Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 10.djvu/588

 568 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 62. Burghley, in conveying the Queen's last order, ' I will merely say Butler aboo, against all that cry in a new language Papa aboo, and God send you your heart's desire to banish and vanquish those cankered Des- monds/ 1 Meanwhile Cork had escaped. Desmond for some unknown reason had fallen oack into the ' wood/ He attempted, unsuccessfully, to recover Adair, 2 but with this exception he held the whole country lying west of a line drawn from Cork to Limerick, with all the rest of Munster, at his secret devotion, and the strength of its population in the field with him. 3 Fresh supplies came in from abroad, if not so amply as the Irish looked for. 1580. Two Italian vessels with powder arrived at iai y- Dingle in January, bringing the news that a large force might soon be expected. 4 There was a general impression that unless the rebellion could be extinguished in the spring, the O'Neils, and probably the Earl of Kildare, would revolt also. It was not till the beginning of March that the English could move. At length how- March. 1 Burghley to Ormond, January 26 : MSS. Ireland. 3 He sent ' a fair young harlot ' as a present to the Constable, hoping by her means to corrupt him. The Constable, not being open to such advances, fastened a stone to the young woman's neck and flung her from the walls into the river. Pel- ham to the Council, January 26: Carew Papers. 3 St Leger to Burghley, January 25 : MSS. Ireland. 4 Desmond had written to Philip to say that he had taken arms at the request of the Pope, and relying on Spanish assistance. He had sup- ported the weight of the war for four months, and looked for imme- diate help. Desmond to the King of Spain, January 12, 1580: MSS. Simancas.