Page:Biographia Hibernica volume 2.djvu/132

 128 FITZGERALD. so that when the Bishop of Meath (his most inveterate accuser) concluded his last article with this sharp expres sion, “You see what a man he i s , a l l Ireland cannot rule yonder gentleman.” The king replied, “If i t b e so, then h e i s meet t o rule a l l Ireland, seeing a l l Ireland can not rule him.” And, accordingly, made him lord-lieute nant b y patent, dated the 6th o f August, 1496; restored him t o his honour and estate, and dismissed him with rich presents. He returned t o Ireland the same month, and shortly after marched towards Thomond against O'Brien; took the castle o f Velyback; razed the castle o f Ballynitie and other garrisoned places; and i n 1497, powerfully opposing the impostor Perkin Warbeck, defeated his designs i n Ireland. I n 1498, h e invaded Ulster, took the castles o f Dungannon and Omagh; forced O'Neile t o give hostages, and marching t o Cork, placed a garrison there, (by reason o f that city's defection i n espousing the cause o f War beck,) and obliged the inhabitants, with those o f Kinsale, t o swear allegiance, and ratify i t b y indentures and hos tages. I n March following, h e reduced the castles o f Athleague, Roscommon, Tulske, and Castlereagh; also, i n 1500, that o f Kinard, i n Ulster; and i n 1503, destroyed the castle o f Belfast, and placed a garrison i n Carrickfergus. On the 19th o f August, 1504, h e fought the famous battle o f Knocktoe (five miles from Galway), and acquired a n entire victory over the Chiefs o f Connaught; destroyed O'Carroll's country o n his return; and i n September, sent Walter Fitzsimmons, Archbishop o f Dublin, t o give the king a n account o f these and other public affairs, who rewarded his services, b y creating him a knight o f the garter. King Henry VII. dying 22d April, 1509, his lordship was continued chief governor b y Henry VIII. and that year invading Ulster, h e recovered the castles o f Dungan non and Omagh. I n 1510, h e was appointed lord deputy, and marching with a powerful army into Munster, took divers castles, a s h e did that o f Belfast i n 1512, which h e I