Page 185 - Demo

Chapter Six 185
The English Government now endeavoured to detach O’Neill’s supporters and crush him in the ield, but their endeavours failed and the failure led to a change in the policy of the Government. They now thought it advisable to conirm Shane in his possessions if he would agree to acknowledge Elizabeth as his suzerain and rule his territory in the English way.
But Shane distrusted Elizabeth’s representatives in Ireland and refused to parley with them, but, if he did, he was willing to travel to London in order to put his position to Eliza- beth in person. So, in 1562, Shane, accompanied by a train of his most experienced gal- lowglasses visited the English court. The appearance of Shane and his guard at the English court is described by an English diarist;
“He strode thro’ the court to the royal presence, between two lines of wondering English courtiers. Behind him marched his gallowglasses, their heads bare, their long hair curling down on their shoulders and clipped short in front just above the eyes. They wore a loose wide-sleeved safron-dyed tunic, and over this a short shaggy mantle lung across the shoul- ders and the English followed with as much wonderment as if they had come from China or America.”