THE STORY OF IRELAND

New Zealand Tablet, 4 September 1919, Page 7

THE STORY OF IRELAND

(By A. M. Sullivan.)

CHAPTERS XXXll.—(Continued.) The gallant but hapless Geraldine was now fully launched on his wild and desperate enterprise. There is ho- doubt that, had it partaken less of a hasty burst of passionate J impetuosity, f had it been more deliberately planned and organised, the revolt of Silken Thomas might have wrested the Anglo-Irish colony from Henry's authority. As it was, it shook the AngloIrish power to its.base, and at one time seemed irresistible in its progress to success. But, however the ties of blood, kindred, and clanship might draw, men to the side of Lord Thomas, most persons outside the Geraldine party soon saw the fate that surely awaited such a desperate venture, and saw too that it had all been the result of a subtle plot of the Ormond faction to ruin their powerful rivals. Moreover, in due time the truth leaked out that the old Earl had not been beheaded at all, but was alive a prisoner in London. Lord Thomas now saw the gulf of ruin into Which he had been precipitated, and knew now that his acts would only seal the doom or else break the heart of that father, the news of whose murder had driven him into this desperate course. But it was all too late to turn back. He would see the hopeless struggle through to the bitter end. ■ -

- One of his first acts was to besiege Dublin city, while another wing of his army devastated the possessions and reduced the castles of Ormond. Alan, the Archbishop of Dublin, a prominent enemy of the Geraldines, fled from the city by ship. The vessel, however, was driven ashore on Clontarf, and the Archbishop sought refuge in the village of Artane. News of this fact was quickly carried into the Geraldine camp at Dublin ; and before day's dawn Lord Thomas and bis uncles, John and Oliver, with an armed party, reached Artane, and dragged the Archbishop from, his bed. The unhappy prelate pleaded hard for his life; but the elder Geraldines, who were men of savage passion, barbarously murdered him as he knelt at their feet. This foul deed ruined any prospect of success which their cause might have had. It excited universal horror, and drew down upon its perpetrators and all who should aid or shelter them the terrible sentence of excommunication. This sentence was exhibited to the hapless Earl of Kildare in his dungeon in London Tower, and, it is said, so affected him that he never rallied more. He sank under the great load of his afflictions, and died of a broken heart. Meanwhile, Lord Thomas was pushing the rebellion with all his energies, and for a time with wondrous success. He dispatched ambassadors to the Emperor Charles V., and to the Pope, demanding aid in this war against Henry as the foe of God and man. But it is clear that neither the Pope nor the Emperor augured well of Silken Thomas's ill-devised endeavors. No succor reached him. His fortunes eventually began to pale. Powerful levies were brought against him and finally he sought a parley with the English Commander-in-Chief, Lord Leonard Gray, who granted him terms of life for himself and uncles. . Henry was wroth that any terms should have been promised to such daring foes ; but as terms had been pledged, there was nothing for it, according to Henry's code of morality, but to break the promise. Accordingly, the five uncles of Silken Thomas, and the unfortunate young nobleman himself, were treacherously seized uncles at a banquet to which they were invited, and which was, indeed, given in their honor, by the Lord Deputy Gray—and brought to London, where, in violation of plighted troth, they were all six beheaded at Tyburn, on January 3, 1537. * .. ■. i V

This terrible blow was designed to cut off the Geraldine family for ever; and to all appearance it seemed, and Henry fondly believed, that this wholesale execution had accomplished that design, and left neither root nor seed behind. Yet once again that mysterious

protection, which had so often : preserved the Geraldine:: line in like, terrible times, saved it fro the decreed destruction-. "The imprisoned Earl (Lord Thomas's fatherf having died in the Tower on December 12, 1534, the sole survivor of this historic house "was now 'a child .of. 12 years of age, whose life was sought with an avidity equal to Herod's, but who was protected with a fidelity i which defeated every attempt to capture him. . Alter- \ nately the guest of his aunts, married to the chiefs of | Offaly and Donegal, the sympathy everywhere felt for ! him led to a confederacy between the northern and | southern chiefs, which had long been wanting. A loose I league was formed, including the O'Neils of both j branches, O'Donnell, O'Brien, the Earl of Desmond, and the chiefs of Moylurg and Breffni. The lad, the object of so much natural and chivalrous affection, was harbored for a time in Munster, thence transported through Connaught into Donegal, and finally, after four years, in which he engaged more of the minds of statesmen than any other individual under the rank of royalty, was safely landed in France." The Geraldine line was preserved once more! From this child Gerald it was to branch out as of yore, in stately strength and princely power. n (To be continued.)