Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 7.djvu/577

I566.J DEATH OF a NEIL. 557 and implored his mistress to give way. ' Her Majesty was absolutely determined.' The Ormond business had created fresh exasperation. Sir Henry, though admiring and valuing the Earl of Ormond's high qualities, had persisted in declaring himself unable to decide the liti- gated questions between the house of Butler and the Desmonds. Archbishop Kirwan, the Irish Chancellor, was old and incapable ; the Deputy had begged for the assistance of some English lawyers ; * but such evil report had Ireland that no English lawyer would go there.' 1 The Queen flew off from the campaign to the less expensive question. Lawyer or no lawyer, she insisted that judgment should be given in Ormond's favour. She complained that the Deputy was partial to Desmond, and especially wounding Sidney, whose chief success had been in the equity of his administration, and whose first object had been to check the tyrannical exactions of the Irish noblemen she required him to make an exception in Ormond's favour, and permit 'coyn and livery/ the most mischievous of all the Irish imposts, to be continued in Kilkenny. ' I am extremely sorry,' Sidney replied to Cecil, when the order reached him; 'I am extremely sorry to receive her Majesty's command to permit the Earl of Ormond to exercise coyn and livery, which have been the curse of this country, and which I hoped to have ended wholly. I would write more, if I did not hope to have my recall by the next east wind. Only weigh what I have said. 1 Cecil to Sidney, June 16: Irish MSS. Soils House.