At first treason was not suspected, but Elizabeth was outspoken about O'Neill: "to trust this traitor upon oath is to trust a devil upon his religion". She ordered no ratification, nor pardon, without her authority; but in time she did admit the usefulness of the cessation.
At first, treason wasn't suspected, but Elizabeth strongly criticized O'Neill: "trusting this traitor with an oath is like trusting a devil with his faith."  She refused to ratify or pardon anyone without her approval; however, later on she acknowledged the benefits of the cessation.