Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 7.djvu/563

I566.J DEATH OF a NEIL. 543 The Deputy's first step after landing was to as- certain the immediate terms on which the dreaded chief of the North intended to stand towards him. He wrote to desire Shan to come into the Pale to see him, and Shan at first answered with an offer to meet him at Dundalk; but a letter followed in which he sub- scribed himself as Sidney's ' loving gossip to command,' the contents of which were less promising. For him- self, Shan said, he had so much affection and respect for Sir Henry, that he would gladly go to him any- where ; but certain things had happened in past years which had not been wholly forgotten. The Earl of Sussex had twice attempted to assassinate him. Had not the Earl of Kildare interfered, the Earl of Sussex, when he went to Dublin to embark for England, ' would have put a lock upon his hands, and hava carried him over as a prisoner.' His ' timorous and mistrustful people' after these experiences would not trust him any more in English hands. 1 All this was unpleasantly true, and did not diminish Sidney's difficulties. It was none the less necessary for him however to learn what he was to expect from Shan. Straining a point at the risk of offending Elizabeth, he accepted the services of StukeLy, which gave the latter an opportunity of covering part of his misdoings by an act of good service, and sent him with another gentleman to Shan's castle, ' to discover if possible what he was, and what he was like to attempt.' 2 1 Shan 0^ T eil to Sidney, February 18 : Irish MSS. Rolls House. 2 Sidney to Leicester, ij arch 5 : MS. Ibid.