Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 7.djvu/156

 136 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 42. Cecil spoke of rebellion Shan answered that two thou- sand pounds was a poor present, from so great a Queen. When Cecil asked if he would be a good subject for the future, he was sure their honours would give him a few more hundreds. He agreed however to make a general confession of his sins in Irish and English ; and on the 6th of the month Elizabeth received him. The council, the Peers, the foreign ambassadors, bishops, aldermen, dignitaries of all kinds, were present in state as if at the exhibition of some wild animal of the desert. O'Neil stalked in, his saffron mantle sweep- ing round and round him, his hair curling on his back and clipped short below the eyes which gleamed from under it with a grey lustre, frowning fierce and cruel. Behind him followed his galloglasse bare-headed and fair-haired, with shirts of mail which reached their knees, a wolfskin flung across their shoulders, and short broad battle-axes in their hands. At the foot of the throne the chief paused, bent for- ward, threw himself on his face upon the ground, and then rising upon his knees spoke aloud in Irish : ' Oh ! my most dread sovereign lady and Queen, like as I, Shan O'JNeil, your Majesty's subject of your realm of Ireland, have of long time desired to come into the presence of your Majesty to acknowledge my humble and bounden subjection, so am I now here upon my knees by your gracious permission, and do most humbly acknowledge your Majesty to be my sovereign lady and Queen of England, France, and Ireland ; and I do con- fess that for lack of civil education I have offended your