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LEINSTER 27
of state to the Archbishop, who refused to take it
and reasoned pathetically with the young noble. But
a hereditary bard of the Geraldines, O'Neylan, burst
in with an Irish poem which recalled the glories of
the Geraldines, and upbraided Silken Thomas with
too long delay. The chant ended in a clamour of
applause from the armed men, and Thomas Fitzgerald,
flinging down the sword, marched at their head out
of the presence, none daring to check him.
Yet his attempt came to nothing. As always, the
other great Anglo-Norman family, the Butlers, sided
against the Geraldine, and from their stronghold in
Kilkenny harassed him while he endeavoured fruit-
lessly to reduce Dublin Castle. Months went by,
and Silken Thomas was little more than the head
of a roving guerrilla force; but he roved at large.
At last, in March, 1535, Skeffington, the Lord Deputy,
moved out to the capture of Maynooth. His batteries
made a practicable breach within five days, and then
the commander, Christopher Paris, foster-brother to
Silken Thomas, thought it was time to make terms
for himself. The plan was ingenious. By concert
with Skeffington the garrison of a hundred men were
allowed to make a successful sortie and capture a
small cannon. Paris filled them with praise, and
with drink. At dawn of the next morning the walls
were stormed by a surprise, and so the castle fell.