entire freedom of religious worship, were reserved by
the Commissioners for the consideration of the Council,
with whose sanction, a few weeks afterwards, all the
Ulster chiefs, except "the Queen's O'Reilly," were formally
tried before a jury at Dublin, and condemned as traitors.

Monaghan was thrice taken and retaken in this campaign.
It was on the second return of General Norris from that
town he found himself unexpectedly in presence of O'Neil's
army, advantageously posted on the left bank of the little
stream which waters the village of Clontibret. Norris
made two attempts to force the passage, but without
success. Sir Thomas Norris, and the general himself, were
wounded; Seagrave, a gigantic Meathian cavalry officer,
was slain in a hand to hand encounter with O'Neil; the
English retreated hastily on Newry, and Monaghan was
again surrendered to the Irish. This brilliant combat at
Clontibret closed the campaign of 1595. General Norris,
who, like Sir John Moore, two centuries later, commanded
the respect, and frankly acknowledged the wrongs of the
people against whom he fought, employed the winter months
in endeavouring to effect a reconciliation between O'Neil
and the Queen's Government. He had conceived a warm and
chivalrous regard for his opponent; for he could not deny
that he had been driven to take up arms in self-defence.
At his instance a royal commission to treat with the Earl
was issued, and the latter cheerfully gave them a meeting
in an open field without the walls of Dundalk. The same
terms which he had proposed before Monaghan were repeated
in his _ultimatum_, and the Commissioners agreed to give