1598 - Jones, Thomas - Report on Captain Thomas Lee
Allusion | |
---|---|
Date | Nov. 1598 |
Author | Jones, Thomas |
Title | Report on Captain Thomas Lee |
Mentions | James FitzPiers shall be the Robin Hood |
By Henrik Thiil Nielsen, 2013-08-01. Revised by Henrik Thiil Nielsen, 2021-01-07.
Allusion
On Monday, the 13th of this instant, as I was walking in Sir Robert Gardener his garden, Captain Thomas Lee came into the garden booted, and after salutation passed between us, I told him I did hope, now that he was set at liberty, he would bestir himself in Her Majesty's service better than other Captains had done. He answered me that his durance had much hindered Her Majesty's service, but now that he was at liberty, he would lay down a plot to be revenged upon the Lord of Ormonde, who had been the procurer of his trouble, and who (as he said) was also the author and worker of all this rebellion in Ireland. {...} I will undertake to plague him well enough; for Ormonde, Tipperary, and Kilkenny shall pay for this gear.' 'Why,' said I, 'but how can you devise to hurt my Lord of Ormonde, so long as he hath the command of all Her Majesty's forces?' Mr. Lee answered me, saying, 'Let him and them alone. I will undertake to give him his handful.' 'Why, how cans't thou do it ?' quoth I. 'Content yourself' said Mr. Lee, 'I must not be seen in the matter; but I will turn out one that shall do all this; and that shall be James FitzPiers; he shall be the Robin Hood. And I will also have Mountgarrett, and Donnell Spainagh, and Onie M'Rory and the Moores, at my command and direction; and, unless Mr. Phelim M'Feagh will also be under my disposing, I will knock him. And for myself, I will presently give over my band of foot to my Lieutenant Goldsmith, and my horse to Mr. John Sarsfeld, and I will keep only my kern, and will travel up and down with them; and I do not mean to come much at you after this in haste. But I will still have five thousand men at my command.' [...][1]
Source notes
Full title: "A report of certain speeches used by Captain Thomas Lee to the Bishop of Meath on the 13th of November, 1598". MS ref.: Vol. CII, pt. 3. Although the printed source is a calendar, the above passage appears to be quoting the MS source rather than summarizing or paraphrasing it.
IRHB comments
Thomas Jones (c.1550-1619) was Bishop of Meath. The whole report runs to 4½ MS pp. (2½ pp. of printed text). The allusion has not been noted in previous studies or lists.
Lists
- Not included in Dobson, R. B., ed.; Taylor, J., ed. Rymes of Robyn Hood: an Introduction to the English Outlaw (London, 1976), pp. 293-11.
- Not included in Sussex, Lucy, compil. 'References to Robin Hood up to 1600', in: Knight, Stephen. Robin Hood: A Complete Study of the English Outlaw (Oxford, UK; Cambridge, Massachusetts: Blackwell, 1994), pp. 262-88.
Sources
Also see
- Robin Hood – a rebel
- Historical persons (links).
Notes