te with Ormond, and,
if possible, with the party in the castle. But Skeffington, who was too
old for his work, had loitered over his preparations, and was not ready;
and the delay would have been fatal, except for the Earl of Ormond, the
loyalty of whose noble house at that crisis alone saved the English
authority in Ireland. On the arrival of Henry's courier, he collected
his people and invaded Kildare. The country was unenclosed--not a fence
nor a hedge broke the broad surface of moor and meadow, save where at
intervals a few small patches were enclosed for corn crops. Infinite
herds of cattle grazed at will over the expanse of pasture, and these
cattle were the chief dependence of the people. Ormond, by the
suddenness of his inroad, and the absence of the owners, was enabled to
sweep clear the whole tract which was occupied by the Geraldines; and
Fitzgerald was forced to retire from Dublin to defend or recover his
property. He left a detachment in the city, to prevent the troops in the
castle from obtaining supplies,[342] and then hurried off to revenge the
foray. Entering Carlow, he took a castle on the Slaney, and murdered the
garrison. Thence he turned towards Kilkenny, and was bearing down upon
Ormond with a strength which it would have been hard for the Butlers to
resist, when he learnt that the citizens of Dublin, encouraged by the
news that an English army was actually coming, had repented of their
patriotism, and, to earn their pardon from Henry, had closed their
gates, and had seized and imprisoned the party who were left before the
castle. The prize for which he had played so deeply was slipping from
his hands at the moment when it was all but won. He was forced to return
in haste; but before he left Kilkenny, he made an effort to induce
Ormond to join him. He promised, that, if the earl would assist him in
driving out the English, he would "take him as his father," that he
would make a present to his son, Lord James, of half the inheritance of
the Kildares, and that they two should together rule Ireland.[343]

[Sidenote: Ormond's reply.]

[Sidenote: Fitzgerald's treachery.]

[Sidenote: Dublin is again besieged.]

[Sidenote: September.]

[Sidenote: Skeffington does not arrive.]

[Sidenote: October 4.]

[Sidenote: Ormond again saves Dublin.]

[Sidenote: Siege of Dublin raised, October 14.]

Promises when extorted by presence of danger from a Geraldine were of
indifferent value; but if Fitzgerald's