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
Grey could not deny that appearances were strong against the Earl, and
he ordered his arrest, giving full credit for their exertions to Gerard
and Loftus. He believed that 'greediness of pay and arrogant zeal to
Popish government' were the stumbling-blocks of great personages in
Ireland, and that Delvin certainly was 'a wicked creature who had cut
the poor Earl's throat.' As if to add to the suspicion, Kildare's son
and heir ran off to the O'Connors, and they refused to let him go when
Grey sent for him. At last, fearing the construction that might be put
upon this, they handed him over to Ormonde, and he was shut up in the
Castle with his father and Lord Delvin. All three were sent over to
England, Secretary Fenton carrying the despatches, and Gerard going
with him to tell his own story.[72]
[Sidenote: The Munster rebellion drags on.]
The capture of Smerwick did not put down the Munster rebellion; but
Ormonde, or some of those about him, contemptuously reported that
Desmond, his brother, and Baltinglas had 'but a company of rascals and
four Spaniards, and a drum to make men believe that they had a great
number of the strangers.' Both Youghal and Ross thought themselves in
danger, and Wallop reported that communications between the capital and
Limerick were only kept up by 'simple fellows that pass afoot in nature
of beggars, in wages not accustomed.' Grey and Ormonde having turned
their backs, Desmond appeared again near Dingle, and Bingham felt that
there might be an attack at any moment. Half of Captain Zouch's men
were dead and buried, the survivors being too ill to work or fight.
Captain Case's company were little better, and they would have made
no resistance without Bingham and his sailors, who worked with a will
and raised a breastwork tenable by 20 men against 2,000 kernes and
gallowglasses. The men were put on short allowance, and having thus
made the provisions last thirteen days longer than they would otherwise
have done, Bingham was compelled to return to England. His crew were
so reduced by spare diet that they were unable to work the ship up
Channel, and had to run into Bristol. He left Ireland, to quote a
correspondent of Walsingham, 'in as great confusion as the Tower of
Babylon was a building.' There were more soldiers in Munster than had
been since the first conquest, and war material was abundant. But no
two officers agreed with each other personally, or were agreed upon
the policy to be pursued. Ormonde was in Dublin, looking after his own
interests, and leaving his lieutenants to shift for themselves. Sir
Warham St. Leger, Chief Commissioner at Cork, claimed superiority over
Sir George Bourchier at Kilmallock, while the latter acted as a captain
of free lances and granted protections to whom he pleased. Sir William
Morgan at Youghal would give way to neither, and there seemed no escape
from the difficulty but once more to appoint an English President,
'upright, valiant, severe, and wise.' In the meantime the rebellion
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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