Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 7.djvu/579

 1566.] DEATH OF a NEIL. 559 Shau O'Neil finding that no help was to July. be looked for from France, and that mischief was seriously intended against him, tried a stroke of treachery. He wrote to Sidney to say that he wished to meet him, and a spot near Dundalk being chosen for a conference, he filled the woods in the neighbourhood with his people and intended to carry off the Deputy as a prize. Sir Henry was too wary to be caught. He came to the Border on the 25th of July ; but he came in sufficient strength to defend himself; Shan did not appear, and waiting till Sidney had returned to Dublin, made a sudden attempt on the 2Qth to seize Dundalk. Young Fitzwilliam, who was in command of the Eng- lish garrison there, was on the alert. The surprise failed. The Irish tried an assault but were beaten back, and eighteen heads were left behind to grin hideously over the gates. Shan himself drew back into Tyrone : to prevent a second occupation of Armagh Cathedral by an English garrison, he burnt it to the ground; and sent a swift messenger to Desmond to urge him to rise in Munster. * Now was the time or never to set upon the enemies of Ireland. If Desmond failed or turned against his country, God would avenge it on him/ 1 Had Sidney allowed himself to be forced September. into the precipitate decision which Elizabeth had urged upon him, the Geraldines would have made common cause with O'Neil. But so long as the Eng- lish Government was just, Desmond did not care to carve 1 Commendation from O'Neil to John of Desmond, September 9 : Irish MSS. Rolls House.