Page:Biographia Hibernica volume 2.djvu/94

90 DIGBY. of the ancestors of the said Lady Lettice,) to order a new grant and confirmation, to hold the same for ever, by such rents, tenures, and services, as were reserved by the patents of Queen Elizabeth, granted the eleventh and twentieth years of her reign, to the said Gerald, Earl of Kildare, and that the premises should be created into the manor of Geashill, with the privileges of courts, free warren, liberty to make a park, to hold a Tuesday market, and two fairs, on 1st June and 5th October at Killeigh, with the advow son of the church; and she passed patent accordingly, 4th September that year. Her ladyship living in the time of the Rebellion, the insurgents in that part of the country robbed and despoiled many of their adversaries, committed divers outrages and acts of cruelty; and at several times assaulted and besieged her in her castle of Geashill, which she defended with great resolution. —In the first attempt, Henry Dempsie, brother to the Lord Clanmalien, and others, subscribed and sent her the following summons:— “We, his majesty's loyal subjects, at the present employed in his high ness's service for the sacking of this your castle, you are therefore to deliver unto us the free possession of your said castle, promising faithfully that your ladyship, together, with the rest within your said castle resiant, shall have a reasonable composition; otherwise, upon the non-yielding of the castle, we do assure you that we will burn the whole town, kill a l l the protestants, and spare neither man, woman, o r child, upon taking the castle by compulsion. Consider, madam, o f this our offer, and impute not the blame o f your own folly unto us; think not that here we brag. Your lady ship, upon submission, shall have a safe convoy t o secure you from the hands o f your enemies, and t o lead you whither you please. A speedy reply i s desired with all expedition, and thus we surcease.” “Henry Dempsie, Charles Dempsie, Andrew Fitz Patrick, Conn Dempsie, Phelim Dempsie, Ja, Mac-Dannell, John Vicars.” To this summons, she returned the following polite answer:- “I received your letter, wherein you threaten t o sack this my castle, b y his majesty's authority. I have ever been a loyal subject, and a good neighbour among you, and therefore cannot but wonder a t such a n assault. I thank you for your offer o f a convoy, wherein I hold little safety; and, therefore my resolution i s , that being free from offending his majesty, o r doing wrong t o any o f you, I will live and die innocently, and will d o my