Through the narrow streets of
Dublin rode a hundred and forty horsemen. Their leader was a
tall young man of twenty-one. He was known as Silken Thomas,
for the clothes he wore were fine and beautiful. There was a
dark look of anger on his handsome face: he had heard that
very morning that his father had been put to death in London.
This report was false, but Thomas
did not wait to question it. His father, the Earl of Kildare,
was King of England's Deputy in Ireland. He had gone to
London a few weeks before to give and account of his doings,
leaving Thomas to act as Deputy in his place. With dismay
young Thomas had listened to the story of his death : with
anger in his heart he had called for his fighting men and
rode with all speed through the streets of Dublin.
The horsemen came to a halt
outside Saint Mary's Abbey, where the council of advisers to
the Deputy was sitting. Leaping from his horse, Thomas rushed
into the Council-room. With flushed face and quivering lips
he flung the sword of state on the Council-table : he was no
longer the King's Deputy, he roared, but his foe.
Thomas bursting into the Council-room in Dublin.
The Council tried to explain
matters to him, but in vain. At that moment one of Thomas's
followers began to sing praises of the Silken Lord and called
on him to avenge his father's death. Threatening war and
revenge, Thomas led his men from the Council-room and
galloped out of Dublin.
Some of the Irish chiefs agreed to
help him and Thomas returned to Dublin at the head of a large
army. He captured the city and laid siege to the castle. But
news of the war had reached London and soon a powerful force
of English troops sailed into Dublin harbour. Thomas was
forced to retreat.
All through the winter Silken
Thomas held out. The castle of Maynooth, his greatest
stronghold, was attacked. For nine days the cannon roared and
at last, the castle in ruins, the garrison was forced to
surrender.
The fall of Maynooth dampened the
spirit of Thomas's followers and one by one they bagan to
leave him. Soon he could hold out no longer and gace himself
up to the English General on receiving a promise that his
life would be spared.
He was taken to England and
imprisioned in Tower of London where he spent eighteen months
in terrible harship. But the promise that had been made was
broken, and Silken Tomas, along with five of his uncles, was
put to death.