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 to be hampered by the reports of his detractors at court (just retribution for his own attacks on Sir Anthony St. Leger), and especially of his brother-in-law Sir H. Sidney. He was seriously ill, so ill in fact that in March 1575 he thought he could not live a year longer, and that he was likely to be buried in Ireland and slandered in England. Lady Fitzwilliam, who his enemies asserted was the real lord deputy, was despatched to solicit his recall. His prayer was at last listened to, and the arrival of Sir H. Sidney on 12 Sept. restored him to private life (Lib. Hib. ii. 4).

During the next twelve years he remained in England quietly engaged, we may presume, in attending to his own affairs. In 1582 there was some talk of appointing him successor to Lord Grey (Ham. Cal. ii. 364, 374, 499), but nothing came of it. He, however, obtained a crown lease of Fotheringay Castle (, Cal. ii. 395), and it was during his governorship that Mary of Scotland met her doom there. His conduct on that occasion reflected great credit on him. The only one who showed any respect for her feelings, Mary gratefully acknowledged his kindness to her, and in token of her esteem presented him with the picture of her infant son, James, which is still carefully preserved by his successors (Topog. Brit. vol. iv.)

On 17 Feb. 1588 he was reappointed lord deputy of Ireland in the room of Sir John Perrot, and on 23 June, being Sunday, he landed at the Ring's End, about six o'clock in the morning, and on Sunday following received the sword of state in Christ's Church. The country was at peace, but the period was one of critical importance. The timely storm that dissipated the Armada relieved the government of its chief danger, but there were still a number of ships in the narrow seas to cause considerable anxiety. Fitzwilliam's vigilance was worthy the high trust reposed in him. A number of Spaniards, it was reported, who had escaped the clutches of the sea, were roaming about the country, and likely, if they were allowed to band together, to prove dangerous. On 22 Sept. 1588, therefore, he issued orders to the provincial governors to take all hulls of ships, stores, treasure, &c., and to apprehend and execute all Spaniards they might find in their districts (Cal. Carew MSS. ii. 490). For himself he proposed to make a journey into Connaught and O'Donnell's country, ‘as well for the riddance of such Spaniards thence who were reported to be dispersed in great numbers throughout that province, as also for that the Irishry of that province towards the Pale and Feagh MacHugh O'Byrne, with the rest upon the mountain's side, grew into such pride upon hope of those Spaniards and their assistants.’ His design was approved by the council, and on 4 Nov. he set out from Dublin. Proceeding directly to Athlone and thence to Sligo, he held on towards Ballyshannon, ‘where, as I heard, lay not long before twelve hundred or thirteen hundred of the dead bodies.’ A little before coming to Donegal, ‘I being then accompanied with Sir Owen O'Tool, whom by courteous entreaty I had drawn thither to help the compounding of some good course for the well-ordering of his country,’ he was met by O'Donnell and courteously entertained by him. At Strabane Sir John O'Dogherty came to him, ‘whereof I was not a little glad, for then I made account before his and Sir Owen O'Tool's departures to settle her majesty in some good surety for the 2,100 beeves and 1,000 more for a fine, which at Dungannon, the Earl of Tyrone's house, upon handling of the matter, was accomplished, and by them both and O'Donnell agreed that they should be cut upon the country and paid, and in the meantime that Sir Owen and Sir John should go and remain with me till such pledges as I then named were put in.’ (A very different account of this transaction will be found in Fynes Moryson's history.) On 23 Dec. he returned to Dublin without the loss of a single man (Ham. Cal. iv. 53, 73, 92).

In January 1589 Sir Ross MacMahon, captain of Monaghan, exasperated by the exactions of the sheriff, Captain Willis, and his soldiers, a collection of arrant rascals according to Fitzwilliam, took the law into his own hand and expelled them from his country. Thereupon in March Fitzwilliam invaded and spoiled his country so thoroughly that he left not a house standing or a grain of corn unburnt. Shortly afterwards Sir Ross died, and his brother, Hugh, being entitled to succeed him, was by the deputy established in possession in August (ib. iv. 224). The Irish (see ) asserted that he was bribed; but this he denied. According to Fitzwilliam the new MacMahon immediately entered upon treasonable courses, and was by him arrested. Process, however, was for a time delayed owing to the unwillingness of the privy council to proceed to extremities in what might be construed into a mere border raid (ib. iv. 263). Convinced at last by the deputy's representations, order was on 10 Aug. 1590 given to proceed with his trial. ‘Wherein, for the avoiding the scandal of justice with severity, he had the favour to be tried in his own country, and by a jury of the best gentlemen of his own name and blood’ (Add. MSS.