Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 7.djvu/551

 1565.] DEATH OF a NEIL. 531 with. Shan's rough -riding Primate. A nuncio had re- sided secretly for four years. at Limerick, who from time to time sent information of the state of the people to Rome ; and at last an aged priest named Creagh, who in past days had known Charles the Fifth, and had been employed by him in relieving English Catholic exiles, went over with letters from the nuncio, recommending the Pope to refuse to recognize the appointment of Terence Daniel to the Primacy, and to substitute Creagh in his place. The old man, according to his own story, was unambitious of dignity, and would have preferred The Pope however decided otherwise. Creagh was con- secrated Archbishop of Armagh in the Sistine Chapel, and was sent back ' to serve among those barbarous, wild, uncivil folk/ taking with him a letter from Pius to Shan O'Neil, ' whom he did not know whether to repute for his foe or his friend/ Thus Ireland had three competing Primates : Adam Loftus, the nominee of Elizabeth ; Shan's Archbishop, Terence Daniel ; and Creagh, sent by the Pope. The latter however had the misfortune to pass through Lon- don on his way home, where Cecil heard of him. He was seized and sent to the Tower, where 'he lay in great misery, cold, and hunger/ ' without a penny/ ' without the means of getting his single shirt washed, and with- out gown or hose/ The poor old man petitioned ' to be let go to teach youth.' ' He would do it for nothing/ he said, ' as h,3 had done all the days of his life, never asking a penny
 * to enter religion ' and end his days in a monastery.