Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 10.djvu/265

 1569.1 STATE OF IRELAND. 245 down, Sidney felt that nothing could save him. There were but 2000 able-bodied Englishmen in the whole island, and had the fighting power of the Irish been equal to the loudness of their talk, they could have been swept into the sea, as it was, without help from strangers. That they were able to hold their ground at all, if the hatred of England was as intense as every account from the country represented it, was a mystery j and Cecil, perplexed altogether with the extraordinary stories which came over to him, sent young Edward Tremayne 1 to examine into their truth, and to let him know quietly the real condition of the country. Tremayne, on his first arrival, reported 'that the matter was more fearful than hurtful.' i The rebels showed no valour except where there was no resistance ; and the English, if they had only courage, might count on victory wherever they met them. Being a Devon- shire man, and a friend of Gilbert and Grenville, he saw the Irish through their eyes, and believed what they told him; so miserable 'the naked knaves' ap- peared to him, that he thought ' birchen rods ' would be fittest weapons to use upon them. He considered the combination a good opportunity for a ' general reform- ation ; ' ' the forfeitures and confiscations deserved by the rebellion of the Irish "would pay for the charge of their correction ; '" and he ' could only pray that it might be severely followed. 72 1 Tremayne of Sydenham, in Devonshire, brother of the twins who were killed at Havre;. 2 Edward Tvemayne to Sir Hugh Pollard, July 7 : MSS. Ireland.