OF ROBERT EARL OF ESSEX. 309 



have conference with him, Tyrone would deliver his 

 eldest son in pledge for his assurance. This message 

 was delivered by Knowd to Lee, and by Lee was 

 imparted to the earl of Essex, who after this mes 

 sage employed Lee himself to Tyrone, and by his 

 negociating, whatsoever passed else, prepared and 

 disposed Tyrone to the parley. 



And this employment of Lee was a matter of 

 that guiltiness in my lord, as, being charged with it 

 at my lord keeper s only in this nature, for the mes 

 sage of Knowd was not then known, that when he 

 pretended to assail Tyrone, he had before underhand 

 agreed upon a parley, my lord utterly denied it that 

 he ever employed Lee to Tyrone at all, and turned 

 it upon Blunt, whom he afterwards required to take 

 it upon him, having before sufficiently provided for 

 the security of all parts, for he had granted both to 

 Blunt and Lee pardons of all treasons under the 

 great seal of Ireland, and so, himself disclaiming it, 

 and they being pardoned, all was safe. 



But when that Tyrone was by these means, 

 besides what others, God knows, prepared to de 

 mand a parley, now was the time for Essex to 

 acquit himself of all the queen s commandments, 

 and his own promises and undertakings for the 

 Northern journey ; and not so alone, but to have 

 the glory at the disadvantage of the year, being but 

 2,500 strong of foot, and 300 of horse, after the 

 fresh disaster of Sir Conyers Clifford, in the height 

 of the rebels pride, to set forth to assail, and then 

 that the very terror and reputation of my lord of 



