Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 10.djvu/259

 1569.] STATE OF IRELAND. 239 right belonged, and to escape the yoke of inconstant and uncertain England they were ready, with the blessing of God, to accept any Catholic prince of the King of Spain's blood whom he would be pleased to name. Such a one they would obey and acknowledge as their lawful and natural sovereign. They would establish the succession in his children, and they would then have one faith and one ruler, and their ancient monarchy would be revived. They prayed Pope Pius to sanction and confirm the King of Spain's choice. Ireland might then hope to remain in perpetual obedience to the Holy See, in the pure communion of the Church of Christ, and in alli- ance with the Royal House of Castile, from which their own nobles claimed also to be descended. Their country was inferior to England neither in climate, soil, nor natural resources, and, could it be justly and orderly governed by a Catholic prince who would reside among his subjects, it would be as rich and as strong as Eng- land. The people with one consent detested the tyranny and inconsistency of the English domination over them, especially they detested their heresies, and they desired to hold no further intercourse with them beyond the exchange of the common courtesies of neighbours/ l Of this ' villany/ for ' villany ' it of course appeared to the English gentlemen whose prospects were threat- ened by it, information was immediately furnished to Sidney by Sir Warham St Leger. ' The end of that 1 ' Exposition del Estado de los negocios de Irlanda que se ha de hacer a su Sant d y la Mag d Cato- lica de la parte de los Obispos y nobles de aquella Isla.' MSS. Si-