The Holinshed Project

Holinshed Project Home

The Texts

Previous | Next

EEBO page image 82

A continuation of the Chronicles of Ireland, comprising the reigne of king Henrie the eight.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 _GIrald Fitz|girald earle of Kildare, son to Thomas Fitz|girald, of whõ mention hath béene made in the latter end of the former storie, a migh|tie man of sta|ture, full of ho|nor & courage, who had béene de [...]e [...] iustice of Ireland first & last 33 yéeres, 1514 deceased at Kildare the third of September, & lieth intoomed in the queere of Christes church at Dublin, in a chappell by him founded. Betwéen him & Iames Butler earle of Ormond (their owne gelousies fed with enuie & ambition, kindled with certeine lewd factious abettors of either side) as generallie to all noblemen, so especiallie to both these houses verie incident, euer since the ninth yeare of Henrie the seuenth, bred some trouble in Ireland. The plot of The occasion of the dissen|tion betwéene Kildare and Ormond. which mutuall grudge was grounded vpon the fac|tious dissention, that was raised in England be|tweene the houses of Yorke & Lancaster, Kildare cleaning to Yorke, and Ormond relieng to Lanca|ster. To the vpholding of which discord, both these no|ble men laboured with tooth and na [...]e to ouercrow, and consequentlie to ouerthrow one the other. And for somuch as they were in honour peeres, they wrought by hooke and by crooke to be in authoritie superiours. The gouernement therfore in the reigne of Henrie the seuenth, being cast on the house of Kil|dare; Iames earle of Ormond a deepe and a farre reaching man, giuing backe like a butting ram to strike the harder push, deuised to inueigle his aduer|sarie by submission & courtesie, being not then able to ouermatch him with stoutnesse or preheminence. Wherevpon Ormond addressed his letters to the deputie, specifieng a slander raised on him and his, that he purposed to deface his gouernement, and to withstand his authoritie. And for the cleering of him|selfe and of his adherents, so it stood with the deputie his pleasure, he would make his spéedie repaire to Dublin, & there in an open audience would purge himselfe of all such odious crimes, of which he was wrongfullie suspected.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 To this reasonable request had the lord deputie no sooner condescended, than Ormond with a puis|sant armie marched towards Dublin, incamping Ormond marcheth to Dublin. in an abbeie in the suburbs of the citie, named saint Thomas court. The approching of so great an armie of the citizens suspected, and also of Kildares coun|cellors greatlie disliked, lastlie the extortion that the lawlesse souldiers vsed in the pale by seuerall com|plaints detected: these three points, with diuerse o|ther suspicious circumstances laid and put togither, did minister occasion rather of further discord, than of anie present agreement. Ormond persisting still in his humble sute, sent his messenger to the lord de|putie, declaring that he was prest and readie to ac|complish the tenour of his letters, and there did at|tend (as became him) his lordship his pleasure. And as for the companie, he brought with him from Mounster, albeit suspicious braines did rather of a malicious craftinesse surmise the worst, than of cha|ritable wisedome did iudge the best; yet notwithstan|ding, vpon conference had with his lordship, he would not doubt to satisfie him at full in all points, wherewith he could be with anie colour charged, and so to stop vp the spring, from whense all the enuious suspicions gushed. Kildare with this mild message intreated, appointed the méeting to be at saint Pa|trike his church: where they were ripping vp one to another their mutuall quarrels, rather recounting the damages they susteined, than acknowledging the iniuries they offered: the citizens and Ormond The citie in an [...]. his armie fell at some iar, for the oppression and ex|action with which the souldiers surcharged them. With whom as part of the citizens bickered, so a round knot of archers rushed into the church, mea|ning to haue murthered Ormond, as the capteine and belwedder of all these lawlesse rabble. The earle of Ormond suspecting that he had béene betraied, fled to the chapiter house, put to the doore, sparring it with might and maine. The citizens in their rage, imagining that euerie post in the church had beene one of the souldiers, shot hab or nab at randon vp to the roodlost and to the chancell, leauing some of their arrowes sticking in the images.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 4 Kildare pursuing Ormond to the chapiter house doore, vndertooke on his honor that he should receiue no villanie. Whervpon the recluse crauing his lord|ships hand to assure him his life, there was a clift in the chapiter house doore, pearsed at a trise, to the end both the earles should haue shaken hands and be re|conciled. But Ormond surmising that this drift was intended for some further treacherie, that if he would stretch out his hand, it had béene percase chopt off, refused that proffer; vntill Kildare stretcht in his The earles reconciled. hand to him, and so the doore was opened, they both imbraced the storme appeased, and all their quarrels for that present rather discontinued than ended. In this garboile, one of the citizens, surnamed Blanch|field Blanchfield slaine. was slaine. This latter quarrell being like a greene wound, rether bungerlie botcht than soundlie cured, in that Kildare suspected that so great an ar|mie (which the other alledged to be brought for the EEBO page image 83 gard of his person) to haue béene of purpose assem|bled, to outface him & his power in his owne coun|trie. And Ormond mistrusted, that this treacherous practise of the Dublinians was by Kildare deuised. These and the like surmises lightlie by both the no|ble men misdéemed, and by the continuall twatling of fliring clawbacks in their eares whispered, bred and fostered a malice betwixt them and their posteri|tie, manie yeeres incurable, which caused much stur and vnquietnesse in the realme, vntill the confusion of the one house and the nonage of the other ended and buried their mutuall quarrels.

Previous | Next

Compare 1587 edition: 1 GIrald Fitz Giralde, Earle of Kildare, ſonne to Thomas Fitz Girald, of whom mention was made in the later ende of the ſecond Booke, a mightie man of ſtature, full of honoure and courage, who had bin Deputie, and Lorde Iu|ſtice of Ireland firſt and laſt,1514 three and thirtie yeares, deceaſſed at Kildare the thirde of Sep|tember, and lyeth entombed in ye chore of Chri|ſtes Church at Dublin, in a Chappell by hym founded.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 Betweene him and Iames Butler Earle of Ormond (their owne ielouſies fedde with enuy and ambition, kindled with certaine lewde fac|tious abettors of eyther ſide) as generally to all noble men, ſo eſpecially to both theſe houſes ve|ry incident, euer ſince the ninth yeare of Henrye the ſeuenth,The occaſion [...] the diſſen| [...]on betweene Kildare and Ormond. bred ſome trouble in Irelande. The plot of whiche mutuall grudge, was grounded vpon the [...]actious diſſention, that was rayſed in England, betwene the houſes of Yorke & Lan|caſter, Kildare cleauing to Yorke, and Ormond relying to Lancaſter. To the vpholding of whi|che diſcord, both theſe noble men laboured, with tooth and nayle, to ouercrowe, and conſequent|ly to ouerthrow one the other: And for aſmuch as they were in honour Peeres, they wroughte by hooke and by crooke to be in authoritie ſuperi|ours. The gouernement therefore in the reignes of Henry the ſeuenth, being caſt on the houſe of Kildare. Iames Earle of Ormond, a deepe and a farre reaching mã, giuing backe, like a butting Ramme, to ſtrike the harder puſh, deuiſed to in| [...]eigle his aduerſarie by ſubmiſſiõ and courteſie, being not then able to ouermatch him wt ſtoute|neſſe or preheminence. Wherevpon, Ormonde addreſſed his letters to the Deputie, ſperifying a ſlaunder rayſed on hym and his, that hee pur|poſed to deface his gouernemente, and to with|ſtand his authoritie, and for the cleering of him|ſelfe and of his adherentes, ſo it ſtoode with the Deputie his pleaſure, he woulde make his ſpee|dy repayre to Dublin, and there in open audi|ence, woulde purge hymſelfe of all ſuche odious crimes, of whiche he was wrongfully ſuſpected.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 To this reaſonable requeſt had the Lorde Deputie no ſooner condiſcended,Ormonde marcheth to Dublin. than Ormond with a puiſſant army marched towardes Dub|lin, encamping in an Abbey in the ſuburbes of the Citie, named Saint Thomas Court. The approching of ſo greate an army of the Citizens ſuſpected, and alſo of Kildares counſayloures greatly diſliked, laſtly the extortion, that ye law|leſſe Souldyours vſed in the pale by ſeuerall cõ|plaintes detected: theſe three poyntes, with dy|uers other ſuſpitious circumſtances laid and put togither, did miniſter occaſion rather of further diſcorde, than of any preſent agreement.