king peace with the Queen, and that his
condition will be hopeless. At other times he says that no greater
misfortune could happen to the country than to bring Spaniards into
it, because they are haughty and vicious and they would destroy and
ruin the country." The Irish princes were no fools. "To all this they
reply most honourably that they will hold out as long as they have one
soldier or there remains a cow to eat."

Hugh O'Neill saw clearly that all compromise between Ireland and
England was futile, and that the way of escape was by complete
separation and lay only through Europe. He again and again begged
the Spanish King to sever Ireland and erect it into an allied State.
He offered the crown of Ireland to a Spanish prince, just as three
centuries earlier another and a great O'Neill offered the crown of
Ireland to Edward Bruce in 1315.

The coming of the Bruce saved Gaelic Ireland for three centuries. Had
Philip of Spain sent his son as King to Ireland, her fate had been
settled then instead of remaining three centuries later to still
confront European statesmanship with an unsolved problem.

In many letters addressed by the Irish leaders to Philip II and Philip
III we find the constantly recurring note of warning that to leave
England in possession of Ireland meant the downfall of Spain. The
Irish princes knew that in fighting England they were in truth
fighting the battle of European civilization.

Writing to Philip II from Lifford, on May 16th, 1596, O'Neill and
O'Donnell drew the King's attention to the cause of Ireland as the
cause of Europe, and in the name of Ireland offered the crown to
a Spanish prince. "But inasmuch as we have felt to our great and
indescribably harm the evil doings and crimes of those whom the Queen
of England is in the habit of sending amongst us, we beg and beseech
Your Majesty to send someone well known to you and perfectly fit to
be the King of this island, for his own welfare, ours, and that of the
Christian State (Christendom)."

They asked for a prince "who will not be unwilling to rule over and
live amongst us and to direct and guide our nation, well and wisely."
They pointed out how "he will obtain much advantage and glory by so
doing," and finally they begged "would that Your Majesty would appoint
the Archduke of Austria, now Governor of Flanders, a famous man and
worthy of all praise, than whom none would be more acceptable." (The
original is in Latin and in the archiv