began to
feel that the game was up, and he besought Winter to give him a
passage to England. Pelham did not object, provided the surrender was
unconditional; but would allow no agents to pass, nor the Countess to
go over without her husband. The poor lady's tears showed him that her
cause was desperate. Chief Secretary Fenton was principally struck by
her impudence in venturing to defend her husband's conduct. Pelham was
inclined to believe that they both meant nothing but villainy, and were
only seeking time to get in the harvest, and he directed Bourchier at
Kilmallock, and Case at Askeaton, to give the fugitive Earl no rest
for the sole of his foot. The hunted wretch might have surrendered
to Winter had it not been for the change of government, which, both
before and since, in Ireland, has often been wrongly supposed to denote
a change of policy. He had perhaps been told that Grey's orders from
the Queen were to treat him leniently. At all events he changed his
tone, though he had but 120 gallowglasses with him. These men clamoured
loudly and vainly for their quarter's pay, and the camp was followed by
a horde of poor starving creatures, who begged such scraps as unpaid
soldiers could give. In spite of all this, Desmond now declared that he
would yield to Grey only, for that he remembered former hard treatment
in England, and doubted that it would be worse than ever. And so the
matter stood when Pelham, who had himself desired to be relieved,
received the order to go to Dublin, and there surrender the sword to
his successor. He had declared himself willing to serve under the new
governor in Munster, with or without the title of Lord President, and
the latter was directed to take advantage of his zeal, his experience,
and his martial skill. As it was, he left Ireland on the nominal ground
of health, perhaps because he could not get on with Grey, or because
the Queen was frightened at the expense. He afterwards found work in
the Netherlands, and Bourchier was left in charge of Munster with the
rank of Colonel, Ormonde having enough to do in defending his own
country against the Leinster insurgents.[50]
FOOTNOTES:
[22] Drury to Walsingham, Aug. 23, 1579; Walsingham's letters of Aug.
5, 6, and 7; E. Tremayne to Burghley, Aug. 5; Proportions of victual,
&c. Aug. 24; Wallop to Walsingham, Aug. 27, and Sept. 3, 4, and 14;
Instructions to Sir John Perrott, Aug. 19.
[23] Lord Justice and Earl of Kildare to the Privy Council, Aug. 3,
1579; Waterhouse to Walsingham, Aug. 22; Gerard to Walsingham, Wilson,
and Burghley, Sept. 10, 15, and 16; Drury to Walsingham, Sept. 14 and
17; Wallop to Burghley, Sept. 20. Drury died Sept. 30, and what Sanders
said about him is in a letter of Feb. 21, 1580, printed in Strype's
_Parker_, appendix 77.
[24] Maltby to Walsingham, Oct. 12, 1579, with enclosures.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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