Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 10.djvu/319

 1572.] SfAtE OF IRELAND. 299 But wisdom after the event is proverbially idle. It was necessary to pretend to conciliate, and therefore Elizabeth showed no resentment at Desmond's attempt to fly from London. But she could not bring herself to acquiesce in toleration. She did not observe that in Ireland, where there were no Protestants, her objection to permitting two religions did not apply. She ac- cepted only what circumstances would not allow her to refuse ; and when she yielded, she yielded with reserv- ations which she would have done better to have passed over in silence. She consented that the Earl of Desmond should go back to Munster and resume pos- session of his estates and his jurisdiction, but she ex- acted a promise from him before he left England that 1 he would assist and maintain all the laws established by Act of Parliament for maintenance of true religion ; ' that 'he would suppress the Papal authority, remove from their Sees the prelates in communion with Home, and assist, encourage, and protect the ministers, bishops, and preachers sent from England to convert the Irish to the Beformation.' * The Earl, of course, consented. Conditions ex- torted as the price of freedom were rarely refused in words, and were as rarely observed when the doors of the prison were thrown open. The Government felt the weakness of their hold upon him. An order was signed for his release on the aist of January. On his arrival in Dublin, he was again arrested and throvn 1 Note of articles to be observed by the Eurl of Desmond. Abridged, January 3, 1573: MSS. Ireland.