Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 10.djvu/285

STATE OF IRELAND. 265 give him the kingdom of Ireland to hold under him- self, his prayer would perhaps be taken into considera- tion. 1 Words could scarcely express the surprise of the Archbishop at the Pope's displeasure. He expected encouragement and thanks, and he found himself re- buked for his officiousness. He could not understand such an answer, or sit down under it with patience. ' I have received your Excellency's letter/ he replied, ' and I am overwhelmed with confusion. The Irish, I assure you, never thought for a moment of trespassing on the rights of the Holy See. Our sole idea was to free ourselves from English tyranny. Is not England itself a fief of the Church ? 2 and did not the Pope him- self, with the Council of Trent, permit any Catholic prince who cared to do it, to overthrow the government of England by force of arms ? I had hoped that on hearing of my commission, his Holiness would have been the first to exhort the King to undertake the enter- prise. Are we to wait, then, till his Holiness himself interferes for our salvation, or is it to be the King of France, who can scarce keep his own crown upon his head ? What prince in Christendom, I beseech your Excellency, has the power of the King of Spain ? What prince is more truly Catholic, more devout, or more obedient to the Holy See ? and who can blame a prisoner if he seeks his freedom by the first means that offer ? 1 Cardinal Alciati to the Arch- bishop of Cashel, January 9, 1570 : MS8. Simancas. 2 ( An non etiam et Anglia ipsa adEcclesiam nomine feudi pertinet? '