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
When Grey returned to Dublin he found the whole official circle bent
upon disgracing Kildare, and after some days' consideration he summoned
the general body of nobles to meet the Council, ostensibly for the
discussion of military dispositions. Delvin saw that he was suspected,
and vehemently demanded an enquiry, putting in a written declaration
in answer to rumoured accusations. The full Council, including
Kildare, found this statement inconsistent with known facts, and
committed him to the Castle. Then Gerard, who had conducted the private
investigation, rashly disclosed his whole case, and openly accused the
Earl of complicity with the treason of Baltinglas. Wallop, who believed
that no good thing could come out of Galilee, observed that the
Chancellor 'would needs have the attorney and serjeant by, who are of
this country birth, and so were many councillors then present, by means
of which it is now in every man's mouth what the Earl is to be charged
with.'
The Vice-Treasurer adds that his lands were worth 3,000_l._ a year,
but that he had taken good care to return them to England as worth
only 1,500_l._, that the only road towards good government lay through
severity, and that unless traitors were made to pay both in person
and lands, Ireland would always be what it long had been,--'the sink
of the treasure of England.' Waterhouse, whose office it was to look
after unconsidered trifles of revenue, thought the original cause of
war was Kildare's military commission, and that treason should be made
to pay its own expenses. 'I will hear your honour's opinion,' he wrote
to Walsingham, 'whether her Majesty will be content to have her great
charges answered out of the livings of the conspirators, and to use
a sharp and a severe course without respect of any man's greatness,
wheresoever law will catch hold, or whether all faults must be lapped
up in lenity with pardons, protections, and fair semblance, as in times
past; if severity, then is there hope enough of good reformation; if
mildness, then discharge the army and officers, and leave this nation
to themselves, for sure the mean will do no good. We must embrace one
of these extremities.'[71]
[Sidenote: Kildare and Delvin prisoners in England.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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