withstanding his precautions he had been outwitted in the wording of the safe-conduct. Though the Government promised to permit him to return to Ireland, the time of his stay had not been specified. Specious pretexts were invented to detain him; he required to be recognized as his father's heir; the English judges desired the cause to be pleaded before themselves; the young Baron of Dungannon must come over to be heard on the other side; and while to Shan it was pretended that the Baron had been sent for, Cecil wrote privately to Fitzwilliam to prevent him from leaving Ireland. At first the caged chieftain felt no alarm, and he used his opportunities in flattering and working upon Elizabeth. He wrote to her from time to time, telling her that she was the sole hope and refuge which he possessed in the world; in coming to England his chief desire had been to see that great person whose fame was spoken of through the earth, and to study the wisdom of her Government that he might learn how better to order himself in civil polity.' If she would give him his father's earldom, he said, he would maintain her authority in Ulster, where she should be undisputed Queen over willing subjects; he would drive away all her enemies; he would expel Mary Stuart's friends the Scots; and with them it seems he was prepared to dismiss his 'countess ;' for 'he was most urgent that her Majesty would give him some noble English lady for a wife with augmentation of living suitable;' and he on his part would save the Queen all further expense in Ireland ' with great increase of revenue.' As the head of the House of O'Neil he claimed undisputed sovereignty over the petty Ulster chiefs. He admitted that he had killed his brother, but he saw nothing in so ordinary an action but what was right and reasonable.1 At last, when So the winter months passed on. January was gone, and February was gone, March. · young Baron' and March had come, and the had not appeared, Shan's mind misgave him. His time had not been wasted; night after night he had been closeted with de Quadra, and the insurrectionary resources of Ireland had been sketched out as a bait to Philip. His soul in the land of heretics had been cared for by holy wafers from de Quadra's chapel; but his body he began to think might be in the lion's den, and he pressed for his dismissal. A cloud of obstacles was immediately raised. The Queen, he was told, was indifferent who had the earldom provided it was given to the lawful heir; and as soon as the Baron arrived the cause should instantly be heard. When Shan was still dissatisfied, he was recommended if he wished for favour 'to change his garments and go like an Englishman.' He appealed to Elizabeth herself. With an air of ingenuous simplicity he threw himself, his wrongs, and his position on her personal kindness, having no refuge nor succour to flee unto but only her Majesty.' His presence was urgently required in Ireland; the Scots were 'evil neighbours;' his kinsmen were fickle: if 1 Shan O'Neil to Elizabeth, January: Irish MSS. however her Majesty desired him to stay he was her slave, he would do all which she would have him do; he would only ask in return that her Majesty would give him a gentlewoman for a wife such as he and she might agree upon;' and he begged that he might be allowed -the subtle flatterer-to attend on the Lord Robert; 'that he might learn to ride after the English fashion, to run at the tilt, to hawk, to shoot, and use such other good exercises as the said good lord was most apt unto."1 He had touched the Queen where she was most susceptible, yet he lost his labour. She gave him no English lady, she did not let him go. At length the false dealing produced its cruel fruit, the murder of the boy who was used as the pretext for delay. Sent for to England, yet prevented from obeying the command, the young Baron of Dungannon was waylaid at the beginning of April in a wood near Carlingford by Tirlogh O'Neil. He fled for his life with the murderers behind him till he reached the bank of a deep river which he could not swim, and there he was killed.2. April. The crime could not be traced to Shan. His rival was gone, and there was no longer any cause to be pleaded; while he could appeal to the wild movements of his clan as an evidence of the necessity of his presence among them. The council were frightened. O'Neil promised largely, and Elizabeth persuaded herself to believe him. 1 Shan O'Neil to Elizabeth, March: Irish MSS. She durst not imprison him; she could no longer detain him except by open force: she preferred to bribe him into allegiance by granting him all that he desired. The earldom-a barren title for which he cared little -was left in suspense. On the 20th of April an indenture was signed by Elizabeth and himself, in which Shan bound himself to do military service and to take the oath of allegiance in the presence of the Deputy; while in return he was allowed to remain Captain of Tyrone with feudal jurisdiction over the northern counties. The Pale was to be no shelter to any person whom he might demand as a malefactor. If any Irish lord or chief did him wrong, and the Deputy failed within twenty days to exact reparation, Shan might raise an army and levy war on his private account. One feeble effort only was made to save O'Donnell, whose crime against O'Neil had been his devotion to England. O'Neil consented to submit O'Donnell's cause to the arbitration of the Irish earls.1 A rebel subject treating as an equal with his sovereign for the terms on which he would remain in his allegiance was an inglorious spectacle; and the admission of Shan's pretensions to sovereignty was one more evidence to the small Ulster chiefs that no service was worse requited in Ireland than fidelity to the English Crown. The M'Guyres, the O'Reillies, the O'Donnells -all the clans who had stood by Sussex in the pre 1 Indenture between the Queen of England and Shan O'Neil, April 30, 1562: Irish MSS. ceding summer-were given over to their enemy bound hand and foot. Yet Elizabeth was weary of the expense, and sick of efforts which were profitless as the cultivation of a quicksand. True it was that she was placing half Ireland in the hands of an adulterous, murdering scoundrel; but the Irish liked to have it so, and she forced herself to hope that he would restrain himself for the future within bounds of decency. Shan therefore with his galloglasse returned in glory, his purse lined with money, and honour wreathed about his brows. On reappearing in Tyrone he summoned the northern chiefs about him; he told them that he had not gone to England to lose but to win;' they must submit to his rule henceforth or they should feel his power The O'Donnells, in vain reliance on the past promises of the Deputy, dared to refuse allegiance to him. Without condescending to the form of consulting the Government at Dublin, he called his men to arms and marched into Tyrconnell, killing, robbing, and burning in the old style, through farm and castle. The Earl of Sussex, not knowing how to act, could but fall back on treachery. Shan was bound by his engagement to take the oath of allegiance in Dublin. The Lord Deputy desired him to present himself at the first opportunity. The safe-conduct which accompanied the request was ingeniously worded; and enclosing a copy of it to Elizabeth, Sussex inquired whether in the event of Shan's coming to him he might not twist |