of either side stood a quarter of a mile distant from them ; and while they par- lied, which was on horseback, two horse- men of the Commissioners stood firm in the midway between the Earl's troops and them, and likewise two horsemen of the Earl's was placed between them and her Majesty 's forces. These scout officers were to give warning if any treacherous attempt were made on either side." 174 There was more than one such meeting. Fynes Moryson writes : " Tyrone in this confer- ence complained of the Marshal for his usurped jurisdiction in Ulster, for de- priving him of the Queenes favour by slaunders ; for intercepting his late letters to the Lord Deputie, and Lord Generall, protesting that he never negotiated with forraine Prince till he was proclaimed traytor. His humble petitions were, that hee and his might be pardoned, and have free exercise of religion granted (which notwithstanding had never before either been punished or inquired after). That the Marshal should pay him one thousand pound for his dead sister's, his wive's por- tion. That no garrisons nor sheriffes should be in his country. That his troope of fiftie horse in the Queenes pay might be restored to him. That such as had prey- ed his country might make restitution." O'Donnell complained of invasions of his father's territory, and of an opposing O'Donnell being set up, and of his and Owen O'Toole's long imprisonment. His demands were substantially the same as those made by O'Neill. The conferences were ultimately broken off without definite result. Mr. Richey, in discussing these terms in his Lectures on Irish History, comes to the conclusion that O'Neill's claim of liberty of conscience " was merely a form, to prevent the prosecution of the war, which had been represented to Philip II. as a Catholic crusade, losing altogether its religior character. . . [It] was put forward in the mildest form, and then silently abandoned. . . As the negotia- tions proceeded, O'Neill and O'Donnell assumed the position of protectors of all insurgents against the Queen. . . The Government, perplexed and exasperated, discovered that Irish affairs were entering into a new phase, and a national league was being formed, which would require the utmost strength of England to sub- due." The Government was unprepared for immediate hostilities, and unwilling to yield to the terms required, so that the truce was prolonged. The Commissioners reported to the Deputy : " Had we not considered our weakness and our want of victuals and other necessaries, we would have broken off our treaty rather than en- dured their insolence." For the next two years it is impossible to describe the state of Ireland as one either of peace or of war. Supplies of arms arrived from Spain, and on one occasion O'Neill forwarded to the Deputy the letter accompanying them. In consequence of operations against his friend O' Byrne, O'Neill marched against Armagh and forced the garrison to surrender. There was another conference near Dun- dalk — O'Neil submitted to the Queen's terms, and a pardon was sent over ; but when it arrived he would not accept of it. The northern garrisons were in a continual state of blockade ; interminable letter writing was carried on between the parties without definite result ; and the negotiations were interspersed with oc- casional fighting, and an abortive raid into Ulster. Under O'Neill's guidance, these operations tended to make good soldiers of the Irish, who were now " growne ready in managing their peeces, and bold to skirmish in bogges and wooddy passages." 247 On 7th June 1598 the last " truce" expired. The northern garrisons were in extreme dis- tress for provisions. Marshal Bagnall, at the head of the flower of the English forces, conveying provisions, arms, and money, occupied Armagh. On the morning of 14th August the Marshal marched out at the head of about 3,500 foot and 300 horse, and attacked O'Neill's intrenched position at " Beal-an-atha-bue " (Yellow Ford) on the Blackwater. O'Neill's forces were about as numerous as Marshal Bagnall's. Hugh Roe O'Donnell held chief command under him, and Hugh Maguire was at the head of the cavalry. After a contest last- ing the whole forenoon, the English were utterly defeated . Marshal Bagnall, thirteen officers, and 1,500 soldiers were killed, according to English accounts, and the standards, arms, ammunition, and supplies were captured. The relics of the force es- caped by capitulation, and Armagh, with the other northern garrisons, surrendered a few days afterwards. The Irish loss in killed and wounded is put down at 800. Fynes Moryson goes on to say that " the English from their first arrivall in that kingdome never had received so great an overthrow. . . Thirteene valiant cap- taines, and i , 500 common souldiers (whereof many were of the old companies which had served in Brittany under Generall Norreys) were slaine. . . Tyrone was among the Irish celebrated as the deliverer of his country from thraldom, and the combined traytoi-s on all sides were puffed up with intolerable pride. All Ulster was in arms; all Connaught revolted ; and the rebels of 412
