Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 10.djvu/273

 1569-] STATE OF IRELAND 253 dealing rather with savage beasts than with human beings, and when he tracked them to their dens he strangled the cubs and rooted out the entire broods. And not he only, but Elizabeth's representative, the statesman, the gentleman, the accomplished Sidney, he too for these doings could find but words of praise, nay, could scarce find words sufficient to express his admiration of them. ' For the Colonel/ * he wrote to - Cecil, ' I cannot say enough.' ( The highways are now made free where no man might travel unspoiled. The gates of cities and towns are now left open, where before they were continually shut or guarded with armed men. There was none that was a rebel of any force but had submitted himself, entered into bond and delivered hostages, the arch- rebel, James Fitzmaurice, only except, who is become a bush-beggar, not having twenty knaves to follow him. And yet this is not the most nor the best that he hath done ; for the estimation that he hath won to the name of Englishman there, before almost not known, exceedeth all the rest ; for he in battle brake so many of them, wherein he showed how far our soldiers in valour surpassed those rebels, and he in his own person any man he had. The name of an Englishman is more terrible now to them than the sight of a hundred was before. For all this, I had - nothing to present him with but the honour of knight- hood, which I gave him : for the rest, I recommend him to your friendly report/ 2 1 i. e Gilbert. 2 Sidney to Cecil, January 4, 1570 : M8S. Ireland.