ford by Dungarvan. At Arklow (21 June) alone did he meet with much resistance. Essex's new levies behaved badly under fire, and the rebels gained the upper hand in the skirmish. On 25 June Essex sent a survey of his difficulties to the queen; he pointed out that to bring the Irish to subjection by military force would be a costly and tedious operation, and advised the hunting down the priests, and the creation of a strong English party, by bribery or otherwise, among the Irish nobility.
On his return to Dublin (11 July) he tried by court-martial the officers and men who, under Sir Henry Harington, had suffered defeat by the Irish near Wicklow through cowardice (29 May). Lieutenant Pierce Walsh was ordered to be shot, and the other officers, including Harington, were sent to prison. Of the soldiers every tenth man was executed.
But Essex's fortune was fast waning. His army of sixteen thousand had dwindled to little more than four thousand—a reduction that is only partially accounted for by the garrisons assigned to captured castles in the south, and is doubtless to be chiefly attributed to disease and desertion. He had appointed his friend Southampton, still out of favour with the queen on account of his marriage, general of his horse; the lords of the council announced the queen's displeasure (10 June), and on 11 July Essex replied from Dublin, refusing to part with Southampton, and expressing himself thoroughly disheartened by Elizabeth's reprimand. The queen insisted on Southampton's removal, and Essex yielded. Opinions at home were divided as to Essex's wisdom in going south, instead of first attacking Tyrone. The queen wrote angrily to Essex ; called in question his whole policy, and bade him proceed at once against Ulster. On 30 July she informed him that she had withdrawn the permission previously granted him to return at will and to constitute another temporary governor in his absence. ` We do charge you as you tender our pleasure,' the letter concluded, `that you adventure not to come out of that kingdom by virtue of any former license whatever.'
While preparing to obey orders and march on Ulster, Essex sent Blount to attack the O'Connors and O'Mearas at Leix, and directed Sir Conyers Clifford [q. v.], governor of Connaught, to divert Tyrone's attention by attacking him from the Curlew mountains. The former movement was successful ; the latter ended in disastrous failure. On 21 Aug. the Irish council advised Essex to delay his advance. He was himself unwilling to hurry ; his troops grew dispirited, and all was at a standstill. To his friend, Sir Christopher Blunt, he freely expressed his disgust at Elizabeth's imperious behaviour, and discussed the policy of returning to England with two or three thousand soldiers. This plan he was induced to abandon, but he still entertained a vague notion of returning with `some competent number of choice men' in order to remove from the queen's councils those statesmen to whose personal hatred he attributed his critical position (Abbott, pp. 127-8). The queen renewed her complaints of his conduct, and resented the freedom with which he dispensed at Dublin the order of knighthood. Recriminations on details passed between them, and Cuffe was sent over to reason with her in vain. On 28 Aug. Essex left Dublin and fixed his camp on 3 Sept. at Ardloff. Tyrone was encamped near at hand. Some slight skirmishing followed, but Tyrone sent a messenger to beg a private interview with Essex, and declined to fight. Essex at first hesitated, but on 6 Sept. had a half-hour's conversation with Tyrone at a ford on the river Lagan, now called Anagh Clint, on the borders of the counties of Monaghan and Louth (Notes and Queries, 4th ser. viii. 346). The horse which Tyrone rode was well in the water, and Essex stood on the bank when the conversation took place. No one overheard it, and what passed is much disputed. Next day the meeting was repeated with six companions on each side (see Dymmock, `Treatise of Ireland,' in Tracts relating to Ireland, printed for Irish Archæol. Soc., i. 50-2). As a result commissioners were appointed to treat for peace, and a truce was arranged for six weeks to continue from six weeks to six weeks, till 1 May, and not to be broken without fourteen days' notice on either side ; all spoil was to be restored within twenty days ; Tyrone's chieftains were to ignore the truce at their own risk. Essex agreed that the terms were not to be committed to writing, owing to Tyrone's fear of Spain. On 9 Sept. Essex gave his word and Tyrone his oath to adhere to the truce, whereupon Essex `went himself to take physic at Drogheda'(Harington, i. 301). On 17 Sept. Essex received a passionate letter from Elizabeth, written after the news of the first interview alone had reached her. She altogether disavowed his action, and warned him at his peril against `making any absolute contract' with Tyrone `till you do particularly advise us by writing.' On 24 Sept. Essex hurriedly swore in lords justices at Dublin, and appointed Ormonde to the command of the army. On 28 Sept., accompanied by not more than six attendants, Essex arrived in London.
Travel-stained he hastened to Nonsuch,
