a wilderness, but the desolation would be no security. The Irish, Fitzwilliam anxiously reported, could keep the field where the English would starve; 'no men of war ever lived the like, nor others of God's making as touching feeding and living; they were like beasts and vermin bred from the earth and the filth thereof; but brute and bestial as by their outward life they showed, there was not under the sun a more craftier vipered undermining generation.'1

The immediate fear was of the great southern earls. If Kildare and Desmond rose, the whole of Ireland would rise with them, even the Pale itself. They had promised Fitzwilliam to be loyal, but he did not trust them. They had met at Limerick in the winter; they were known to have communicated with Shan, and O'Brien of Inchiquin had gone to Spain and France to solicit assistance. If he brought back a favourable answer, the Geraldines 'would take the English part until such time as the push came, and then the English company should be paid home.'2

Most fortunately for Elizabeth the success of the Queen of Scots was more formidable to Philip than the temporary triumph of heresy. He discouraged all advances to himself; he used his best endeavours to prevent the Irish from looking for assistance in France; and although his advice might have been little attended to had the Guises been at liberty to act, Elizabeth's intrigues with the Huguenots had provided them with

1 Fitzwilliam to Cecil, March and April, 1560: Irish MSS. Rolls House. 2 Ibid.

sufficient work at home. They could spare no troops for Ireland while they were unable to reinforce their army at Leith.

O'Brien however received promises in abundance. Three French ships accompanied him on his return, and Irish imagination added thirty or forty which were said to be on the way. Kildare called his retainers under arms, and held a Parliament of chiefs at Maynooth which was opened with public mass. In speeches of the timehonoured type the patriotic orators dwelt upon the wrongs of Ireland; they swore that they would be 'slaves' no longer; they protested that their kingdom was kept from them by force by such as were aliens in blood;' and Fitzwilliam, frightened by the loud words, wrote in haste for assistance that the English might fight for their lives before they were all dead.'1

With the death of Henry the Second, the fall of Leith, and the failure of the French to appear, the Irish courage cooled and the more pressing danger passed off. Kildare's larger knowledge showed him that the opportunity was gone. His father's death on the scaffold and his own long exile had taught him that without support from abroad a successful insurrection was impossible; and having no personal interests to defend he bought his pardon for the treason which he had meditated by loyally returning to his allegiance.

Shan O'Neil was less favourably circumstanced. His rank and his estates were at stake, and he on his

1 Advertisements out of Ireland, May 28, 1560: Irish MSS. Rolls House.

part had determined never to submit at all unless he was secured in their possession. But he too thought it prudent to temporize. His father was by this time dead. He was required to appear before Elizabeth in person to explain the grounds on which he challenged his inheritance; and after stipulating for a safe-conduct, and an advance of money for expenses of his journey, he affected a willingness to comply; but he chose to treat with the Government at first hand, and in a characteristic letter to Elizabeth he prepared the way for his reception.

He described his father's miscellaneous habits, and 'gentlemanlike' readiness to acknowledge every child that was assigned to him; he explained his brother's birth and his own election as the O'Neil; he then proceeded thus:-1

1561.

The deputy has much ill-used me, your Majesty; and now that I am going over to see you I hope you will consider that I am but rude and uncivil, and do not know my duty to your Highness nor yet your Majesty's laws, but am one brought up in wildness far from all civility. Yet have I a good will to the commonwealth of my country; and please your Majesty to send over two commissioners that you can trust that will take no bribes nor otherwise be imposed on, to observe what I have done to improve the country and to hear what my accusers have to say; and then let them go into the Pale and

1 The voluminousness of the letter renders some abridgment necessary; but the character, substance, and arrangement are preserved.

hear what the people say of your soldiers with their horses and their dogs and their concubines. Within this year and a half three hundred farmers are come from the English Pale to live in my country where they can be safe.

'Please your Majesty, your Majesty's money here is not so good as your money in England, and will not pass current there. Please your Majesty to send me three thousand pounds of English money to pay my expenses in going over to you, and when I come back I will pay your deputy three thousand pounds Irish, such as you are pleased to have current here.

'Also I will ask your Majesty to marry me to some gentlewoman of noble blood meet for my vocation. I will make Ireland all that your Majesty wishes for you. I am very sorry your Majesty is put to such expense. If you will trust it to me I will undertake that in three 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 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 the meaning of his summons to England was merely to detain him 'with gentle talk,' till Sussex could return to his command and the English army be reinforced.

Preparations were made to send men and money in such large quantities that rebellion should have no chance; and so careful was the secrecy which was observed 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.2

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

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

2 Matters to be ordered for Ireland, February 25, March 4, Irish MSS.

March 13: