140 REIGN OF ELIZABETH [CH. 42. however her Majesty desired him to scay 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 sus- ceptible, yet he lost his labour. She gave him no Eng- lish 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 Duiigannon was waylaid at the be- ginning 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 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. - Fitz william to Cecil, April 14 : Irish MSS.
