Confident in Burghley's support, Essex made light of opposition. The Lord Deputy he had 'ever loved and liked well of,' though the conversation of his friends at Court did not foreshadow his support. But the Queen was all smiles and promises, and advised the Earl 'to have consideration of the Irish there, which she thought had become her disobedient subjects rather because they have not been defended from the force of the Scots, than for any other cause,' and not to seek too hastily the conversion of a people who had been trained in another religion. He answered that he 'would not willingly imbrue his hands with more blood than the necessity of the cause requireth,' and that, when once the Irish had been brought to due obedience, 'they would be easily brought to be of good religion.' He was not destined to find either task particularly easy.[244]
Some of the land between Belfast Lough and Lough Neagh may have been destined as a reserve for the O'Neills. An extant paper shows how it was proposed to quarter the gentlemen adventurers, and what was kept for the Queen and the Earl:--
Glenarm, Will. Morgan of Pencoed; Red Bay, Lord Rich; Bunneygal(?), H. Knollys; Market-town (Ballycastle), several; Kenbane Castle, not appointed; Dunseverick, Mr. Champernowne; Dunluce, Mr. Kelway; Portrush, Mr. Fitton; Coleraine, the Queen; James MacHenry's cranogue at Innisloughan, reserved to keep the ford of the Bann; Ballymoney, Mr. Bourchier; Brian Carragh's cranogue on the Bann, reserved for the ford; Castle Toome, Geo. Carleton; Massereene, not assigned; Belfast, the Queen; the bottom beneath the cave having two little piles, Messrs. Barkley and Brunker; Carrickfergus, the Queen; Magee's Island and the mouth across, the Queen; Olderfleet (Larne), the Queen.
As a matter of fact, Essex never had a house of his own in Ulster.
[Sidenote: Essex sails, 1573. Gentlemen adventurers.]
Having taken leave of Elizabeth on July 19, 1573, Essex sailed from Liverpool on August 16, accompanied by Lords Rich and Darcy, and with enough men and stores to fill several vessels. They were blown down Channel, some as far as Cork, but the Earl managed to land on one of the Copeland Islands, whence he made his way to Carrickfergus: here he was joined by Lord Rich, who, having got ashore at Kilcleif, near the mouth of Lough Strangford, travelled under Maltby's escort by way of Belfast. Others were forced to the Isle of Man. A large part of the soldiers still lingered in England waiting for wine and other supplies; and Essex found himself powerless to effect anything considerable. But he put on a bold face, told Tirlogh Luineach that he was come to free the Irish from the tyranny of the Scots aliens, and that he might find grace by helping the work, but that otherwise he would waste him with fire and sword. The Earl advanced to the Bann without meeting an enemy, but the inherent disadvantage of making war by private contract soon became apparent. The Scots withdrew behind the river, and reminded Essex of the fact that he had no military authority outside the bounds of his grant.[245]