Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 2.djvu/177

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1527.]

THE IRISH REBELLION.

157

hearing. For three years the Geraldines were allowed to continue their preparations undisturbed; and perhaps they might have matured their plans at leisure, so odious had become the mention of Ireland to the English statesmen, had not the King's divorce, by embroiling him with the Pope and Emperor, made the danger serious.

The alliance of England and France had disconcerted the first scheme. No sooner was this new opportunity opened than, with Kildare's consent, Desmond applied to Charles V. with similar overtures.^[1] This danger was

↑ The Emperor's chaplain, Gonzalvo Fernandez, was the agent through whom the correspondence with Desmond was conducted.—State Papers, vol. vii. p. 186. And see Cotton. MS. Vespasian, c. iv. fol. 264, 276, 285, 288, 297.—'He sent unto the Emperour, provoking and enticing him to send an army unto this said land.'—Act of Attainder of the Earl of Kildare. See also Leland, vol. ii. p. 136.
The account given by Gonzalvo Fernandez of his visit to Desmond is among the Archives at Brussels, and supplies a curious picture of the state of the country.

Report of Gonzalvo Fernandez.

'April 28, 1529.

'On arriving at the coast of Ireland we touched at a port belonging to the King of England named Cork. Many of the Irish people came on board the ship, and told me that the gentleman of the Earl of Desmond had just returned from Spain with presents from the Emperor to the Earl.
'Leaving Cork, we were driven by bad weather into another harbour called Beran,^[*] from whence I sent one of my servants to inform the Earl of my arrival. In four days the Earl's answer came, telling me that I was welcome, and that he was at a place called Dingle, where he hoped to see me. He addressed his letter to me as 'Chaplain of our Sovereign Lord the Emperor;' and this, I understand, is his usual mode of expression when speaking of his Majesty. He had also sent to some of the other noblemen of the country, with whom he proposed to form a league, to tell them of my arrival.
'I set out again, and on the way five of the Earl's people came to me to say that their master had gone to a harbour a few miles off to capture
↑ Beerhaven, perhaps.

[p177-1] The Emperor's chaplain, Gonzalvo Fernandez, was the agent through whom the correspondence with Desmond was conducted.—State Papers, vol. vii. p. 186. And see Cotton. MS. Vespasian, c. iv. fol. 264, 276, 285, 288, 297.—'He sent unto the Emperour, provoking and enticing him to send an army unto this said land.'—Act of Attainder of the Earl of Kildare. See also Leland, vol. ii. p. 136.
The account given by Gonzalvo Fernandez of his visit to Desmond is among the Archives at Brussels, and supplies a curious picture of the state of the country.

Report of Gonzalvo Fernandez.

'April 28, 1529.

'On arriving at the coast of Ireland we touched at a port belonging to the King of England named Cork. Many of the Irish people came on board the ship, and told me that the gentleman of the Earl of Desmond had just returned from Spain with presents from the Emperor to the Earl.
'Leaving Cork, we were driven by bad weather into another harbour called Beran,^[*] from whence I sent one of my servants to inform the Earl of my arrival. In four days the Earl's answer came, telling me that I was welcome, and that he was at a place called Dingle, where he hoped to see me. He addressed his letter to me as 'Chaplain of our Sovereign Lord the Emperor;' and this, I understand, is his usual mode of expression when speaking of his Majesty. He had also sent to some of the other noblemen of the country, with whom he proposed to form a league, to tell them of my arrival.
'I set out again, and on the way five of the Earl's people came to me to say that their master had gone to a harbour a few miles off to capture
↑ Beerhaven, perhaps.

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