you will trust it to me I will undertake that in three CHAP VII years you shall have a revenue where now you have continual loss.

'Also your Majesty's father granted certain lands to my father O'Neil and to his son Matthew. Mat Kelly claims these lands of your Majesty. We have a saying among us Irishmen that "whatsoever bull do chance to bull any cow in any kerragh, notwithstanding, the right owner of the cow shall have the calf and not the owner of the bull." How can it be or how can it stand with natural reason that the said Matthew should inherit my father's lands, and also inherit his own rightful father the smith's, and also his mother's lands which the said Matthew hath peaceably in possession ?' 1

1

Whether Shan would follow up his letter by really going over was not so certain. It depended on the answer which he received, or on the chances which might offer themselves to him of doing better for himself in some other way.

The English Government had no advantage over him in sincerity. Towards Ireland itself the intentions of Elizabeth were honourable; but she had determined to use her first leisure in restoring order and obedience there; and for Shan himself the meaning of his summons to England was merely to detain him there with gentle talk,' till Sussex could return to his command and the English army be reinforced.

Preparations were made to send men and money such large quantities that rebellion should have chance; and so careful was the secrecy which was

1561

in The English

Govern

no ment pre

ob

1 Shan O'Neil to Queen Elizabeth, February 8, 1561.-Irish MSS. Compare Shan O'Neil to Cecil (same date).

1561

CHAP VII served to prevent Shan from taking alarm, that a detachment of troops sent from Portsmouth sailed with sealed orders, and neither men nor officers knew that Ireland was their destination till they had rounded the Land's End.1

Notwithstanding these precautions Shan's friends found means to put him on his guard. He was to have sailed from Dublin, but the weeks passed on and he did not make his appearance; at one time his dress was not ready; at another he had no money, and pressed to have his loan of the three thousand pounds sent up for him into Tyrone; and to this last request Fitzwilliam would give no sort of encouragement, being,' as he said, ‘for his own part unwilling to lend Shan five shillings on his bond, and being certain that he would no sooner have received the money than he would laugh at them all.'

The Government however cared little whether he submitted or stayed away. As yet they had not been forced to recognize Shan's ability, and the troops who were to punish him were on their way. Kildare, whom Elizabeth most feared, had gone to London on her first invitation. As long as Kildare was loyal Desmond would remain quiet; and no serious rebellion was considered any longer possible. O'Donnell was prepared to join the English army on its advance into Ulster; and the Scots, notwithstanding their predilection for Mary Stuart, were expected to act as Argyle and as his sister 'should direct.'

But Shan had prepared a master stroke which disconcerted this last arrangement. Though his suit found no favour with the Earl of Argyle, he had con

1 Matters to be ordered for Ireland, February 25, March 4, March 13.— Irish MSS.

1561

off the

Countess of

trived to ingratiate himself with the Countess.' The CHAP VII Scots were chiefly anxious to secure their settlements in Antrim and Down; and Shan was a more useful ally for them than Elizabeth or the feeble Callogh. The lady from whom such high hopes had been formed cared less for Protestantism than for the impassioned speeches of a lover; and while Queen Mary's gown and kirtle were on their way to her, Fitzwilliam was surprised with the sudden news that Shan had made a raid into Tyrcon- Shan carries nell and had carried off both her and her husband. Her Scotch guard, though fifteen hundred strong, had offered Argyle. no resistance; and the next news was that the Callogh was a prisoner in Shan's castle, and that the Countess was the willing paramour of the O'Neil. The affront to M'Connell was forgiven or atoned for, by private arrangement; and the sister of the Earl of Argyle-an educated woman for her time, 'not unlearned in Latin,' 'speaking French and Italian,'' counted sober, wise, and no less subtle'—had betrayed herself, her people, and her husband.1

The O'Neils by this last manœuvre became supreme in Ulster. Deprived of their head, the O'Donnells sunk into helplessness; the whole force of the province such as it was, with the more serious addition of several thousand Scotch marauders, was at Shan's disposal, and thus provided he thought himself safe in defying England to do its worst.

Both sides prepared for war. Sussex returned to Dublin at the beginning of June; his troops and supplies had arrived before him; and after a debate in the Council' the Irish of the Pale were invited to join in a 'general hosting' into Tyrone on the first of July.

1 Fitzwilliam to Cecil, May 30.- Irish MSS.

CHAP VII Sussex himself as a preliminary move made a dash upon 1561 Armagh. He seized the cathedral, which he fortified as An English a depôt for his stores. Leaving a garrison there he fell garrison at back into Meath, where in a few days he was joined by

Armagh.

Skirmish with the Irish.

Ormond with flying companies of 'galloglasse.'

But Sussex did not yet understand the man with whom he was dealing. He allowed himself to be amused and delayed by negotiations; and while he was making promises to Shan which it is likely that he intended to disregard, Armagh was almost lost again.

Seeing a number of kerne scattered about the town the officer in command sallied out upon them, when Shan himself suddenly appeared, accompanied by the Catholic Archbishop, on a hill outside the walls; and the English had but time to recover their defences when the whole Irish army, led by a procession of monks and every man carrying a faggot,' came on to burn the cathedral over their heads. The monks sung a mass; the primate walked three times up and down the lines, 'willing the rebels to go forward, for God was on their side.' Shan swore a great oath not to turn his back while an Englishman was left alive; and with scream and yell his men came on. Fortunately there were no Scots among them. The English though outnumbered ten to one stood steady in the church-yard, and after a sharp hand-to-hand fight, drove back the howling crowd. The Irish retired into the friars' houses' outside the cathedral close, set them on fire, and ran for their lives.

So far all was well. After this there was no more talk of treating; and by the 18th Sussex and Ormond were themselves at Armagh, with a force-had there

The second of this month we assembled at Raskreagh, and still treated with Shan for his going to

your Majesty, making him great offers if he would go quietly.'-Sussex to the Queen, July 16. Irish MSS.

been skill to direct it-sufficient to have swept Tyrone CHAP VII from border to border.

The weather however was wet, the rivers were high, and slight difficulties seemed large to the English commander. He stayed in the town doing nothing till the end of the month, when his provisions began to run short, and necessity compelled him to move. Spies brought him word that in the direction of Cavan there were certain herds of cows which an active party might cut off; and cattle-driving being the approved method of making war in Ireland, the Deputy determined to have them.

The Earl of Ormond was ill, and Sussex in an evil hour for his reputation would not leave him. His troops without their commander set out with Irish guides for the spot where the cows had been seen.

O'Neil as may be supposed had been playing upon Saxon credulity; the spies were his own men; and the object was merely to draw the English among bogs and rivers where they could be destroyed. They were to have been attacked at night at their first halting-place; and they escaped only by the accident of an alteration of route. Early the following morning they were marching forward in loose order; Fitzwilliam, with a hundred horse, was a mile in advance; five hundred men-at-arms with a few hundred loyal Irish of the Pale straggled after him; another hundred horse under James Wingfield brought up the rear.

Weaker in numbers, for his whole force did not amount to more than six hundred men, O'Neil came up with them from behind. Wingfield instead of holding his ground galloped forward upon the men-at-arms, and as horses and men were struggling in confusion together, on came the Irish with their wild battle-cry- Laundarg

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July