Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-22

people. The library contains one Of the
largest and most valuable collection OF
books in Ireland and the pictures are OF
great value as well 40 artistic interest.
The Duke of Leinster's arms il q
monkey stantant with plain collar and
chained: motto. "Crpm-a-boo." CTo vic
tory0 This il the only coat-of- arms am
told. that ever bore a monkey in the de-
sign. and it was adopted by John Fitx-
thomas Fitzgerald in 1915 for romantic
reasons. While an infant he was In the
castle OF Woodstock. now owned by the
Duke Of Marlborough. which caught fire.
In the confusion the child was forgotten,
and when the family and servants remem-
oered him and started a search they found
the nursery in ruins. But on one OF the
family. carefully holding the young earl
IN It's arms: The animal. with extraord-
nary intelligence. had crawled through
the smoke. rescued the baby and carried
it to the top Of the tower When he grew
coat-of-arms and adopted a monkey for
his crest. which has been retained to this
day, and wherever You find Q tomb of a
Fitzgerald you will see the figure OF a
monkey at the feet Of the efhgy. or under
the inscription.
Hero Of Many Adventures.
Fitzthomas Fitzgerald. the child thus
miraculousy saved. was the hero Of
many romances and adventures and for
his eminent services to the crown King
Edward II created him the first Earl Of
kildare. May II. 1916 He was the an
cestor OF the famous earls. dukes and
marauises Of Ormonde and the earis.
dukes and marduises OF Desmond. al
though those branches Of the family af-
terward became the rivals and the foes
OF the ktldares. The Duke OF Leinster
by reason Of the marriages Of his ances.
tor. and collateral members OF the fam.
ls reiateo to almost every noble in
the kingdom.
The Fitzgeraids are descended from the
Gherardinf family Of Florence. ono OF
whom passed over into Normandy In tho
tenth century and thence to England.
where he became a Avorite OF Edward
the Confessor and was appointed castel-
Ian OF Windsor aud warden Of the for
ests OF the king. In 1918 he Is mentioned
in Doomsday Book az the owner OF enor-
NOUS areas Of land In England and wales.
In 116s Maurice Fitzgerald. whose name
was anglicized and who was the father
OF the Irish branch Of the family. ac--
companied Richard de Clare. Earl OF
Pembroke. better known as Strongbow.
IN the , invasion s,. ., Ireland and Wa.
ford IN 1117 and was buried In the Alb
hey. OF the Gray Friars outside the walls
Of that town. One Of his sons became
Baron Of onnay. another became Baron
ancestor Of the Earls OF Desmond.
The next earl was q man Of great
piety. In 1915 he introduced into Ireland
the Order Of the Franciscans. and built
them an abbey at Youghal. In 1920 he in
6uced the Dominicans to send q band OF
missionaries and built them an abbey at
Adair. And his son was equally devoted
to the church.
eral centuries was one Of the largest and
strongest In ireland. was built by Ger
aid, the fifth earl in 1927. whose second
son was the founder Of the house OF Or
monde and was created earl Of that
name.
Most Active in ireland.
For sixteen generations the Earls Of
Kildare were the most active men in Ire
land and the history of their adventures
would I'LL book as big a. q dictionary.
There was always something going
wherever they went: they were on all
sides Of all questions and were sometimes
fighting each other as fsrceiy a. the fam
their sovereign: have suffered imprison-
ment and have been executed at Tyburn
and In the tower. They have been the
boideSt and most powerful defenders or
British authority in Ireland and several
times have saved the island to the British
throne. More Kildares have filled the
ONCE of lord lieutenant than from any
other family and among the long list OF
earls have been some splendid charac"
ters.
The eighth earl subdued all the native
chieftains and made them submit to Eng
iish authority. An early historian dee
scribes him az "a mtght1e man OF stets
has bin lord deputie and lord Justice
of Ireland three and thirtie yeares. Ho
was In government milde, to his epemiea
sterne. he was open and piayne: hartley
able to rule himself. but could we'll rule
others: in anger he was sharp ana short.
being easily displeased and easily ape
peased."
when Gerald Fitzgerald. the ninth eerl..
was proposed for lord lieutenant the king
remarked: You say that the Earl OF
Kildare is the only man alive who can
rule Ireland: is there any man alive who
can rule the Earl Of Kildare?"
And that was the reputation OF the
family.
Opposed Henry VIM.
His grandfather Thomas Gerald. the
twelfth earl. having incurred the enmity
Of Cardinal wolsey. was called to Eng
land and committed to the tower for trea-
son. When he left ireland he intrusted
his official authority and responsibilities to
his son and heir. familiarly known as
"Silken Thomas" because Of the gorgeous
trappings OF his retinue. The boy was
then but twenty-one. bold. brave: patriotic
plot devised by agents Of Cardinal VOL
sey. who spread q report that his father
had been beheaded in the tower. The I'M
petuous young lord left the castle at May
nooth. rode into Dublin. and. entering the
chamber where the council sat. openly re-
nounced his allegiance to the King OF
England gave, his reasons and laid mace
and sword. the symbols Of ONCE. upon the
table. Archbishop Cromer. the lord cham
cellor besought him to reconsider. ex-
planning that the rumor from London
might be false and the young earl was
about to yield when the voice Of the fam
lily bard, who had followed him to Dublin.
was heard through the window singing
the death song OF the kildares. "Silken
Thomas" seized his sword, summoned the
Ger aldines. the family clan. which was the
mightiest and most numerous In ireland.
assaulted the castle and soon involved the
entire country in a desperate revolution.
When the old earl heard the news In his
cell In the tower he sert a message to
Henry VIII asking pardon for the rash
ness Of his son, and then died OF a broken
heart
All ireland was in flames; three-fourths
Of Kildare county and the greater part OF
Meath was burned; thousands Of innocent
people died of starvation and thousands in
battle before the revolution was suppress
ed, Finally, Kildare. who was then but
twenty four, surrendered upon q promise
that he should receive full pardon when
he arrived in London and renewed his al
lexiance personally to the king. This
pledge was shamefully violated. Henry
VIII refused to receive him and sent him