Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 7.djvu/553

1565.] DEA TH OF a NEIL. 533, which lie assumed on the instant of his reappearance in Ulster, convinced the petty leaders that to resist him longer would only ensure their ruin. O'Donnell was- an exile in England, and there remained unsubdued in the north only the Scottish colonies of Antrim, which were soon to follow with the rest. O'Neil lay quiet through the winter. With the spring and the fine weather, when the rivers fell and the ground dried, he roused himself out of his lair, and with his galloglasse and kern, and a few hundred ' harquebussmen,' he dashed suddenly down upon the ' Redshanks,' and broke them utterly to pieces. Six or seven hundred were killed in the field ; James M'Connell and his brother Sorleboy l were taken prisoners ; and for the moment the whole colony was swept away. James M'Connell himself, badly wounded in the action, died a few months later, and Shan was left undisputed sovereign of Ulster. The facile pen of Terence Daniel was employed to communicate to the Queen this ' glorious victory/ for which ' Shan thanked God first, and next the Queen's Majesty ; affirming the same to come of her good for- tune.' 2 The English Government, weary of the ill suc- cess which had attended their own dealings with the, Scots, were disposed to regard them as a * malicious and dangerous people, who were gradually fastening on the country ; ' 3 and with some misgivings, they were inclined to accept Shan's account of himself ; while Shan, finding 1 Spelt variously Sorleboy, Sarlebos, Surlebois, and Surlyboy. The word means ' yellow-haired Charley.' - Terence Daniel to Cecil, June 24 : Irish MSS. Rolls House. 3 Opinion of Sir II. Sidney, May 20 : MS. Ibid.