Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 7.djvu/556

 53* REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [cir. 46. mined without further delay ; while l in consideration of his good services ' he begged ' to have some augnientar tion of living granted him in the Pale,' and ' her Ma- jesty to be pleased not to credit any stories which his evil-willers might spread abroad against him.' l Elizabeth allowed herself to believe what it was most pleasant to her to hope. ' We must allow some- thing/ she wrote to Sir Henry Sidney, ' for his wild bringing up, and not expect from him what we should expect from a perfect subject; if he mean well he shall have all his reasonable requests granted.' 2 But it was impossible to leave Ireland any longer without the presence of a deputy. Sir Nicholas Arnold had gone over with singular and temporary powers; the administration was out of joint, and the person most fitted for the government by administrative and mili- tary capacity was Leicester's brother-in-law Sir Henry Sidney, President of Wales. Sidney knew Ireland well from past experience. He had held command there under Sussex himself; he had seen deputy after deputy depart for Dublin with the belief that he at last was the favoured knight who would break the spell of the enchantment ; and one after an- other he had -seen them return with draggled plumes and broken armour. Gladly Avould he have declined the offered honour. 'If the Queen would but grant him leave to serve her in England, or in any place in the world else saving Ireland, or to live private, it should 1 Shan O'Xeil to Elizabeth, October 27 : Irish MSS. Molls House.
 * Eli/abeth to Sir II. Sidney, November n.JUS Ibid.