16.1. The cardinall lord chancellor chargeth Kildare.
The cardinall lord chancellor chargeth Kildare.
Compare 1577 edition: 1
_I wot well (my lord) that I am not the méetest at this boord to charge you with these treasons, because it hath plesed some of your pufellows to report that I am a professed enimie to all nobili|tie, & namelie to the Giraldines: but séeing euerie curst boy can say as much when he is controlled, and séeing these points are so weightie, that they should not be dissembled of vs; and so apparant, that they can not be denied of you; I must haue leaue (not|withstanding your stale slander) to be the mouth of these honorable at this present, and to trumpe your treasons in your waie, howsoeuer you take me. First you remember, how the lewd earle of Des|mond your kinsman (who passeth not whome he ser|ueth, might he change his maister) sent his confe|derats with letters of credence vnto Francis the French king: and hauing but cold comfort there, went to Charles the emperor, prof [...]ering the helpe of Mounster and Connagh towards the conquest of Ireland, if either of them would helpe to win it from our king. How manie letters, what precepts, what messages, what threats haue bin sent you to appre|hend him, and yet not doone? Why so? Forsooth I could not catch him. Nay nay earle, forsooth you would not watch him. If he be iustlie suspected, why are you parciall in so great a charge? If not, why are you fearefull to haue him tried? Yea, for it will be sworne and deposed to your face, that for feare of meeting him, you haue winked wilfullie, shunned his sight, altered your course, warned his friends, stopped both eares and eies against his detectors, and when soeuer you tooke vpon you to hunt him out, then was he sure afore hand to be out of your walke.
Surelie, this iugling and false plaie little be|came either an honest man called to such honor, or a noble man put in so great trust. Had you lost but a cow or a horsse of your owne, two hundred of your reteiners would haue come at your whistle to rescue the preie from the vttermost edge of Ulster: all the Irish in Ireland must haue giuen you the way. But in pursuing so néedfull a matter as this was, merci|full God, how nice, how dangerous, how waie|ward haue you béene? One while he is from home, another while he kéepeth home, sometimes fled, sometimes in the borders, where you dare not ven|ture. I wish my lord, there be shrewd bugs in the borders for the earle of Kildare to feare: the earle nay the king of Kildare; for when you are disposed you reigne more like than rule in the land: where you are malicious, the truest subiects stand for Irish enimies: where you are pleased, the Irish foe stan|deth for a iust subiect: hearts & hands liues & lands are all at your courtesie: who fauneth not thereoncannot rest within your smell, and your smell is so ranke that you trake them out at pleasure¶ Whilest the cardinall was speaking, the earle chafed and changed colour, and at last brake out, and interrup|ted him thus.
My lord chancellor, I beséech you pardon me, I Kildare inter|rupteth the cardinals tale. am short witted, and you I perceiue intend a long tale: if you procéed in this order, halfe my purga|tion will be lost for lacke of carriage. I haue no schoole trickes, nor art of memorie: except you heare me while I remember your words, your second processe will hammer out the former.The lords as|sociat, The lords tender Kil|dare. who for the most part tenderlie loued him, and knew the cardinall his manner of tawnts so lothsome, as wherewith they were inured manie yeares ago, humblie besought his grace to charge him directlie with particulars, and to dwell in some one matter, vntill it were examined throughlie.
That granted, it is good reason (quoth the earle) that He answereth the cardinals obi [...]on. your grace beare the mouth of this boord: but my lord, those mouths that put these things into your mouth, are verie wide mouths, such in déed as haue gaped long for my wracke; and now at length, for want of better stuffe, are faine to fill their mouths with smoke. What my cou [...]ne Desmond hath com|passed, as I know not, so I beshrew his naked heart for holding out so long. If he can be taken by mine a|gents that presentlie wait for him, then haue mine aduersaries bewraied their malice; and this heape of heinous words shall resemble a scarecrow, or a man of straw that séemeth at a blush to carrie some proportion, but when it is felt and peised, discouereth a vanitie, seruing onelie to feare crowes: and I EEBO page image 86 verelie trust, your honors shall sée the proofe by the thing it selfe, within these few daies. But go to: suppose he neuer be had? What is Kildare to blame for it, more than my good brother of Ossorie, who notwithstanding his high promises, hauing also the kings power, is yet content to bring him in at lea|sure? Can not the erle of Desmond shift but I must be of counsell? Cannot he hide him except I winke? If he be close am I his mate? If he be freended am I a traitor? This is a doubtie kind of accusation, which they vrge against me, wherein they are stabled and mired at my first deniall. You would not sée him (saie they.) Who made them so familiar with mine eiesight? Or when was the erle within my view? Or who stood by when I let him slip? Or where are the tokens of my wilfull hudwinke? But you sent him word to beware of you. Who was the messenger? Where are the letters? Conuince my negatiues, see how loose this idle geare hangeth togither. Des|mond is not taken. Well, you are in fault. Whie? Because you are. Who prooueth it? No bodie. What coniectures? So it seemeth. To whome? To your enimies. Who told it them? They will sweare it. What other ground? None. Will they sweare it my lord? Whie then of like they know it, either they haue mine hand to show, or can bring foorth the mes|senger, or were present at a conference, or priuie to Desmond, or some bodie bewraied it to them, or they themselues were my carriers or vicegerents there|in: which of these parts will they choose, for I know them too well. To reckon my selfe conuict by their bare words or headlesse saiengs, or frantike othes, were but mere mockerie. My letter were soone read, were any such writing extant, my seruants & fréends are readie to be sifted: of my cousine of Desmond they may lie lowdly, since no man here can well con|trarie them. Touching my selfe, I neuer noted in them much wit, or so fast faith, that I would haue ga|ged on their silence the life of a good hound, much lesse mine owne. I doubt not, may it like your honors to appose them, how they came to the knowlege of those matters, which they are so readie to depose: but you shall find their toongs chained to another man his trencher, and as it were knights of the post, suborned to saie, sweare and stare the vttermost they can, as those that passe not what they saie, nor with what face they saie it, so they saie no truth. But of another side it gréeueth me that your good grace whom I take to be wise and sharpe, and who of your blessed disposi|tion wisheth me well, should be so farre gone in cre|diting these corrupt informers that abuse the igno|rance of your state and countrie to my perill. Little know you (my lord) how necessarie it is, not onelie for the gouernor, but also for euerie noble man in Ireland to hamper his vnciuill neighbors at discre|tion, wherein if they waited for processe of law, and had not those liues and lands you speake of within their reach, they might hap to lose their owne liues and lands without law. You heare of a case as it were in a dreame, and féele not the smart that vexeth vs. In England there is not a meane subiect that dare extend his hand to fillip a péere of the realme. In Ireland except the lord haue cunning to his strength, and strength to saue his crowne, and suffi|cient authoritie to take théeues & varlets when they In what case stand the no|ble men of Ireland with rebels. stir, he shall find them swarme so fast, that it will be too late to call for iustice. If you will haue our seruice take effect, you must not tie vs alwaies to these iudiciall procéedings, wherewith your realme (than|ked be God) is inured. Touching my kingdome, I know not what your lordship should meane thereby. If your grace imagine that a kingdome consisteth in seruing God, in obeieng the prince, in gouerning with loue the common-wealth, in shouldering sub|iects, in suppressing rebels, in executing iustice, in brideling blind affections, I would be willing to be inuested with so vertuous and roiall a name. But if therefore you terme me a king, in that you are per|suaded that I repine at the gouernment of my soue|reigne, or winke at malefactors, or oppresse ciuill li|uers, I vtterlie disclame in that odious terme, mar|ueling greatlie that one of your grace his profound wisedome, would séeme to appropriat so sacred a name to so wicked a thing. But howsoeuer it be (my lord) I would you and I had changed kingdoms but for one moneth, I would trust to gather vp more crummes in that space, than twise the reuenues of my poore earledome: but you are well and warme, and so hold you, and vpbraid not me with such an odi|ous terme. I slumber in an hard cabin, when you sléepe in a soft bed of downe: I serue vnder the king his cope of heauen, when you are serued vnder a ca|nopie: I drinke water out of my skull, when you drinke wine out of golden cups: my coursor is trai|ned to the field, when your genet is taught to amble: when you are begraced and belorded, & crouched and knéeled vnto, then find I small grace with our Irish borderers, except I cut them off by the knées.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 At these girds the councell would haue smiled, if they durst: but ech man bit his lip, & held his counte|nance, for howsoeuer some of them leaned to the erle of Ossorie, they all hated the cardinall, who percei|uing The cardi|nall not be|loued. that Kildare was no babe, rose in a fume from the councell table, committed the erle, & deferred the matter till more direct probations came out of Ire|land. The duke of Norffolke, who was late lieutenant in Ireland, perceiuing the cardinall to be sore bent The duke of Norffolke bound for Kil|dare. against the nobleman, rather for the deadlie hatred he bare his house, than for anie great matter he had wherewith to charge his person, stept to the king, and craued Kildare to be his prisoner, offering to be bound for his foorth comming, ouer and aboue all his lands, bodie for bodie. Wherevpon, to the cardinall his great griefe, the prisoner was bailed, and hono|rablie by the duke interteined. During his abode in the duke his house, Oneale and Oconor, and all 1528 The Irish in rebellion. their freends and alies, watching their time to an|noie the pale, made open insurrection against the earle of Ossorie then lord deputie of Ireland, inso|much that the noble man mistrusting the ficklenesse of Desmond on the one side, & the force of these new start vp rebels on the other side, stood halfe amazed, as it were betwéene fire & water. For remedie where|of, letters thicke and thréefold were addressed to the councell of England, purporting that all these late Kildare a|fresh impea|ched. hurlie burlies were of purpose raised by the meanes of Kildare, to the blemishing and staining of his bro|ther Ossoris his gouernment. And to put the mat|ter out of doubt, it was further added, that Kildare commanded his daughter Elice Fitzgirald, wife to the baron of Slane, to excite in his name the afore|said traitors to this open rebellion.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 4 The cardinall herevpon caused Kildare to be examined before the councell, where he pressed him so déepelie with this late disloialtie, that the presumpti|on being (as the cardinall did force it) vehement, the treason odious, the king suspicious, the enimie eger, The earle of Kildare com|mitted. the fréends faint (which were sufficient grounds to o|uerthrow an innocent person) the earle was repri|ued to the tower. The nobleman betooke himselfe to God & the king, he was hartilie beloued of the lieu|tenant, pitied in all the court, and standing in so hard a case, altered little of his accustomed hue, comfor|ted other noble men prisoners with him, dissembling his owne sorrow. On a night when the lieutenant and he for their disport were plaieng at slidegrote or A mandatum, to execute Kildare. shoofleboord, suddenlie commeth from the cardinall a EEBO page image 87 mandatum to execute Kildare on the morrow. The earle marking the lieutenants deepe sigh: By saint Bride lieutenant (quoth he) there is some mad ga [...]e in that seroll; but fall how it will, this throw is for an huddle. When the woorst was told him: Now I praie th [...]e (quoth he) doe no more but learne assured|lie from the king his owne mouth, whether his high|nesse be witting thereto or not? Sore doubted the lieutenant to displease the cardinall: yet of verie pure loue to his freend, he pos [...]eth to the king at mid|night, and deliuered his errand: for at all houres of the night the lieutenant hath accesse to the prince vpon occasions. The king controlling the saucinesse The cardinall his presump|tuousnes bla|med of the [...]ing. of the priest (for those were his termes) deliuered to the lieutenant his signet in token of countermand, which when the cardinall had seene, he began to breath out vnseasoned language, which the lieutenant was loth to heare, & so left him pattring & chanting the diuell his Pater noster: Thus brake vp the storme 1529 Sir William Ske [...]fington deputie of Ireland. for that time, & the next yeare Woolseie was cast out of fauour, and within few yeares sir William Skef|fington was sent ouer lord deputie, and brought with him the erle pardoned and rid from all his troubles.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 When it was bruted, that Skeffington, the earle Edward Staples bi|shop of Meth of Kildare, and Edward Staples bishop of Meth landed néere Dublin, the maior and citizens met him with a solemne procession on saint Marie ab|beis gréene, where maister Thomas Fitzsimons re|corder of Dublin made a pithie oration to congratu|late Thomas Fitzsimons. the gouernor and the earle his prosperous arri|uall, to whome Skeffington shaped an answere in this wise:
Maister maior and maister recorder, you Skelfington his answere. haue at length this noble man here present for whom you sore longed, whilest he was absent. And after manie stormes by him susteined, he hath now to the comfort of his freends, to the confusion of his foes, subdued violence with patience, iniuries with suffer|ance, and malice with obedience: and such butchers He glanseth at the cardi|nall who was taken to be a butcher his sonne. as of hatred thirsted after his bloud, are now taken for outcast mastiues, littered in currish bloud. How well my master the king hath beene of his gratious inclination affected to the earle of Kildare (his backe fréend, being by his iust desert from his maiestie wée|ded) the credit wherein this noble man at this present abideth, manifestlie declareth. Wherefore it resteth, that you thanke God and the king for his safe arri|uall. As for his welcome, maister recorder his cour|teous discourse, your great assemblies, your chéere|full countenances, your willing méetings, your so|lemne processions doo so far shew it, as you minister me occasion on his lordship his behalfe, rather to thanke you for your courtesie, than to exhort you to a|nie further ceremonie.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 4 5 Hauing ended his oration, they rode all into the citie, where shortlie after the earle of Ossorie surren|dred the sword to sir William Skeffington. Du|ring the time that Kildare was in England, the sept of the Tooles making his absence their haruest, cea|sed not to molest and spoile his tenants, and therefore [...]dare in|ua [...]eth the Tooles. the erle meaning not to wrap vp so lightlie their ma|nifold iniuries, was determined presentlie vpon his arriuall to crie them quittance: to the spéedinesse of which seruice he requested the aid of the citizens of Dublin: & expecting in Christs church their answere touching this motion, the maior & his brethren promi|sed to assist him with two hundred archers. The late co [...]e bishop of Meth being then present, mooued question, whether the citizens were pardoned for Meth his question. crowning Lambert contrarie to their dutie of alle|giance; and if they were not pardoned, he thought they might aduantage the king thereby. Whereat one of their sagest and expertest aldermen, named Iohn Fitz|simons an|sooereth Meth. Iohn Fitzsimons, stept foorth and said: My lord of Meth, may I be so bold as to craue what countrie|man you are? Marie sir (quoth the bishop) I would you should know it, I am a gentleman and an En|glishman. My lord (quoth Fitzsimons) my mean|ing is to learne, in what shire of England you were borne? In Lincolnshire good sir (quoth Staples.) Whie then my lord (quoth Fitzsimons) we are no traitors, because it was the earle of Lincolne and the lord Louell that crowned him: and therefore if you be a gentleman of Lincolnshire, sée that you be pardoned, for God and our king be thanked we haue néed of none. At this answer Meth was set, and such as were present were forced to smile, to sée what a round fall he caught in his owne turne.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 In the second yeare of Skeffington his gouerne|ment, Henrie White raised an vp|rore in Du|blin. it happened that one Henrie White, seruant to Benet a merchant of Dublin, was pitching of a cart of haie in the high street; and hauing offered boies plaie to passengers that walked to and fro, he let a bottle of his haie fall on a souldiors bonet, as he passed by his cart. The souldior taking this knauish knacke in dudgeon, hurled his dagger at him, and hauing narrowlie mist the princo [...]ks, he sticked it in a post not farre off. White leapt downe from the cart, and thrust the souldior through the shoulder with his pike. Wherevpon there was a great vprore in the citie betwéene the souldiors and the apprentises, in|somuch as Thomas Barbie being the maior, hauing the king his sword drawne, was hardlie able to ap|pease Thomas Barbie ma|ior. the fraie, in which diuerse were wounded, and none slaine. The lord deputie issued out of the castell, and came as farre as the pillorie, to whome the maior posted thorough the prease with the sword naked vn|der his arme, & presented White that was the brewer White pardo|ned. of all this garboile to his lordship, whome the gouer|nour pardoned, as well for his courage in bickering as for his retchlesse simplicitie and pleasantnesse in telling the whole discourse. Whereby a man maie sée how manie bloudie quarels a bralling swashbuck|ler maie picke out of a bottle of haie, namelie when his braines are forebitten with a bottle of nappie ale.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 4 About this time there was a great sturre raised in England, about the king his diuorse, who think|ing it expedient in so fickle a world to haue a sure post in Ireland, made Kildare lord deputie, Cromer the primat of Armagh lord chancellor, and sir Iames Kildare [...]ord Deputie. Cromer. Butler. Skeffington offended with Kildare. Butler lord treasuror. Skeffington, supposing that he was put beside the cushin by the secret canuas|sing of Kildare his friends, conceiued therof a great gelousie, being therein the deeper drenched, bicause that Kildare hauing receiued the sword, would per|mit Skeffington, who was late gouernour, now like a meane priuat person, to danse attendance a|mong other suters in his house at Dublin, named the Carbrie. Skeffington plaieng thus on the bit, He saileth in|to England. shortlie after sailed into England, vpon whose de|parture the lord deputie summoned a parlement at Dublin, where there past an act against leasers of 1532 A parlement summoned at Dublin. Uriell inua|ded by O|neale. corne: also for the vniting and appropriation of the parsonage of Galtrim to the prior [...]e of saint Peters by Trim. In the parlement time, Oneale on a sud|den inuaded the countrie of Uriell, rifling and spoi|ling the king his subiects, at which time also was the earle of Ossorie greatlie vered by the Giraldins, by reason of the old quarrels of either side afresh reui|ued.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 The next yeare, the lord deputie going against Kildare hurt. Ocarroll, was pitifullie hurt in the side with a gun, at the castell of Birre; so that he neuer after inioied his lims, nor deliuered his words in good plight, otherwise like inough to haue béene longer forborne in consideration of his manie noble qualities, great good seruices, and the state of those times. Straight|wais complaints were addressed to the king of these EEBO page image 88 enormities, and that in most heinous maner that Kildare ac|cused. could be deuised, boulting out his dooings as it were to the last brake of sinister surmises, turning euerie priuat iniurie to be the king his quarrell, & making euerie puddings pricke as huge in shew as Sam|son his piller. Wherevpon Kildare was commanded He is sent for to England. by sharpe letters to repaire into England, leauing such a person for the furniture of that realme, and the gouernance of the land in his absence, for whose doo|ings he would answer. Being vpon the sight of this letter prepared to saile into England, he sat in coun|cell at Dublin, and hauing sent for his sonne & heire the lord Thomas Fitzgirald (a yoong strippling of one Thomas Fitzgirald. and twentie yeares of age, borne in England, sonne to the lord Zouch his daughter, the earle of Kildare his first wife) in the hearing of the whole boord thus he spake.