'Pleaseth your most Excellent Majesty, I, O'Neill, one of your Majesty's most humble subjects of your realm of Ireland, do confess and acknowledge before your most Excellent Highness, that by ignorance, and for lack of knowledge of my most bounden duty of allegiance, I have most grievously offended your Majesty, for the which I ask your Grace here mercy and forgiveness, most humbly beseeching your Highness of your most gracious pardon; refusing my name and state, which I have usurped upon your Grace against my duty, and requiring your Majesty of your clemency to give me what name, state, title, land, or living it shall please your Highness, which I shall knowledge to take and hold of your Majesty's mere gift, and in all things do hereafter as shall beseem your most true and faithful subject. And God save your Highness.'[259] [Sidenote: He is created Earl of Tyrone. Special remainder.] One week after the delivery of this submission O'Neill was created Earl of Tyrone, with remainder to his son Matthew in tail male: Matthew being at the same time created Baron of Dungannon, with remainder to the eldest son of the Earl of Tyrone for the time being. This patent afterwards gave rise to infinite bloodshed. Con O'Neill certainly acknowledged Matthew as his heir apparent; but it was afterwards stated, not only that he was illegitimate, which might not have mattered much, but that he was not Con's son at all. There was no doubt about the legitimacy of Shane, and that able savage consistently refused to acknowledge the limitations of the patent. Henry dealt liberally with the new Earl, paying 60_l._ for a gold chain such as O'Donnell had asked for, 65_l._ 10_s._ 2_d._ for creation fees and robes, and 100 marks as a present in ready money. 'The Queen's closet at Greenwich was richly hanged with cloth of Arras, and well strewed with rushes'--no more was then thought of even in a palace--and Tyrone was led in by the Earls of Hertford and Oxford, the latter of whom was summoned specially for the purpose. Viscount Lisle bore the new Earl's sword. Kneeling in the rushes, the descendant of Niall of the Nine Hostages submitted to be girt by the hands of Henry II.'s descendant. The King then gave him his patent, and he gave thanks in Irish, which his chaplain translated into English. Two of his neighbours, Donnell and Arthur Magennis, were knighted and received gifts from the King. A great dinner followed, to which the lords went in procession with trumpets blowing; and Tyrone carried his own patent. At second course Garter proclaimed the King's style and that of the new Earl. The herald who tells the story is careful to note that Tyrone gave twenty angels to Garter, 10_l._ to the College of Arms, and 40_s._ to the trumpeters, with other fees 'according to the old and ancient custom.' Next day Con was taken to pay his respects to the young Prince Edward, and he soon afterwards returned to Ireland.[260]