Her majesty must make up her mind to the expense, and chastise this cannibal.' He therefore demanded money that he might pay the garrison and get rid of the idle, treacherous, incorrigible soldiers which were worse than none.

Ireland, he said, would be no small loss to the English crown.

It was never so likely to be lost as then, and he would rather die than that it should be lost during his government.

The queen, however, sent money with the greatest possible reluctance, and was strangely dissatisfied with this able and faithful servant, even when his measures were attended with signal success.
[Footnote 1: Opinions of Sir H.Sidney, Irish MSS., Rolls House; Froude, p.385.] In the meantime O'Neill zealously espoused the cause of Mary Queen of Scots.

His friendship with Argyle grew closer, and he proposed that it should be cemented by a marriage.