Jew being within the Rhodes, had not written letters, and shot them out on qwarels* into the Turk's army; by which letters the Turk knew the necessity of the town and feebleness of the people, which caused him to change his purpose. But this treason was espied, and the traitors taken and put to terrible execution. And the Turk caused so many mines to be made, that although some took none effect, yet by some he overthrew bulwarks, walls, and towers, so that he might enter into the town. And so on Saint Andrew's even he caused a great assault to be given, which was very fierce; but yet the Christian men so valiantly defended them, that they slew three thousand Turks and more, and kept them from entering that day. But the citizens of the Rhodes, after this assault, came to the Lord Master, and prayed him to have compassion of them, their wives and children, and shewed him that if the town were taken by assault, as it was like to be, that they all should be cruelly murdered. The Lord Master much regarded his honour, and comforted the people with fair words. But by chance about the same time the Great Turk sent a letter into the Rhodes, willing them to deliver the town, and they all should have their lives and goods, and they that would tarry should tarry in quiet, and they that would depart should safely depart. When this letter was known, then the people cried out on the Lord Master to take the offer. Wherefore he, calling all his council together, seeing that it was not possible to keep the town longer, both for lack of artillery and victual, and also because his number was so minished that scarce he had soldiers to keep the walls; wherefore he, by great advice, determined to take the Turk's offer, and so sent to him two of his religion for the farther conclusion and assurance of the same; which well entertained them, and had writings sealed of all things that they desired. To which two knights, Aymeche Bashaw sware by his faith that there was slain at the siege 64 thousand Turks, and 40 thousand dead of mortality, and more. And so on Christmas day the Great Turk himself entered into the Rhodes, and took possession thereof. And the Lord Master and his religion the first day of January took ship and sailed to Candy, and so, in conclusion, came to Rome, and there declared his chance and adventure. Thus was the town and the Isle of the Rhodes taken by the Great Turk, which was a great succour to all Christian men resorting into the East parts of the world; which chance was much lamented through all Christendom, and much blame put in all princes, because they sent no succour nor aid to the Isle. * i. e. arrows. † Sic, for "on." Stamford L. Justice, that killed the King of Methe. K. of Scotland did homage to the L. Depute. f. 104. By reason of vari- By policy Dublinge almost won. A good leap of This was a strange contention. * John Stamford, Archbishop of Dublin, L. Justice; William Vesy, L. Justice, who pursued † O'Melaghlen, King of Methe, that soon after was slain. The Sultan of Babilon determined to vex the Christian cities of the East, Tripolis, Tirus, Berinthus, Sydon, pt' lonays were parts of Turkey; whom to redeem, and with their helps to get again the Holy Land, Edw. I. had 4 years past obtained by licence of Martinus and by confirmation of Honorius, his successor, the whole tithe of ecclesiastical revenues in Ireland for 7 years, where after followed a 15. of the temporalty. And the same year Jo. Balioll, Earl of Galvey, founder of Baliol College in Oxford, made his homage to King Edw. for his kingdom of Scotland, and to the L. Justice for his earldom in Ireland (1287). "A Discourse of the Variance between the Earls of Kildare and Ormond."§ Gerot Earl of Killdare, about the year of our Lord 1485, being in variance with James Butler, Earl of Wormone, and the rest of the Butlers, married his sister, called Lady Margaret, to one Persse Butler for policy. This Persse was in variance with the said James, and was maintained by the Earl of Kildare, by mean whereof this said James could not well attend to war with the Earl of Kildare, nor so much harm do as he was accustomed to do; before which time, they so contended, that whensoever any of them gathered their power upon a sudden, the other could not withstand that. Upon a time L. Gerot came to Dublinge, and by craft and policy called the citizens of Dublinge out upon Oxmantoune Green, and in wars | set upon them, and slew many of them. And one Talbote of Belgart being there then, was enforced with his horse to leap a wall, and by estimation it was judged above 25 foot over, and was in great danger to be slain or taken before he came into the city. In the meantime the Earl Gerot sent part of his horsemen over the river against Saint James's Gate to enter in the city; but, as God would, some of the city, being upon the walls, did see the horsemen coming and had the gates shut; so was disappointed of their enterprise. This was for that L. Gerot thought the citizens took part with the Botlers more than they did with him; and after went through the English Pale, and where any of the Earl of Wormon's race¶ and friends was, he robbed, spoiled, burned, and killed them. *This paragraph is in a different hand from that of the account of the Fall of Rhodes. "persumed," MS. Sic; qu. mistake of copyist for "which londys" (lands)? § This heading is in Carew's hand. Ff. 104 to 120 are by the same hand as that which mainly wrote ff. 1-101 (second series of numbers). "warsse," MS. T❝rane," MS. What word the Earl of Ormond said to the L. of How [th]e in his house of Killester. f. 105. The cause the Earl of Ormond was kept short. By reason of a gentlewoman the Earl was slain, In like manner the Earl of Wormon another time came after with the O'Brens, and other his friends in the South, came towards Dublinge, and camped a while at the wood of Saint Thomas Court, and so came to Dublinge to see his friends, which told him of the doings of the Earl of Kildare. After, so many as he did understand to be toward* the Earl of Kildare he destroyed to the uttermost of his power, and said openly he wished of God to have been by, when the Earl of Kildare played those parts. This was spoken at Killester by Dublinge, being at dinner with Sir Nicholas, Lord of Houth; and said further, if any man in the English Pale would stand in defence of the Earl of Kildare, he would e'en now fight with him in that quarrel. 'Well," said Sir Nicholas, "there is five hundred in the English Pale that would stand in that quarrel against your Lordship, their duty always to our Prince preserved." "Well," said the Earl, "durst you hazard the battle between you and me to try the cause? By God's blood! if you durst, I could find in my heart to thrust this knife through you." "Well," said Sir Nicholas, "put up your knife, and hear me patiently. I swear by Our Lady of the North Church of Houth that Butler nor Winedrawer nor Tapster is not in Ireland, but I durst stand to defend this quarrel. And if your Lordship be so stomached and would ease your heart, let us both take a boat, and go to yonder Island of Clone-tarf, there to ease both your stomach and mine, for our companies here are not indifferent." Well," said the Earl, "Sir Nicholas, thy stout and bullish nature shall end thy days before thy natural age" so after dinner departed in a great fury. And so between both these Earls' contention the English Pale was destroyed. And now since the marriage the Earl of Kildare made with Perce Butteler, and maintained him, the Earl of Wormond was kept short; so that by that means and policy the Earl of Wormond was so occupied in his own country, he could not attend to do any damage to the Earl of Kildare nor any his friends. This time the Earl of Kildare, being in peace with the Butlers, by reason of the contention that was between themselves, it chanced the Earl of Wormon, being a very pleasant gentleman, was in love with a fair and a beautiful gentlewoman called Rose Barre, which he promised to have seen the morrow after with a few of his serving men. And as he was riding the way thither, this Marget FitzGeralde, wife to the foresaid Persse, asked her husband some wine to drink, and complained she could have none. That hearing, her husband sware that he would never return before he did relieve her grief. And as he went, he saw the Earl, having but a few serving men in his company, and so gave the charge *i. e. favorable to. Treason wrought The Geroltyns and tention. Lionel Howth's word to the Earl of Kyldare. f. 106. Lionel again to the upon them; and as he fled his foster brother strake him with a spear to the heart. And then Persse did occupy that lordship as Earl after. * The Earl of Kildare fell in variance with Plonket of Ramore, being in some authority, took upon him some fond and undesired authority, which kept the Earl so short, that often they had skirmishes together. But always the Earl had the worst, and was put to such an afterdell, by reason of those that took part with Plonket, that the Earl durst not come to no part of Meithe, wherein his men and himself was often chased, killed, and wounded at sundry times. By reason thereof the said Earl durst not well be in no party of the county of Kildare three nights together, but in secret. At length the country being somewhat in a quietness and stay, as Plonket thought, was not so careful of himself as he was the peace of the people, and as he was when the Gerotens and he warred together. Being at a time about some of his affairs toward the quarters of Tryme with a 20 horsemen or less, the said Earl, then being lurking abroad, having about 12 horsemen, did see the said Plonket, and asked of a herd that kept cattle what those horsemen was. Said he, "Dost thou not know the great Plonket, the gilt spurt of Ireland? the which thou shouldst well understand if he knew of your being here." Well," said a horseman that was with the Earl, called Lionel Houthe, "Sir, I have served thee this long time; I had never rest with thee this long time, and never received anything at thy hand, nor at none else, but blows, hunger, and cold. I tell thee, unless you set upon them this instant time and overcome them, that I shall never serve thee more.' To which sayings all the rest of the horsemen did maintain, and said that it were their ease to die rather than to live. The Earl mused a while, and said, "Do you think that it is for lack of heart that I do not that of myself? No! assured; but I fear that if I should enterprise this, that some of you will betray me for necessity, for I hath wearied you and myself and my poor friends. And, seeing I hear so much of you, let us go and make a haliday of our matter; and I do commit the trust of myself to you, and the trust of you to God." 66 Well," said Lionel, "you must understand that their oft chasing of us hath made them bold, as they are indeed good men, and well proved upon us. Their experience we know to our great losses, many and divers times. Therefore, let them go to such a hill where as they are bound, and put our horseboys upon our nags to follow them, as though we were there *"who " omitted? ourselves; and, when Plonket sees them, he will give the charge upon them, and in the meantime we will come upon them from the foresaid hill, finding them asunder; and, if our fortune be good, we shall have the upper hand upon them; if not, this be our last." And so the Earl himself gave the charge, and was as good a man as could ride a horse, and did so that no man could do better, and so did all his men; but, to be short, Plonket was killed and most part all his men. After which victory, men gathered to him a number. Then the Bishop of Methe bare the stroke, which, upon a time, the Earl watched, so that he chased the Bishop into a church to take succour. The Earl followed him, and commanded him to come at him. The Bishop said he would not. "No?" said the Earl; "then, by Saint Bride! I shall fetch thee out;" and commanded his men to light and follow him. The Earl went into the church with a drawn sword, and came where as the Bishop was kneeling in the chancel, and his shorn head bare. "" 'By Saint Bride! were it not that I know my Prince would be offended with me, I could find in my heart to lay my sword upon your shaven crown;" and so took the Bishop. After this, a Deputy was sent over from the King, which required the Earl that he would let the Bishop at large; which did. After the Earl had his pardon, and came to Doublinge, where he was taken in the evening, and sent forthwith in a bark that then was at Dublinge, in a readiness, and so sent to England, and brought to the King to answer to such things that was laid to his charge. Amongst all other, the Bishop of Methe being there, did charge the Earl with sundry matters of great importance, to which matters the Earl could not make answer, but stayed his tongue awhile, and said he was not learned to make answers in such weighty matters, nor at that time was he not well advised of them; for he said that that the Bishop was learned, and so was not he, and those matters was long agone out of his mind, though he had done them, and so forgotten. The King answered, and bade him choose a counsellor * whom he would have in England, and he should have him, and also a time to be advised. "If you will so do," said the Earl, "I shall make answer tomorrow, but I doubt I should not have that good fellow that I would choose." Said the King, "By my truth thou shalt." "Give me your hand," said the Earl. "Here is my hand," said the King. The truth was, this Earl was but half a[n] innocent man without great knowledge or learning, but rudely brought up according the usage of his country, and was a man of no *These two words are inserted by another hand. |
