"would thereunto agree; and we think that they that be "of the Irishry would more gladder obey your Highness

by name of King of this your land than by the name of "Lord thereof; having had heretofore a foolish opinion "amongst them that the Bishop of Rome should be 86 King of the same."

The administration of Sentleger, notwithstanding Alen's assertion, was not so wholly ineffectual as he wished to make it appear; that is, if the submission of the Irish chieftains may be considered as a satisfactory proof. In 1541 James Earl of Desmond submitted, and renounced the Pope. His example was followed by O'Connor, O'Dyn, O'Neil, and others.* In 1542 O'Neil became Earl of Tyrone; in 1543 O'Byrne Ulick Burke Earl of Clanricard. was laid of a great Anglo-Irish aristocracy, depending for favours and advancement on the smiles of an English Sovereign, less purely national than before, bound less closely than before in tastes, habits, and sympathy to the native Irish population.

Earl of Thomond, and And thus the foundation

On a general survey of the whole reign, it must be admitted that English authority had not declined in Ireland during the reign of Henry VIII. We may lament the excessive and apparently needless severity often exercised towards the Irish chiefs, and the motives which dictated the indiscriminate punishment and death of the Geraldines. We may admit also that the great measure for advancing the King's authority, by insisting on his supremacy, and still more that the efforts of men like Archbishop Brown in the conversion of Ireland to English Protestantism, had signally failed. Yet, in spite of these drawbacks, Henry's policy towards that country was

*Carew, I. pp. 162, 163, 174, sq.

f

marked with much of the same vigour, the same clear views, and unswerving decision which characterized his reign in England. The Irish knew well what they had to expect from such a King; and even severity, if it be uniform, is less disastrous in its consequences than a milder rule, erratic and undecided, vibrating uncertainly and capriciously, sometimes to the excess of mercy, sometimes to the opposite extreme.

(1547.) At the accession of Edward VI. the influence of the Seymours became predominant. In the scramble for power during the closing months of the last reign, and through their close relationship to Edward VI., they had managed to overthrow the Howards, from whom alone they had anything to fear. Their rise was the advancement of Protestant supremacy in England; the overthrow of those who either still adhered exclusively to the ancient religion, or were willing to temporize with both. In fact, to the Seymours we must trace the broad separation and irreconcilable antagonism between the two parties, which had acted together under Henry VIII., if not heartily, yet with a sufficient appearance of unanimity. The triumph of Protestantism, however, was not so complete as it appeared, not only throughout England, where, at the Council table itself, there were many who secretly adhered, notwithstanding their compliance with the times, to the ancient faith; but in Ireland also, where the accession of Edward VI. made little change in the prospects or the position of the two great parties.

Sentleger, who had nearly fallen a victim to the snares of his enemies, was reinstated in office. Walter Cowley, Solicitor-General for Ireland, an adherent of the Ormonds, languished in the Tower. Ormond, whilst in England with James White and others of his followers, was poisoned at a banquet given at Ely House, in Holborn, on the 17th of

October 1546. The authors of the crime escaped detection; nor does it appear that any attempts were set on foot by the English government to discover the murderers. Alen, who had signalized himself by his mischievous intrigues against every Deputy, was deprived of his chancellorship and committed to the Fleet, and Sir Richard Rede was appointed in his place.* Thus, by a concurrence of circumstances, as disastrous to his enemies as they were favourable to himself, the Deputy triumphed unexpectedly over all his opponents.

To Sentleger has been attributed, apparently on no sufficient authority, the authorship of a copy of verses against the Real Presence.† If the accusation was well founded, then Sentleger, like many others, probably temporized; for his inclinations, so far as we can gather from the facts of his life, leaned to the opposite direction. He was accused by Archbishop Brown‡ of favouring Papists; and though Brown's statements are point-blank contra

* Alen had, however, so much favour with the Council in England, that he was discharged from imprisonment, and appointed in the same year constable of Maynooth. See Morrin's Calendar, p. 147.

† Printed in Nichols' Remains of Edward VI.

Brown states in a letter to the Earl of Warwick, that Sentleger, on his last arrival (1551), "went to the chief church of this realm, Christ "Church of Dublin, and there after the old sort offered to the altar, then "of stone, to the comfort of his too many like Papists, and the discourec agement of the professors of God's Word." He charges Sentleger also with encouraging Dowdall, the Archbishop of Armagh, in his opposition to the Reformation. On another occasion he said to Brown, "Go to! go to! your matters of religion will mar all." The whole of this letter furnishes a curious illustration of the religious disputes at the Council table. Brown was not a disinterested informant; he was grasping at the honour and emoluments of Armagh, shortly to be vacated by the pertinacious opposition of Dowdall. (Irish State Papers, Vol. III., No. 45.) Alen, in his deposition, flatly contradicts Brown's statement as to the words said to have been spoken by Sentleger. He admits, however, that Sentleger had confessed to him that, in his dread of seeing the Irish incline to the French more "for religious cause than for their own sakes," he

dicted by Alen, who had no tenderness for the Deputy, it is, I think, evident from other circumstances in Sentleger's life and administration that he did not sympathize with the Protestant party of the Seymours. In 1549 he was employed by the Council in England to arrest the Protector. He afterwards assisted at Mary's coronation, and apparently felt no difficulty in complying with her instructions for restoring the old religion in Ireland. With these proclivities to the ancient faith, either real, or assumed from the necessities of his position, it is not wonderful that Sentleger soon fell out of favour and was removed from his office. Sir Edward Bellingham, one of the King's privy chamber, was appointed in Sentleger's room on the 12th of April 1548 ;* and to mark the feelings of the Council, Alen was restored to the room of the Chancellor,† through the instrumentality, as it has been said, of Bellingham himself.

(1548.) Little is known of Sir Edward before this time. He had originally been in the service of the Duke

felt great reluctance in putting into execution the wishes of the Council touching matters of religion.

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"Long after this my Lord (Brown) and I met not together, but it was told me that he said, and I heard himself say no less, that Mr. Sentleger should say to him, that if the Lords of the Council had letter "all things alone in the order King Kenry the VIIIth left them, and "meddled not to alter religion, neither had the rebellion of England, nor "all these hurly-burleys have happened; and to prove this article, it was "told me he should avouch me for a witness; wherein I said, albeit "Mr. Sentleger have so wronged me by taking from me of honour, estima"tion, and living, so as if I should follow the flesh, if I might drink him 66 up in a cup of water, he hath deserved it of me; which considered, no man will accompt me for an indifferent witness against him; yet if I "shall be used for a witness upon the matter proponed, they are like to "have a faint witness, for if Mr. Sentleger would do to me as much more "harm as he hath done, I will not lie to hurt him,”—as he insinuates the Archbishop had done. (Irish State Papers, Vol. IV.)

Hamilton's Calendar, I. p. 79.

† See Morrin's Calendar, p. 164.

of Norfolk, though he certainly did not embrace Norfolk's religious opinions, for he had the reputation of being a strict Protestant. In 1542 he was sent as an envoy to Hungary, and was lieutenant of the Isle of Wight in the war of 1545. He appears as Mr. Bellingham at the siege of Boulogne in 1546, and probably attracted at that time the regard of the Earl of Hertford, afterwards Duke of Somerset. At the close of that year, or the beginning of the next, he was despatched on a mission to the Emperor,* but he must have returned early, since in May 1547 he was sent over to Ireland with reinforcements for the Deputy, who is recommended to use Master Bellingham's counsel and advice in all cases touching his Highness' service, he being a gentleman in whom, for his wisdom, policy, and experience in the affairs of war, both his Majesty and the Council put great confidence. Bellingham was preparing to leave Ireland at the close of 1547, when he was ordered to remain. During his employment there he had distinguished himself by his activity, mainly in building forts and providing against foreign invasion. Danger was expected from the French,t with whom at this period many of the disaffected Irish kept up a correspondence. The whole coast of Ireland was infested by pirates, and all the energies of the new Deputy were employed in urging reluctant mayors and burgesses to make due preparations for fortifying the towns and repelling assaults. His efforts were crowned with success. "There was never Deputy," writes one,‡

*Turnbull's Calendar, Edw. VI., p. 5.

† Among other projects, one was that of sending young FitzGerald with an army into Ireland. (Alen to Sir Wm. Paget, Nov. 21, 1548, and to the Protector, same date.)

Richard Brasier to the Protector, 14 November 1548. (Irish State Papers.)