had they so desired, and been united. In none of the communications between Skeffington and London is there any mention of the Earl of Kildare's surrender being other than unconditional; yet the following extract of a letter from the Duke of Norfolk to Thomas Cromwell would lead one to suppose that some terms were agreed to: "One [reason against executing him] is, that consernying the facion of his submyssion, my Lord Leonard and my Lord Buttler shuld for ever lose their credight in Irlond; which wer pite, for they may do gode servize: another is, that sewerly the Irishemen shall never after put them selffes into none Inglisheman his handes." At the end of August the Earl was sent prisoner to London, under the escort of Lord Grey, and by the King's order was committed to the Tower. His uncles Sir Oliver and Sir John were also captives, while Sir James, Sir Walter, and Sir Richard, who had been all along opposed to their nephew's proceedings, were on the 31st December treacherously seized, and also sent to the Tower. On the passage to England, Stanihurst relates that Sir Richard asked the captain the name of the vessel, and was informed it was the Cow. "Dismayed at this, he said: Now good brethren, I am in utter despaire of our return to Ireland, for I beare in mind an old prophecie that five Earle's brethren should be caryed in a cowe's belly to England, and from thence never to returne. Whereat the rest began afresh to houle and lament, which doubtelesse, was pitifull to behold five valiant gentlemen, that durst meete in the fielde five as sturdie champions as could bee picked out in a realme, to bee so sodanily terrified with the bare name of a modern cow." In May 1536, an Act of attainder was passed against Kildare and his relatives. In a letter from the Tower, towards the end of 1536, to his follower John Rothe, he gives a most deplorable account of the barbarity with which they were treated. On the wall of the State-prison may still be seen the letters, "Thomas FitzG"—the name was never completed— for on 3rd February 1537 the Earl of Kildare, then aged but 24, after an imprisonment of sixteen months, and his five uncles, after an imprisonment of eleven months, were executed at Tyburn. Stanihurst thus describes him: "Thomas FitzGiralde, upon whom nature poured beautie, and fortune by byrthe bestowed nobilitie, which, had it been well employed, and were it not that his rare gyftes had bene blemished by his later evill qualities, hee would have proved a ympe worthie to bee engrafte in so honourable a stocke. Hee was of nature tall and personable; in countenance amicable; a white face, and withall somewhat ruddie, delicately in eche lymme featured; a rolling tongue, and a rich utterance; of nature flexible and kinde; verie soon caryed where hee fansied; easily with submission appeased, hardly with stubbomnesse weyed; in matters of importance an headlong hotespurre, yet nathelesse taken for a young man not devoyde of witte; were it not, as it fell out in the ende, that a fool had the keeping thereof." He married Frances Fortescue, but had no children. "He lovys hir well," says a writer of the time; "howbeit I cannot perceyve that sche favors him soo teuderlye." 202
FitzGerald, Gerald, 11th Earl of Kildare, brother of the preceding, was born 25th February 1525, and was consequently but ten years old at the time of Lord Thomas's arrest. He was then lying ill of the small-pox at Donore, in Kildare, and being the only hope of the family, he was carefully conveyed in a large basket, by Thomas Leverous, a priest and foster-brother of his father, into Offaly, to his sister Lady Mary O'Conor; and when recovered was removed into Thomond, to the care of his cousin James Delahide. The Irish Council spared no efforts to induce the O'Briens to surrender him; but after using all their diplomacy, they had to confess to the Lord Chamberlain, Thomas Cromwell: "And as to O'Brene, notwithstanding his letters and promises of subjection and obeydens to the Kinges Highness, we coulde neyther gett hym to condescend to anny conformyte according the same, ney yet to delyver the Erie of Kyldare's plate and goodes." After six months' rest in Thomond, Delahide and Leverous conveyed Gerald to his aimt. Lady Eleanor MacCarthy, at Kilbriton, in Cork, Her son, the MacCarthy Reagh, was tributary to the Earl of Desmond, and the Government endeavoured to induce the Earl to compel the lad's surrender. Royal Commissioners were appointed, and a "most gracious pardon" offered to the lad himself if he would but come in. Remembering the fate of his uncles, and the known anxiety of the King for the extinction of the Geraldines, he wisely declined putting himself into the English power. It appeared desirable that he should seek some safer asylum, and accordingly his aunt, Lady Eleanor, urged by O'Neill and Desmond, consented to a long-talked-of marriage with Manus O'Donnell of Tirconnell, so as to be enabled to offer him an asylum in the north. The marriage took place, and all the plottings and plans of the
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