[1] [2] _MY lord chancellor, I come not hi|ther to take aduise what I should doo, but to giue you to vnderstand what I mind to doo. It is easie for the sound to counsell the sicke: but if the sore had smarted you as much as it festereth me, you would be percase as impatient as I am. As you would wish me to honour my prince, so dutie wil|leth me to reuerence my father. Wherefore he that will with such tyrannte execute mine innocent pa|rent, and withall threaten my destruction, I may not, nor will not hold him for my king. And yet in truth he was neuer our king, but our lord, as his Henrie lord of Ireland. progenitors haue beene before him. But if it be my hap to miscarie, as you séeme to prognosticat, catch that catch may, I will take the market as it riseth, and will choose rather to die with valiantnesse and li|bertie, than to liue vnder king Henrie in bondage and villanie. And yet it may be, that as strong as he is, and as weake as I am, I shall be able like a fleshworme to itch the bodie of his kingdome, and force him to scratch déepelie before he be able to pike me out of my seame. Wherefore my lord, I thanke you for your good counsell, and were it not that I am too crabbed a note in descant to be now tuned, it might be that I would haue warbled swéeter har|monie than at this instant I meane to sing. ¶ With Thomas rendereth vp the sword. these words he rendered vp the sword, and flung a|waie like a bedlem, being garded with his brutish droue of brainesicke rebels.
[1] [2] [3] The councell sent secretlie vpon his departure to master maior and his brethren, to apprehend (if they conuenientlie might) Thomas Fitzgirald and his confederats. But the warning was so Skarborrow, the enimie so strong, the citie (by reason of the plage that ranged in towne and in countrie) so dispeopled, as their attempt therein would seeme but vaine and friuolous. Ouer this, the weaker part of the rebels would not pen vp themselues within the citie wals, but stood houering aloofe off toward Ostmantowne gréene, on the top of the hill where the gallowes stood (a fit centre for such a circle) till time they were ad|uertised of their capteine Thomas his returne. This open rebellion in this wise denounced; part of the councell, namelie Alen archbishop of Dublin & Fin|glasse Alen. Finglasse Iohn wal|ter. chiefe baron hied with bag and baggage to the castell of Dublin, whereof Iohn White was consta|ble, who after was dubbed knight by the king in England, for his worthie seruice doone in that vp|rore.
[1] [2] Thomas & his crew, supposing that in ouerruning the whole land, they should find no blocke to stumble at sauing the earle of Ossorie, agreed to trie if by a|nie allurements he could be traind to their confede|racie. And forsomuch as the lord Iames Butler was linked with Thomas Fitzgirald in great amitie and friendship, it was thought best to giue him the onset, who if he were woon to swaie with them, they would not weigh two chips the force of his father the earle of Ossorie. Thomas foorthwith sent his messengers and letters to his cousine the lord Butler, couenan|ting to diuide with him halfe the kingdome, would he associat him in this enterprise. Wherevpon the lord Butler returned Thomas his brokers with this letter.