Ireland under the Tudors, with a Succinct Account of the Earlier History. Vol. 2 (of 3) — John Shaqi
Ireland under the Tudors, with a Succinct Account of the Earlier History. Vol. 2 (of 3)Bagwell, Richard
History
Ireland under the Tudors, with a Succinct Account of the Earlier History. Vol. 2 (of 3)
Bagwell, Richard
Ireland -- History -- 16th century
No sooner was Shane gone than Sussex obtained leave to follow him. The
Government was left to Fitzwilliam, whose expenses were to be borne out
of the pay and allowances of the absent Lord-Lieutenant, and who was
directed to give all possible help to Brian O'Neill. It was perhaps
thought profound policy to support the boy's claim to the Earldom of
Tyrone while the real chief of Ulster was out of the way. Sussex rightly
observed that if the Queen wished to support the young Earl she could
best do so by treating Shane coldly at first, and by keeping him at arm's
length till he himself arrived. This advice, which was not only sound in
itself but calculated to restore the credit of Sussex in Ireland, came
too late to be of much use; for Kildare had already presented Shane to
the Queen. The bare rough heads of his gallowglasses, who did not lay
aside their axes, their long curls, their wide-sleeved saffron shirts,
their short tunics, and their shaggy cloaks of fur or frieze, which in
Ireland covered a multitude of sins, made Englishmen stare; not less,
says Camden, than they now stare at Chinamen or American Indians. The
Ambassadors of Sweden and Savoy were present, and doubtless shared in the
general astonishment created by her Majesty's distinguished subject.
Shane prostrated himself before the Queen, and then on his knees
'confessed his rebellion with howling,' and made his submission in Irish,
which few or none could understand. The language was perhaps less humble
than the posture. But Cecil was not to be put off thus; the supposed
meaning of the speech was engrossed in English, and two days afterwards
was signed and sealed by Shane. 'For lack of education and civility,' he
is made to say, 'I have offended.' He thanked the Queen for his pardon,
promised to deserve well for the future, begged her favour for the
gentlemen of his company, his kinsmen and friends, and admitted in
writing that he had done homage on his knees to Elizabeth as Queen of
England, France, and Ireland. Shane's pretensions were so extraordinary
that the courtiers exercised their wit in inventing a style for him, and
they dubbed him 'O'Neill the great, cousin to St. Patrick, friend to the
Queen of England, enemy to all the world besides.'[39]
[Sidenote: Negotiations with Shane in England.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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