Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 10.djvu/267

 1569-] STATE OF IRELAND. 247 Carew's covetousness had exploded the mine at once prematurely and in the most unfortunate direction ; and he and his companions were compelled to suspend their ambition, and to wait till the law had decided in their favour, before taking armed possession of other men's properties. The scheme from which such great results were expected was allowed to drop, to be revived a few years later at the further extremity of the island, with more modest pretensions ; and Munster, the first object of English avarice, was left to the ' savage ' proprietors, It was less easy to lay the storm which had been raised, or even to quiet Ormond's suspicions. Sir Henry Sidney, after being reinforced from England, had hur- ried down to the south.' He moved first on Waterford, expecting the citizens to join him ; but the corporation .pleaded their liberties, refused to open their gates, or spare a man for his service. The two Butlers were in strength at Cashel ; where, after reconnoitring their position, he * found those people in a quarter of such difficulty from bog and wood/ that he dared not meddle with them. He went on therefore burning villages, blowing up castles, killing the garrisons, and flinging their bodies from the battlements ' for a terror of all others. 5 1 Fitzmaurice, on hearing of his approach, A x October, fell back from before Cork, into the Kerry mountains. The smaller chiefs withdrew into their strongholds. Sidney stormed them one after another, 1 Sir Henry Sidney to the English Council, October 26: MS8. Ireland.