Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 10.djvu/636

 6i6 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 62. November. for the means by which it forced them into obedience. Millions upon millions of Celts have been enabled to exist, who, but for England, would never have been born but those millions, not wholly without justice, treasure up the bitter memories of the wrongs of their ancestors. Desmond's body was taken to Cork, where it was swung by the skeleton of his brother. The head went to Dublin Castle to be shipped for Lon- don and moulder upon a spike on London Bridge. The council at Dublin, true to their policy of death, again urged the execution of Fitzgerald of Imokelly, and of others who had been Desmond's companions. Ormond had pardoned them, but the Lords Justices had not pardoned them, and the confiscation of their lands was held out as a bait to tempt the Queen to severity. 1 But Ormond pleaded successfully ' that it could not but be honourable to her Majesty after so much bloodshed to grant an indemnity/ ' and it could not stand with her honour to stay her mercy from those to whom he had himself given his word by virtue of her Majesty's au- thority/ The south of Ireland had been made a desert ; the last 1 Wallop to Burghley, Novem- ber 20 : JifSS. Ireland. 2 Ormond to Burgliley, Novem- ber 28 : MSS. Ireland. Sir War- ham St Leger, who had received large grants in Minister, and wished to make himself secure from his Irish neighbours, was still an advocate of severity. Ormond spoke contempt- uously of him as ' an old alehouse knight, malicious, impudent, void of honesty; an arrogant ass that had never courage, honesty, or truth in him, nor put him on a horse one hour in the field to do any service.'