CHAPTER IX.

NEGOTIATIONS-TYRRELL'S PASS-DROM

FLUICH.

A. D. 1595-1597.

DURING the following winter the two parties remained inactive: and what we find chiefly interesting, is the warm attachment which General Norreys conceived for O'Neill, the man whom he had it in command to reduce by fire and sword. He convinced himself that the chief had been heavily wronged, recommended him to the favourable consideration of his government; and would answer it with his life that kindness and justice would make this formidable chieftain one of the queen's best subjects. The strange fascination of O'Neill's character had captivated the soldierlike and generous Norreys; and instead of vigorously prosecuting the war, he was devising means to bring about a reconciliation between the revolted "earl" and his offended sovereign. There is reason to fear that the politic Hugh misled this straightforward soldier, to gain time for his own projects and his negotiations with Spain ;a supposition which is strengthened by his dealings with the queen's envoys in the following year.

For the English government, finding that no progress was made in reducing Ulster by force of arms, directed a commission to the general along with Sir George Bourchier, styled Master of the Ordnance, and Sir Geoffrey Fenton, commanding them to invite the Northern chiefs to a conference, and propose terms of peace. The commissioners wrote to O'Neill requesting a meeting at Dundalk; and though well aware that it was to his own successes he owed these friendly dispositions of the English court, which would last only until they had an army in the field able to cope with him; yet, having objects of his own to serve by delay, he proceeded to Dundalk, and declining, as usual, to enter a town, he held conference with the English negotiators across a small river, O'Neill standing on the north bank and the commissioners on the south. Here he assured them of his loyalty and his desire to be treated as a good subject of the queen, provided only that the laws, customs, and religion of the Irish country should remain inviolate; (a proviso which included precisely the old demands of exemption from sheriffs, bishops, judges, and "reformation;") and upon those terms he protested that her majesty would have no more devoted subject than he.* As for holding com

Moryson would have us believe that both at this conference and several others O'Neill made the most abject protestations of repentance and submission, craving pardon on his knees for his "rebellion." But no Irish historian says anything of this; and it is hardly probable that, after such brilliant victories he would so humble himself to those who were entreating for peace. The

munications with Spain, he denied it altogether; but he much feared that Hugh O'Donnell was a disaffected person, and engaged in some treasonable correspondence; for he was credibly informed that a ship had arrived from Spain in one of the ports of Tyr-connell.*

The commissioners were delighted by his zeal and candour, communicated with their government, and were immediately vested with full power to conclude a final peace with O'Neill upon easy terms; and then it was hoped they should soon be able, by his help, to deal with that pestilent O'Donnell. So they wrote again to O'Neill, appointing another meeting at Dundalk, on the second of April, which he "accepted," says Moryson, "with shew of joy ;" but when the second of April arrived, and the commissioners waited for him at the place of meeting, he did not condescend to appear. Apparently his end had been answered, and he was not yet ready to assume his new character of a loyal subject. Yet, unwilling to abandon their mission, the English diploma

"Les

Abbé Mac Geoghegan says, with some reason, Anglois conviennent qu' on desiroit fort la paix avec O'Neill: mais ils ajoutent que ce Prince et les autres chefs des Catholiques Irlandois avoient coutume de demander pardon à genoux aux commissaires chargès de leur proposer la paix: Ceux qui sollicitent la paix sont ordinairement plus dans le cas de demander pardon que les autres."

* In this year, as we learn from the MS. Life of O'Donnell, Alonzo Copis came to that chief from Spain, bringing arms and ammunition: and Red Hugh sent him home with his ship well stored with "fat bucks and white-fleeced sheep."

tists once more plied him with letters, and appointed yet another day, the 16th of April; when they conjured him by all his hopes of pardon, and his duty to her most sacred majesty, that he should not fail to attend them. The 16th came, and the commissioners looked anxiously northward from Faughart hill, in vain; the chief did not arrive; but the next day, as if to make a scornful jest of their mean solicitation,* sent them his reasons, "justifying," says Moryson, "his relapse into disloyalty;" for that the truce had not been duly kept with him and his people; causes of offence had arisen at the Blackwater; and moreover the Marshal had not restored some cattle which had been driven off the lands of a certain O'Neill. And under these circumstances, how could a prudent chieftain lay down his arms, or abandon the guardianship of his faithful clansmen?

Possibly these reasons may have seemed frivolous to the commissioners; more especially as it was notorious that O'Neill was improving the intervals of truce in arming and training more troops, in strengthening his alliances, and stirring up the Irish of Leinster to invade the Pale; for at this time we find that "Fiach Mac Hugh," says Moryson," breaking his protection, entered into acts of hostilitie; and he, together with the O'Mores, O'Connors, O'Byrnes, O'Tooles, the Cavanaghs, Butlers, and the chiefe names of Connaught, animated by the success of the Ulster

*A mean solicitation on the part of government to Tyrone."-Leland.

men, combined together, and demanded to have the barbarous titles of O and Mac, together with lands they claimed, to be restored to them, in the meanwhile spoiling all the country on all sides." These Leinster Irish were led principally by Owen O'More and Fiach O'Byrne. Their inroads were fierce and bloody; the smoke of their burnings darkened the air of Dublin ;* and there needed large forces to guard the frontiers of the Pale, and sleepless watch and ward upon the city walls. But now the deputy resolved to make another effort against the mountain septs of Wicklow. In the month of May he penetrated with a strong force into the glens; took the fort of Ballinacor by surprise, and put its inmates to the sword, including the gallant chief of the O'Byrnes, who had so long held those fastnesses against the utmost efforts of English power. He left, however, two sons, Phelim and Raymond, who received some troops from Hugh O'Neill to assist them, joined with the O'Mores, recovered the glens and mountains of their tribe, and still kept the field against the stranger. At this time, also, Hugh O'Donnell was pressing the English hard in Connaught, detaching the chiefs from foreign alliances, and combining them in the national confederacy. Mac Dermot of Moy-luirg he compelled to make submission to himself as an Uriaght or tributary chief; "as with those of his place it was always customary."† And over Clan

"The village of Crumlin was plundered and burned down, within two miles of the city."-Cox.

MS. Life of O'Donnell. Moryson says "all Connaught was in rebellion."

L