By which occasion the Brittaines also put in a foot who discovering the state of the land to their Princes opened a gappe for Brennus the brother of Belinus to direct his course thither vvith the same Navy vvhich he had furnished to serve Signimius then King of Lyons amid the Galles in France But Brennus took small effect Before him also divers Kings of Brittaine had scope in Ireland Insomuch that Gurguntius the sonne of Beline reputed the same by lineall descent among his ovvne Dominions Notvvithstanding they never injoyed it longer then they could keepe possession perforce and often vvere they repelled and vvearyed vvith seeking after it as vvherein they found small fruite and blovves enough Lastly came the Spaniards from Biscaye conducted by foure Captaines of vvhose arryvall before I speake I must repeate their originall somevvhat farther and so give a light to the assoyling of a controversie that is vvhether the Irish came from Aegypt or from Spaine It shall appeare they came from both CAP. IX The arrivall of the Spaniards then called Iberians into Ireland IN the yeare of the World 2436. after the universall floud 780. while the children of Israell served in Aegypt Gathelus the sonne of Neale a great Lord in Greece was upon disfavour exiled the Country with a number of his faction adherents and friends The young Greeke being very wise valiant and well spoken got honourable entertainement with Pharao surnamed Amaenophis king of Aegypt and in short space reached to such a credit that he espoused the Kings base Daughter Scota whereof the Scotts are thought to be named This match bred to the King some tumult and to the young Gentle-man much envy wherefore assoone as the foresaid Amaenophis was drowned in the Red Sea the Princes of Aegypt so vexed Gathelus and his wife that they were faine to buske them withall their traine into Europe and came first to Lusitania where diverse of his people tyred with travaile would needs abide he builded there the city of Brigantia called afterwards Novium now Compostella The remnant passed with him into Ireland where the Barbarians highly honoured him for his cunning in all languages who also greatly perfected and beautified the Irish tongue taught them letters sought up their antiquities practised their youth in martiall feates after his Greeke and Aegyptian manner Finally so well he pleased them that to gratifie such a Benefactour they were content to name the Iland after him Gathelia and after his wife Scotia Truely that Scotia is the auncient appellation of Ireland all Chroniclers agree as it shal be more plaine when wee touch the Scottish pedigree A brute there is in Ireland but uncertainelie fathered that in remembrance of Pharao their good lord the Kerne pitching his Dart cryeth of courage faro faro but the learned thinke that to bee taken from the Spaniard who in his Ioco dicano exclaymeth fabo fabo The people left in the coast of Spaine founded the city of Bayon now part of Gascoigne and replenished all the shore towards Africk and the edges of Portugall Castile Galaecia towardes the sea Cantabricum well nigh 200. yeares after which time some of them began to minde another travaile because they were pestered with Inhabitants and whether they ever sped to Ireland it is unknowne at the leastwise in the raigne of Gurguntius the Brittaine then chiefe Lord of Bayon foure brethren Spaniards whereof two are noted Hiberus and Hirimon not the sonnes of Gathelus as writeth Boethius but his off-spring understanding that divers Western Ilands were empty desirous to live in ease and elbovv-room sayled Westvvard vvith a great retinue of men vvomen and babes hovering long about the Ilands Orchades in 60. great ships untill by good hap they met vvith Gurguntius then returning from the conquest of Denmarke vvho had refused to pay him the tribute vvhich Belinus his father vvan him they besought considering their vvant of victuals unable any longer to dvvell in their ships accumbred vvith carriage of vvomen children to direct further them to some place of habitation proffering to become his liege people to hold the same of him his heires for ever The King advising himselfe remembred vvith vvhat difficultie he kept the Irish in subjection conceived hope that these strangers vvould endeavor either to stub out that unruly generation or to nurture them so taking their oathes and hostages he mann'd their ships stored thē vvith victuall munition seated thē in Ireland Thus had the Brittaines an elder right to the Realme of Ireland then by the conquest of Henry the 2. vvhich title they never surceased to claime somtimes prevailed as in the dayes of King Arthur to vvhom the Irish Princes agnized their tribute and apparance made at his Parliament in urbe Legionū vvhich I take to be Westchester called of old Carleon as divers other citties vvere vvherein the Romanes placed the legions Again the Kings of Britain vvere thē Lords of the place vvhence this people came so as their vvinnings must have beene the Kings Dominion To all this when their owne free assent the dedition of other Princes lawfull conquest and prescription is adjoyned it forceth an invincible title But to prosecute our purpose Those Iberians being substantially ayded of Gurguntius enjoyed the Lands bestowed themselves foure brethren into foure parts thereof untill their pride and ambition armed two against other two Hiberus and his brother against Hirimon and his In this conflict Hirimon slew Hiberus and raigned quietly At this time the countrey was first named Ibernia as I have declared in the third Chapter The King to avoyde obloquie and slaunder purged himselfe to his subjects that neither maliciously nor contentiously but for his necessary defence and safeguard he had borne armes against his brother And to witnesse how farre he was from desire to rule alone he nominated speciall Captaines to be Kings under him of their severall Countryes reserving to himselfe but one fourth part and the portion of Meth allotted to the Monarchie for the better maintenance of his part These afterward clambered into five Kingdomes incompatible Leinster Connaght Vlster Mounster in two portions and sometimes to more by usurpations and compositions but ever one was elected the Monarch over all An hundred and thirtie chiefe Kings are reckoned of this Nation from Hirimon to Laigirus the sonne of Nealus magnus in whose time the blessed Bishop Patricius converted them to Christianity CAP. X. The comming of the Picts into Ireland NOW lived the Irish in tollerable order under their sundry Kings and applyed themselves to peace and gathering of wealth when suddainely Rodericke a Red-shank of Scythia fled thither with a small company of Galleyes and winde-driven in compassing round about the British coast were happely blowne ashore into Ireland These are the Picts a people from their cradle dissentious land-leapers mercilesse sowre and hardy being presented to the
other contained thirty and two or else for that it lieth in the midst of the land These encrochments Slanius annexed to his inheritance and Monarchy which Monarchy continued thus the space of thirty yeeres and then Slanius departed this life and was buried in a mountaine of Meth that beareth hitherto the name after him After his decease the Princes that before were subiect unto him began to gather heart stomached the matter and denied their obedience to his successour whereupon ensued continuall warre amongst them and especially about the land of Meth which strife of long time could not bee appeased yet in the space of thirty yeeres aforesaid of these brethren and their successors there were nine Kings In the neck of all these mischiefes and hurly burlies say the Irish antiquities there came a fleet of Scythians upon the coast landed their men in Ireland made claime to the land by a title of right which they pretended from their forefather Nemedus of whom mention is made before so that by partaking with the one side and the other all was in an uproare havock was made on each side with fire and sword in most miserable manner They spent themselves in pursuing one another with such outrage that they cared not what nation or what souldier they received to their aid to hold up or beat downe a side Both the one and the other sent for aid into the Ilands now called England and Scotland Orchades Hebrides c. and acquainted forrainers with their state so farre that they could never after be rid of them to wit the Britaines till in the end they yeelded unto them the upper hand as by conquests in processe of the history shall appeare Note gentle reader how that hitherto that is the yeere of the world 2828 and before the birth of Christ 1142 these North parts of the world as England Scotland Ireland with other Iles were possessed commanded and inhabited by the posterity of Iaphet and Cham the sonnes of Noah without any speciall name given to the lands or to the Commanders of them otherwise then Samothei Celtae Oceanes Neptunists and Albions although I have hitherto used the names now in ure for the plainer delivery of the history as if they had beene knowne before neither were any called Scots as Hector Boëtius would have it After the times of the former troubles which happened in Ireland upon the landing of the Scythians I finde nothing of Ireland till the dayes of Gurguntius the sonne of Belinus who began his raine according to the ordinary account anno mundi 3580 and reigned 19 yeeres over Britaine This King after his victory atchieved in Denmark for his tribute which they there had refused to pay him returning back toward Britaine met by the Iles of Orkeney with a navy of thirthy ships Stanyhurst saith 60 with men and women whose Generall was called Bartholin or Partholin in Ponticus Virunius Partolom in Flores Historiarum Partholaim in Gualter Oxoniensis Bartholome in Fabian Harding Grafton and Caxton Irlamal of whom they thinke the country to be called Ireland Gurguntius demanded of them what they were and the occasion of their travell their answer was they were Spaniards and had long beene on the seas seeking to finde some favourable Prince to assigne them a place of habitation for that their country was so populous that it could not containe them others write that for some disordered parts they were banished their country and where they found favour they would become subiects and hold of him as their soveraigne Lord. In this fleet with the Governor of Baion their Generall before named there were foure brethren of noble birth the sonnes of Milesius others say Miletus and others Milo the two chiefe of which were called Hiberus and Hermon And beside the former differences in the parents name Dowling writeth in his Irish collections that they were the sonnes of Iubal Hector Boëtius avoucheth they were the sonnes of Gathelus and Scota Stanihurst affirmeth that Scota was great or old grand-dame to Hiber and Hermon others write they were of the posteritie of Gathelus and Scota whereas Gathelus if there were any such was a Grecian and Scota an Egyptian Hiber and Hermon Spaniards see gentle Reader how these reports hang together Gurguntius being aduised by his Councell pittying their necessitie and wandring estate granted them the Iland now called Ireland to inhabite and that they should become tributaries to him and his successors the Kings of Britaine for ever For hee called to minde that the inhabitants were an unruly people and thought by this meanes to subdue them and quietly to enioy his tribute for it seemeth that the Britaine 's made claime to Ireland to which effect I reade in the Booke of Houth that Gurguntius came into Ireland and that the land many a yeare paid him truage and to other Kings of Britaine after him but as oft as they put foote in the land they got more knocks then pence saith an Irish Chronicler The King of Britaine hastening homeward gave them Pilots and safe conductors for their arivall and possession of the land Hiberus and Hermon after their arivall by the assent of all their associates divided the land betweene them the North to Hiber and the South to Hermon But ambition the mother of mischiefe would not long suffer them to enioy peace but rent their hearts with fierie dissention inflamed their mindes to desire one Soueraigne and absolute commander over the whole land they gather forces they muster their men they put on Armes and to battaile they goe in which field Hiberus was slaine though Hector Boetius write that he went into Spaine to succeed his father and Hermon became Monarch of all Ireland Hermon being thus sole ruler and governour to avoid the murmure of his people and the euill opinion in a manner of all men conceiued against him and peaceably to governe the land fell to purge himselfe and caused the occasion of the warres to be proclaimed that he bore armes against his naturall brother not of malice or desire of soveraigntie but in defence of his owne person and safety of his people and for proofe that his heart was farre from desire to rule alone he appointed certaine Captaines as Kings to command under him certaine Countries reserving unto himselfe one fourth part and the Country of Meth annexed to the Monarchie for the better maintenance of his princely estate By this meanes this Realme of Ireland in processe of time grew to five kingdomes the first Leinster on the East side or quarter called in Latine Lagenia and in Irish Cuige-Laghen The second Conaght on the west side of the kingdome called in Latine Connacia and in Irish Cuige-Chonoght The third Vlster which is the North part of Ireland named in Latine Vltonia and in Irish Cuigh-Vlladh The fourth Mounster South and South-west in Latine Momonia and in the country speech Cuige Mughan The fift and
dayes Satan with all the internall spirits sent greeting with great thankes unto the Ecclesiasticall state upon earth in dreadfull characters For that they wanting no aide in their delights from hellish places sent such a number of damned soules into the sulphureall pits through their remisnesse in life and slacknesse in preaching as in former ages had not beene seene Whosoever devised the course it forceth not greatly the matter might seeme odious if it contained no truth Finnan in Wales as my Authors report called Gwyn was born at Ardez he travelled forraigne countries came to his native soile was Bishop of Farne saith Beda baptized Penda King of Mercia consecrated Cedd Bishop of East Saxons and lyeth buried at Cuningham in Scotland called of the Britaines Kilgwinin There was also one Finan an Abbot borne in Mounster sent by Saint Brendan to Smoir now called Mons Blandina to inhabite there who came afterwards to Corcodizbue where hee was borne builded Cels and Monasteries for religious men contended with Falbe Fland King of Mounster A third Finan there was who was master of Ruadanus a great learned man and dwelt at Cluayn jarhaird in Meath Colmannus whose life Bale writeth at large was a godly learned man borne in Ireland the sonne of one Fiachra of the bloud Royall and highly commended of Beda hee was brought up after the Apostolike rules of Congellus he succeeded Finan in the Bishopricke of Farne alias Linsey In his time there was great stirre about the observation of Easter when some alledged custome and some urged the authoritie of Rome he pleaded the Gospell both against this stir and the like trouble that rose about the shaving of Priests crownes the which he reiected saith Beda and seeing that he could not prevaile forsooke his Bishopricke and went with certaine Scots and Saxons into the Hebrydes where he ended his dayes Beda writeth how that in the yeere 664. there fell strange accidents upon the eclipse of the Sunne which was the third of May in England and Ireland and a great mortalitie in both lands in the time of Finan and Colman the godly Bishops Gentle reader thou shalt heare himselfe speake The plague pressed sore that Iland of Ireland no lesse then England there were then as that time many of noble parentage and likewise of the meane sort of English birth in the dayes of Finan and Colman the Bishops who leaving their native soile had repaired thither either for divine literature or for more continencie of life whereof some immediately gave themselves to monasticall conversation others frequenting the Cels gave diligent eare to the lectures of the readers All which the Scots he meaneth the Irish men with most willing minde daily relieved and that freely yeelding unto them bookes to reade and masterly care without hire Among these there were two young men of great towardnesse of the Nobles of England Edelthun and Egbert the first was brother to Edilhun a man beloved of God who formerly had visited Ireland for learnings sake and being well instructed returned into his country was made Bishop of Lindisfarne and for a long time governed the Church with great discretion These men being of the monasterie of Rathmelfig and all their fellowes by the mortalitie either cut off or dispersed abroad were both visited with the sicknesse and to make short that which mine Author layeth downe at large Edelthun died thereof and Egbert lived untill he was fourescore and tenne yeeres old So farre Beda There was another Colmannus otherwise called Colmanellus an Abbot of the sept of the Neilles borne in Hoichle in Meth what time the King of Leinster with an huge armie wasted the North he became first Abbot of Conor in Vlster where the godly Bishop Mac Cnessey resteth From thence he came to the place where he was born and there saith his Legend he met with Eadus the sonne of Aimireach a King of Ireland Edus Flan a Lord of that country of the sept of the Neills his kinsman Saint Columba Cylle and Saint Cannicus the Abbot who received him ioyfully Edus Flan gave him a parcell of land to build upon and to inhabit called Fyd Elo afterwards called Colmans Elo where hee founded a Monasterie and now resteth himselfe Carantocus in the martyrologe Cartak was the sonne of Keredicus a King of Ireland a good Preacher the Irish called him Ceruagh his mother was a Britaine and was delivered of him in Wales Hee travailed over Ireland and Britaine King Arthur is said to have honoured him greatly and gave him a parcell of land where he builded a Church In his latter dayes he came to Ireland and died in a towne called after his name Chervac So much Capgrave There was another of that name an Abbot in France of whom Ionas maketh mention in the life of Columbanus but not of Irish birth Now to intermit a while from speaking of these learned men I finde that Aurelius Conanus who slue Constantine that succeeded King Arthur and raigned in his stead thirty three yeeres valiantly by force of Armes brought under his command as Gualterus Oxoniensis writeth Norwey Denmarke Ireland Island Gothland the Orchades and Ocean Ilands I finde also that Malgo the nephew of this Conanus who as it is in the English history succeeded Vortipore vanquished the Irish Pictes or Scots which the Britaines called y Gwydhil Pictiard which had over-runne the Isle of Man of them called Tyr Mon and slue Serigi their King with his owne hand at Llany Gwydhil that is the Irish Church at Holy-head so write Sir Iohn Price Knight and Humfry Lloyd in the description of Cambria Florilegus saith that he subdued sixe Ilands of the Ocean adioyning unto him which Harding thus reckoneth And conquered wholy the Isle of Orkenay Ireland Denmarke Iselond and eke Norway And Gotland also obeyed his royaltie He was so wise full of fortunitie When Careticus was King of Britaine who began his raigne Anno Dom. 586. the Saxons intending to make a full conquest of the land called to their aide for a number of Pirates and sea rovers that were mighty and strong and scoured the Seas and the Ilands whose Captaine was Gurmundus one calleth him an African Fabian writeth that he had two names and was called Gurmundus and Africanus howsoever I finde that hee was the King of Norweys sonne and for his successe in England referre the reader to that historie and for his behaviour in Ireland I will acquaint the courteous reader with what I finde in which the Writers noâ— not agree Cambrensis and Polycronicon followed bad presidents and were deceived Stanihurst stammereth writing one thing in English another thing in Latine the best record I finde is in Thadie Dowlinge Chancellour of Leighlin and Iames Grace of Kilkenny They write that Gurmund was in Ireland but no King or Conquerour that with strong hand he entred Leinster like a raging
after Bishop of Iuvaviens the name of which Bishopricke hee procured to bee changed and called it the Bishops See of Salisburgh where he builded a sumptuous Cathedrall Church and was the first founder thereof In his time one Boniface an English man and the Popes Legate in Germany tooke upon him to rebaptize contrary to the Canons of the Church such as had beene as hee thought formerly not rightly baptized Virgilius having had conference with Sydonius Archbishop of Bavaria opposed himselfe against him The matter came to hearing before Pope Zacharie who gave sentence that Virgilius was in the right and Boniface his Legate for all his great authority in the wrong opinion Hee prudently governed his Church some thirty yeeres and gave place to nature So farre Bale out of Gaspar Bruschius Learned Camden alledgeth out of Rhegino that in the time of Carolus magnus which must needs bee about the yeere 767. certaine Norwegians or Normans entred Ireland and were repulsed and further of them I have not read but in the British Chronicle of Caradoc Llancarvan I finde that Anno 799. the Danes came into England and destroyed a great part of Lindsey and Northumberland over-ranne the most part of Ireland and destroyed Rechreyn The accidents of the eight hundreth yeere after Christ now follow And first of all Functius offereth occasion to write how that Anno 820. Regnerus King of Denmarke invaded Britaine and how that his prosperous successes in Britaine Scotland and the Orchades puffed him up and emboldned him so much that he passed into Ireland slue the King of the land tooke the Citie of Dublin where hee remained an whole yeere and then returned to Denmarke Next commeth Turgesius his time to bee examined who was of Norwey and came with great power of Esterlings into Ireland vanquished King Edlumding or Edlimidus or in Irish Felim Mac Edmund and raigned thirty yeeres Here gentle reader observe certain errours or escapes whether of ignorance wilfulnesse or negligence I know not the which I finde betweene Cambrensis Polychronicon Fabian and others touching Gurmund and Turgesius First that Gurmund and Turgesius should be one man the end of them both by a generall consent of Writers reproveth that for Gurmund dyed in France and Turgesius was slaine in Ireland Secondly whereat Giraldus marvaileth how that the Antiquaries of England make mention of Gurmund but nothing of Turgesius and that the Writers of Ireland speake of Turgesius but little or nothing of Gurmund so that Turgesius by reason of his raigne and continuance was knowne unto them and Gurmund if he were here made small abode as I have formerly written and therefore became a man unknowne Thirdly that Turgesius should be Gurmunds deputie in Ireland or his brother as I reade in Fabian cannot possibly stand with the truth for on all sides it is agreed that Gurmund came to Britaine and ioyned with the Saxons against Careticus who began his raigne in Britaine anno 586. but as saith Cambrensis Turgesius Captaine of the Norwegians Danes or Esterlings came to Ireland in the daies of Fedlimidius which was 400. yeeres from the comming of the first Patricke into the land in the which time there had raigned thirty three Kings or Monarchs then this knot with facilitie may be untied for Patricke came to Ireland as I have formerly delivered An. 432. adde 400. to it then Turgesius came to Ireland Anno 832. But forward with the history When these Norwegians or Esterlings had got footing in the land to their content and planted themselves the space of thirty yeeres they builded Castles Fortes and Wardes they cast up Trenches Bankes and Ditches for safegard and refuge Toward the end of the terme before mentioned Turgesius was enamoured on a faire Gentlewoman the onely daughter of Omalaghlin King of Meth and desired her for his Concubine he practised with the father for obtaining of his purpose the father not willing to yeeld nor daring to displease resolved him thus Appoint the day the houre and the place and sequester your selfe from your Court and retinue and I will send my daughter unto you with twelve or sixteene Gentlewomen of the choice and beautifullest maidens of my country and take your choice of them if my daughter please you best she is at your command When the time appointed came and the Lecher longed to satisfie his filthy lust Omalaghlin attired his daughter in princely sort and sent her to King Turgesius with sixteene young men in womens attire which had long Skeines under their Mantles These young springals were faire beautifull effeminate and amiable to look upon they were brought to his chamber and presented before him he taketh the Gentlewoman by the middle and kisseth her the Striplings out with their Skeines and stabbed him having the Lady in his armes whereof he presently dyed whilst they fell upon a few loose and dissolute persons that were about him whom they killed every one Omalaghlin that lay in ambush all this while with certaine horsemen expecting the end of this exploit reioyced greatly when hee saw his daughter and her company make so speedy a returne and understanding that his practise was effected as he desired sent Scoutes and Cursitors Messengers and horses over the whole land declaring what had happened Immediately Meth and all Leinster are in Armes the Princes and Lords from euery place throughout Ireland repaired to Omalaghlin and being glad of liberty reioyced with him at the destruction of Turgesius and his Guard To make the story short for they made short worke with it they set upon the Norwegians and Danes killed them every mothers sonne that escaped not by flight seized upon all their possessions so as together with their lives they lost all their lands and goods and saith the Irish Chronicle tunc cepit conquestus Hibernicorum Then the Irish began to conquer This Omalaghlin King of Meath being in great trust credite and favour with Turgesius no man greater at that time demanded of him concealing the plot that lay hidden in his heart against the Norwegians by what meanes certaine ravenous and pestiferous fowle hee meant the Norwegians lately brought into the land which greatly annoyed the country might be destroyed Turgesius answered if they breed destroy their egges birds and nests which answer the Irish made good upon the Norwegians Not long after saith Cambrensis and Polychronicon after what They meane after the murthering of Turgesius and rooting out of all the Norwegians and Esterlings there came againe out of Norway and the Northerne Ilands as remnants of the former nation and whether they knew of themselves or by relation of their Parents and Ancestours the land to be fruitfull commodious thither they came not in warlike sort but in peaceable manner to use the trade of merchandise when they had entred certaine Ports and Havens of Ireland with the licence of the Princes of the land they builded therein divers Cities For the Irish nation they
betweene the King of Mounster and his Brother wherein the King was overmatched and fled into England visited Malchus in his Abbey and would at no hand be said nay but so long as it should please God to afflict him he would live there under his governement and ensue his conversation he contented himselfe with a poore Cell used dayly a cold bathe to represse the wantonnesse of his flesh dieted himselfe with none other fare then bread water and salt passed dayes and nights in sobbing and remorse of sinne At length the Kings and Nobles of Ireland began to stomacke the usurper vanquished him called home the good King to his right who with many perswasions of Malchus and Malachias could scarcely be gotten to forsake ghostly company trade of life CAP. XV. The most noble events in Ireland betweene the time of Saint Patricke and the conquest under Henry the 2. IN the yeare of Christ 586. the people of Norway were Lordes and victours of the Ilandes in the West Ocean called Orchades and great scowrers of the seas A nation desperate in attempting the conquest of other Realmes as being sure to finde warmer dwelling any where then at their owne home These fellowes lighted into Ireland by this meanes Careticus King of Brittaine odious to his subjects fell with them at civill warre Ioyfull was the newes hereof to the Saxons who then in the six severall kingdomes possessed the Iland sundry wayes so they laide together their force associated to them Gurmondus a Rover out of Norway who having a navy still in a readinesse and an army thereafter furnished holpe the Saxons to hunt the Brittaines into the marches of Wales builded the towne of Gormond-chester and then having holpen the Saxons made a voyage into Ireland where he sped but meanely and therefore the Irish account not this for any of their conquests as some of their antiquities have informed me The same Gurmondus finding hard successe did but build a few slight castles and trenches in the frontiers and then leaving the land got him home into France where he was finally slaine him our Chonicles name King of Ireland But the Irish affirme that before Turgesius no Easterlings obtained a Kingdome Here Cambrensis to salve the contradiction thinketh Gurmundus to have conquered the land by Turgesius his Deputy sent thither at his provision which answere breedeth a contrariety more incurable for himself numbreth betweene Laigirius King of Ireland in an 430. and â—edlemidius whom Turgesius vanquished Monarches 33. and yeares 400. so that Turgesius lived in an 830. and could not possibly deale with Gurmondus who joyned with the Saxons against Careticu in Anno 586. This knot might be untwyned with more facility Gurmondus made much of that little he caught and wrote himselfe King which Title our Histories doe allow him because he opened a gappe enjoyed it for a while and brake a way for his Countreymen Turgesius brought this attempt to perfection and in these respects each of them may be called first King and Conqueror Secondly therefore Turgesius with his Normans assaulted Ireland sustained losse and many overthrowes but in the end fastening his power to the sea coasts and receiving in his friends at will he subdued the land through and through ever as he went building up Castles and fortresses vvherevvith the Irish had not beene yet acquainted for hitherto they knevv no fence but vvoods or bogges or strokes Turgesius bridled the Kings and avved them so that vvithout interruption he raigned thirty yeares cryed havocke spoile vvhere any vvealth vvas heaped spared neither Lay nor Clergy nor Church nor Chappell but very insolently abused his victory O-malaghlien king of Meth vvas in some trust vvith the Tyrant his onely Daughter Turgesius craved for his concubine The father having a present vvitt and vvatching some subtle oportunities Saving your fancie my Lord quoth hee there are diverse Ladies of my bloud svveeter bed-fellovves for a king then that brovvne girle and then he began to count neeces and cousins a number forsooth endovved vvith angell-like beauties painted so lively vvith his Tale that the Tyrant doted already upon them ere hee savv them But ever he doubted lest O-malaghlien extolled them to exempt his ovvne and the vvise father cloaked his drift vvith modestie in ansvveres and lingering his graunt to enflame the leachers folly as hee that vvould any thing to bee suspected rather then his thought indeed And at the last vvhen the other tooke his delay somevvhat unkindely and bade his Queene speake to him If I said quoth hee that vvith my very goodvvill my sole daughter should bee sent to you to bee deflovvred your high vvisedome would guesse I did but faine and flatter and yet if ten daughters were deerer unto me then your good pleasure and contentation by whose bounty both she I and we all are supported I were unworthie the secret friendship wherein it lyeth in you to use mee As for the wench it will in part seeme honourable to bee asked to the bed of such a Prince seeing Queenes have not sticked to come from farre and prostrate their bodies to noble Conquerours in hope of issue by them and howsoever it bee taken time will redeeme it But such a friend as you are to mee and mine neither I nor mine shall live to see and I purpose not to offend your amity with saving a greater mater then twenty maiden-heads seeing fathers have not sticked to yeeld their owne wives to quench the loves and lustes of their sonnes Therefore I am thus agreed name you the day and place sever your selfe from the open eye of your Court conferre with those that have a curious insight and skill in beauties I will send you my daughter and with her the choice of twelve or sixteene gentlewomen the meanest whereof may bee an Empresse in comparison when all are before you make your game at will and then if my childe shall please your fancie shee is not too good to be at your commandement Onely my request is that if any other presume upon your leavings your Majestie will remember whose fathers childe shee is This liberall proffer was accepted of him whose desire was insatiable with many faire promises and thankes To bee short the same day O-malaghlien attired Prince-like his owne Daughter and with her sixteene beautifull striplings which presented to the King in his privy Chamber accompanied onely with certaine wantons of the Nobility drew foorth from under their woman-like garments their skeanes and valiantly bestirred themselves stabbing first the Tyrant next the youth present that prepared but small resistance surely sitt mates to supply the office they tooke in hand of Paris not of Hector Out flew the fame thereof into all quarters of Ireland and the Princes nothing dull to catche holde of such advantage vvith one assent rose ready to pursue their liberty All Meth and Leinster vvere soone gathered to O-malaghlien the father of this practise
Church a Sanctuary for their Corne and in neede to take thereof at reasonable prices Little good did Fitz Aldelin and lesse vvas like to doe because hee delighted to crosse his Peeres and vvas of them stopped in his course of government Hugh de Lacye vvas made Protector generall over the Land But Miles Cogan Philip de Bruise Fitz Stephens Power and diverse other more preferred to severall countreyes under him This Lacye builded a sort of castles and forts throughout all Leinster and Meth and the next sixe yeares continually devout gentlemen erected sundry Abbeyes as the Abbey of Roseglasse of Donbrothy by Hervy a Welchman one of the speciall conquerours of Ireland vvho himself after that entred into religion in Trinity Priory at Canterbury The Abbeyes of Geripont and Choro Benedicti the Abbey de lege Dei vvith repayring of many Chappels Chauncells Bell-houses High-vvayes and Bridges Then dyed Saint Laurence Archbishop of Divelin to vvhom succeeded Iohn Comyn an Englishman brought up in the Abbey of Evesham Founder of Saint Patrickes in Divelin vvhich vvas before that time a Parish Church novv by the said Archbishop endovved vvith Prebends Viccars Clearkes Chorists and many notable possessions for their maintenance vvhereout from time to time have proceeded Clergy-men of greatest learning reputation in the Diocese Divers contentions were raised betwixt Christs Church and it for antiquity wherein they of S. Patrickes are no doubt inferiour as shall appeare They are both written Cathedrall Churches and both are the Bishops Chapiter in vvhose election they both ought to convent within the Church of the blessed Trinity called Christs Church which in all records hath the preheminency of place The party that disturbeth this order of election forfeiteth by deede to th'Archbishop of Divelin 200. pounds This foundation was much enriched by King Iohn The same yeare died the yong King Henry reconciled to his father but preparing warre against his brother Richard Duke of Aquitain soon after also deceased Ieffry his other son Duke of Brittaine Thus were left Richard his inheritour and Iohn afterwards Earle of Glocester heretofore surnamed without land to whom the father conveyed all his interest and Lordship of Ireland sent him thither honourably accompanied being then but twelue yeares old and with him in speciall trust Giraldus Cambrensis Clerke a diligent searcher of the antiquities of Ireland surely well learned and in those dayes counted Eloquent About the young Earle were servants and counsellours three sorts first Normans great quaffers lourdens proud belly swaines fed with extortion and bribery to whom hee most relyed secondly the English brought with him meetly bold Thirdly the English found in the land whom being best worthy and most forward in all good services hee least regarded hereof sprang parties and disdaine and to the knights that hardiest were and readiest of courage no small discomfort to the enemies a spurre With the brute of his arrivall at Waterford the Kings of Thomond Desmond and Connaght put themselves in the bravest manner they could to meete him and to submit their countries to his Grace before them came the Irish Franklyns with rich presents and as they are very kind hearted where they list to shew obedience made unto the Childe their Lord the most joy and gladnesse that might be and though rudely yet lovingly and after the custome of their country offred to kisse him with such familiarity as they used towards their Princes at home Two of the Guard Normans pick-thankes shooke and tare the Clownes by the glibs beards unmannerly and churlishly thrust them out of the presence whom they should have instructed curteously born with The Irish thus rejected went against the fore-named Kings opened the rebukes and villanyes done to them for their meekenes that their Lord whom they thought to honour was but a Boy peevish and insolent governed by a sort of flatterers younglings and prowlers That sithence to them that buxome were and tractable such despite and dishonour that terme they have borrowed of the Spaniards was proffered so soone little good should the states of Ireland looke for in continuance when the English had once yoked and penned them in their clouches This report lightly alienated the mindes of those Princes not yet very resolute and turned them home with great oathes and leagues entred among themselves caused also the mightiest Captaines elsewhere to sticke together while their lives lasted and for no manner earthly thing to slacke the defence of their auncient liberties Immediately walked abroad mutinyes of broyle commotion so that the young Earle and his army were content to commit the tryall thereof to Lacy Bruise Courcy Fitz Gerald and the rest himselfe departing away the same yeare he came and leaving the Realme a great deale worse bestedde then he found it From the Conquest hitherto Giraldus Cambrensis and from hence to the yeare 1370. I am specially holpen by certaine briefe extracts whose author is namelesse and therefore I quote him by the name of Philip Flatsbury who wrote them and enriched them with collections of his owne for Gerald the father of the Earle of Kildare then being An. 1517. Lacy the rather for these whisperings did erect and edifie a number of Castles well and substantially provided in convenient places one at Derwath vvhere diverse Irish prayed to be set on worke for hyre Sundry times came Lacy to quicken his labourers full glad to see them fall in ure with any such exercise wherein might they once be grounded taste the svvetenesse of a true mans life he thought it no small token of reformation to be hoped for which cause he visited them often and merrily would command his Gentlemen to give the labourers example in taking paines to take their instruments in hand and to worke a season the poore soules looking on and resting But this game ended Tragically while each man was busie to try his cunning some lading some plaistering some heaving some carving the Generall also himselfe digging with a pykeaxe a desperate villaine of them he whose toole the Generall used espying both his hands occupied and his body with all force inclining to the blow watched his stoope and clove his head with an axe little esteeming the torments that ensued This Lacy was conquerour of Meth his body the two Archbishops Iohn of Divelin and Mathew of Cashell buryed in the monastery of of Becktye his head in S. Thomas abbey at Divelin The next yeare was builded the abbey of Ines in Vlster and soone after the abbeyes of Iugo Dei and of Comer and then the abbey of Knockmoy or de Colle victoriae by Cathel Cronderg King of Connaght CAP. II. The Titles of the Crowne of England to every part of Ireland and to the whole diverse wayes I Will begin with the pedigree of VVilliam Earle marshall for thereupon depend many recordes in Ireland and the Queenes
time of Augustus Caesar a little before the birth of our Saviour Fridelenus King of Denmarke puffed vp with pride through some fortunate successes arrived in Ireland laid siege to the Citie of Dublin and finding it not so easie a matter to atchieue fell to policie he caught certaine Swallowes that bred in the Citie tyed fire to their wings who flying to their nests fired the houses while the Citizens endevoured to quence the fire the Danes entred the Citie and wâ—nne it The King of Leinster after this gathered forces and gave the Danes battaile in which many fell on both sides Fredelnus seeing the enemy increase and his armie decrease fled the land and retired into his country His sonne Frotho the third of that name King of Danes so Albertus Krantzius and Saxo Grammaticus record wantonly assailed the Britaines lustrans magis insulam quam subigens rather taking a view of the Iland then subduing it afterward relinquishing that course put foot in Ireland The historiographers of that side report hardly of the land and the inhabitants thereof and in fine they write when Cepo the Irish King was overthrowne and put to flight his brother Kervill saith Saxo I take it to be O Carroll offered tribute wherewith the Danes being pacified returned to their Country This Frotho peopled the Orchades with Danes and appointed Revillus their commander Whilst this Frotho King of Danes was Monarch of Ireland the light of the world the comfort of all Christians IESVS CHRIST the sonne of GOD was borne in the flesh About the 44. yeere after the incarnation of our Lord Claudius the Emperour having appeased the troubles of Britaine by the aide of Arviragus as Mathew Westmonasteriensis saith subdued Orchades Hebrides Thule and all the Ocean Ilands among the which Ireland is reckoned the which Beda and Eutropius haue likewise remembred But Fabian Grafton Holinshed and Ponticus Virunius say further that he sent certaine legions of Knights into Ireland to subdue the same what successe they had is not recorded a legion consisting of 6666. as ancient Writers record no doubt they performed some great exploit Learned Camden writeth of the Brigantes the inhabitants of Yorkeshire Lancashire the Bishopricke of Durham Westmerland and Cumberland were so called how that in the time of Claudius as I take it many of them went to end their dayes in Ireland and of old were called the Brigantes of Ireland His words are these Quod verò Florianus Del Campo Hispanus nostros Brigantes c. Whereas Florianus Del-Campo the Spaniard hath somewhat arrogantly derived our Brigantes from Spaine into Ireland and thence into Britaine being aided by no other conjecture but that he found in his Country of Spaine the Citie Brigantia I feare mee hee hath fouly deceived himselfe For if the like cause have not given ours and the Brigantes of Ireland the same name I had rather be of opinion with my most learned friend Thomas Savill namely that certaine Brigantes and other nations of Britaine also even from the comming of the Romans into Britaine departed into Ireland some for quietnesse sake and to liue at ease some for that their eyes should not be infected with the sight of the Roman dominion and last of all others lest in their latter age they should willingly seeme to lose the libertie which from nature they had received in their youth And that Claudius the Emperour first of any Romane tooke the Brigantes in hand and subjected them to his Empire and command Seneca sheweth in these his verses ........ Ille Britannos Vltra noli littora ponti caeruleos Scuta Brigantes dare Romulaeis colla catenis Iussit ......... The Britaines farre from knowne seas and Brigantes Bucklers blue The Roman Claude to Roman becke did bring and rebels slue Claudius hauing effected all his affaires as formerly hath been delivered returned to Rome then saith Gualter Oxon. Omnia regna Arvirago tradidit he delivered all these kingdomes to Arviragus He committed them al to his charge saith Ponticus Virunius In Matthew Westmonsteriensis I reade regimen insulare Arvirago cessit the command of the Ilands fell to Arviragus Harding hath delivered it in verse Orchades Isles in the meane time he conquered In which he infeoffed the King and him preferred About this time Frotho the fourth of that name King of Danes some 30. yeeres after the former invasion saith mine Author sent great power of Giants out of Denmarke under the leading of bloudy Haco and the great challenger and huge monster Starcuterus to invade Ireland The occasion was as followeth Starcuterus before mentioned being borne farre in the East by reason of shipwracke having lost both his ship and fellowes was cast upon the coast of Denmarke and hearing of the fame of Frotho came to his Court This Giant was greatly admired for stature and strength of body Frotho commanded a great navie to be in a readinesse with all manner of necessary provision made him an arch-pirate and turned him to the Sea to seeke adventures They touched many lands and fought with many Giants at length saith mine Author that no Country though never so remote should bee freed from the smart of Danish forces they arived in Ireland Huglet King of Ireland gave them battaile in the which Huglet was slaine and all the Irish put to flight And yet mine Author though a Dane highly commendeth two Irish Lords Segathus and Suibdanus the one wounded Haco the other gave Starcuterus such a blow that he stood a great while amazed and had beene slaine had he not beene rescued The battaile being ended the Danes tooke Dufflinian Dublin ransacked it and found great store of treasure and some of them remained in the land the rest returned to Denmarke Starcuterus went into forraigne countries to combat with Giants In the time of Arviragus before mentioned I finde the greatest probability of the first comming of the Pictes out of Scythia first into Ireland secondly into Albania now called Scotland and lastly into the North of England And whereas before page 3. I made mention of the arivall of Scythians Nemedus and his foure sonnes and after them of five brethren of their posteritie and the third time of another fleete of Scythians that arived in Ireland and that also by many antiquities it appeareth that the Scots be Scythians and came out of those parts whence these Pictes brake forth I purpose now to make a more full discourse of that businesse Camden modestly confesseth he knoweth not when they came first into these parts neither doe I mislike with his conjecture that they should be old Britaines who painted themselves to shew more terrible against the Romanes yet we must confesse that there are many nations of severall names in Scythia and Polychronicon together with Rastall saith that the Gothes and Pictes be one nation The etymologie I finde in the storie of the Gothes Scythia in the Gothicke tongue
by Buchanan Scoti Albanenses and Scoti Hibernenses the first he challengeth for Scotland the second he referreth to Ireland and therefore I accept of him as granted He was a Kings sonne of Ireland excellently studied in Philosophie earnestly addicted to the ecclesiasticall course of life and to the end he might plant religion and spreade abroad christianitie enterprised a voyage farre from his native soile This holy man first of all taught here and there throughout France he came to Poitiers and became father of the Monkes of Saint Hilarie and with the aide of King Clodovarus erected a stately Monasterie the like he did at Mosella in Flanders upon the top of the mount Vosagius at Argentine Curia Rhetiorum and elsewhere throughout Burgundie Lastly he came to Angia Seckingensis upon the Rhene to the end he might there also build a Cell after many godly Sermons and learned Interpretations he is said to have written a Booke of exhortations unto the sacred Virgins He flourished in the yeere 495. and resteth in the Monasterie of Seckinge before spoken of Ireland remembreth the feast of Saint Fekin that hee was of the Kings bloud and an Abbot cured many of the flixe or fluxe and dyed thereof himselfe Many things are written of Saint Modwen whom the Britaines call Mawdwen the daughter of Naughtheus the Irish King who heard Saint Patricke preach and of her companions Orbila Luge Edith Athea Lazara Sith whom the Irish call Osith Osmanna and of Brigid spoken of before whereof some began with Patricke and ended with him some began with him and lived many yeeres after as Capgrave writeth in the life of Modwen to the time of the Bishop Collumkill otherwise called Colme and Columba and the Eremite Abbot or Bishop Kevin Saint Modwen was a Nunne lived 130. yeeres The Irish Scots and English in which countries she had travailed strove for her corps at length Columkill the Bishop gave sentence for England where shee resteth at Andreisey Bale writeth how that one Galfride Abbot of Burton upon Trent in the time of King Iohn wrote the life and memorable acts of this Irish Virgin Modwen unto the posterity with great applause Capgrave writeth the life of Saint Sith otherwise called Osith that was brought up under Modwen that she was a Kings daughter and borne in England Leppeloo the Carthusian and other forraigne Writers say little of her saving that the Danes being Heathens cut off her head and that shee tooke her head in her armes carried it uprightly three furlongs off knockt at the Church doore being lockt with her bloudy hands and there fell downe The Martyrologe of Sarum confoundeth Dorothy and Saint Sith thus the 15. of Ianuarie the feast of Saint Dorothie otherwise called Saint Sith is kept in Ireland who refused marriage fled into a Monasterie where the devill appeared unto her and there mine Author left her Of Osmanna the Virgin I finde little saving what Capgrave reporteth that she was of the bloud royall in Ireland and having infidels to her parents fled into France dwelled upon the banke of Loire the river of Lions and there in peace ended her dayes I read that about this time one Tathe the sonne of an Irish King forsooke his fathers possessions went to the Diocesse of Landaffe in Wales and became a Monke builded a Monasterie and there left his bones Gualterus Calenius Archdeacon of Oxford Caxton and others doe write that Aurelius Ambrosius after his valiant exploits and noble victories went to a Monasterie neere Cair-caredoch now called Salisburie where through the treason of Hengist which the Britaines call Toill y Killill Hirion the treason of the long knives the Nobles and Princes of Britaine were slaine and buried called his Councell and demanded what monument were meete to be made there in remembrance of so many Nobles of the land there resting in the dust of the earth Carpenters Masons Carvers Ingravers and Tombe-makers being out of all places sent for came thither delivered their opinions but concluded nothing Then stepped forth a Bishop which said O King if it may stand with your pleasure there is one Merlin of Worcester a Prophet a searcher of Antiquities a man of rare gifts I wish his opinion in the matter Merlin came and being advised said as followeth Most Noble King upon occasion offered I went lately into Ireland and having ended my businesse I was inquisitive of antiquities and sight of monuments where among other things being brought to a mountaine of Kildare I saw so rare a sight in so rude a country as might bee seene there was a round row of huge stones the which none of this age had so framed neither could be unlesse Art had mastered the common skill of man send for them and set them vp as they are there couched and they will bee a monument whilst the world standeth Hereat the King smiled and said how shall we convey so great stones into Britaine from so farre a countrey and to what end as though Britaine yeelded not as good stones to all purposes Merlin replied be not displeased O King there is a hid mystery in those stones they are medicinable and as I was given to understand in Ireland the Gyants of old dwelling in that land procured them from the farthest part of Affricke and pitched them there in them they bathed themselves and were rid of their infirmities The Britaines hearing this were perswaded to send for them the King appointed his brother Vter-Pendragon with Merlin and fifteene thousand men to effect the businesse In a short time they arrived in Ireland Gillomer King of Leinster raised an Armie to resist them and reviled the Britaines saying what fooles and asses are you are the Irish better then the British stones and turning himselfe to his Armie said come on quit your selves like men keepe your monuments and defend your country Vter-Pendragon seeing this animated his company they met and manfully encountred in the end Gillomer fled and the Irish were discomfited Vter-Pendragon marched on they came by Merlins direction to the place and beholding the hugenesse of the stones they wondred yet they joyed that they had found them To worke they went some with Ropes some with Wythes some with Ladders and carried them away brought them to Britaine and pitched them in the Plaine of Salisburie which place is now called Stonehenge Beside this there are divers monuments of Gyants in Ireland as at Dundalke Louth Ardee and on the hilles not farre from the Naas the like Saxo Grammaticus reporteth of the Danes a nation famous for Gyants and mighty men and this saith he the great and huge stones laid of old upon Caves and Tombes of the dead doe declare About this time Passent the sonne of Vortiger that fled into Germany for aide arrived in the North parts Aurelius Ambrosius met him and put him to flight Passent came into Ireland delivered his griefe unto Gillomer King of
Leinster craved him to extend his Princely favour toward him Gillomer on the other side complained of the wrong done him by Vter-Pendragon and the Britaines namely how they had slaine his subiects wasted his country and carried away his rare monuments concluding that hee was willing of himselfe to be revenged of them much more finding this opportunitie Caxton saith he came with fifteene thousand Irish to aide Passent against the Britaines the Armie was great for with Passent came Germans Irish and Saxons and arrived at Menevia now called Saint Davids at which time Aurelius Ambrosius being sicke of poyson by the procurement of Passent of which he died Vter-Pendragon was appointed Generall of the field met with the invaders fought a bloudy battaile where many fell on both sides and in the end slue Passent and Gillomer and ouerthrew the Germans Irish and Saxons and was crowned King of England I doe finde in Antiquaries together with Florilegus Fabian Caxton Holinshed and Fleminge men of great iudgement that the Pictes and Scots in the dayes of King Arthur who succeeded his father Vter-Pendragon ioyned with the Saxons and drew to their aide Gillomer second of that name King of Ireland so that Arthur sent for Howell his sisters sonne King of little Britaine in France who came with fifteene thousand fighting men and ioyning forces with Arthur foyled the Pictes Scots and Saxons vanquished the Irish King and chaced him into Ireland and the yeere following viz. five hundred twenty and five in revenge of the former aide hee came into Ireland offered King Gillomer battaile hee then being Monarch of Ireland as Caxton and the book of Houth record assembled the Princes and Nobles of the land and it is said that King Anguish came to the field with five thousand horse but Arthur constrained them to yeeld and to acknowledge by doing their fealtie to hold the Realme of Ireland of him Whereof Harding saith The somner next Arthur went to Ireland With battaile sore forefoughten y conquered And of the King had homage of that land To hold of him so was he of him feared And also gate as Chronicles have us lered Denmarke Friseland Gâ—tland and Norwey Iseland Groenland the Isle of Man and Orkney The booke of Houth recordeth that anno Dom. 519. Arthur summoned to a speciall feast of solemnitie of the round Table Gillomer the Monarch of Ireland and King Anguish with the Princes and Nobles of the land where they continued during the whole time of the solemnitie In which triumph it is recorded that Garret King of Orkeney sonne to King Lotho and nephew to Arthur being one of King Arthurs Knights together with his two brethren performed most valiant exploits encountred with Anguish King of Ireland Goranus King of Scotland Cador Duke of Cornewall and with other Princes and wanne great honour This Anguish claimed tribute from Marke King of Cornewall that formerly was wonne by combate and sent Morogh whom Caxton calleth Marhaus the Queene of Leinsters brother who was also one of King Arthurs Knights to demand it he was a valiant Gentleman often tryed and ever quitted himselfe with honour The Frenchmen calleth him Le Morhoult d'Ireland and a Citizen of London thus blazoneth his Armes In silver shield on fesse of peeces five throughout the same He bare a Lyon Rampant red and arme greene whose name Might seeme to signifie in truth each mighty enterprise A prey most fit for his courage as is the Irish guise Marke King of Cornewall denieth the tribute offereth the combate and Sir Tristram undertaketh it for him Morogh for himselfe pleaded that he was to encounter with none unlesse he were a King or Queene a Prince or Princesse sonne the circumstances being considered and agreed upon the combatants meete and fiercly fight the battaile was a long time doubtfull in the end Sir Tristram gave Sir Morogh with his sword a sore blow that a piece of the edge stucke in his scull whereupon the combate ended Morogh returned into Ireland and shortly after died of the wound This doth Caxton and the booke of Houth deliver at large But I may not end thus with Sir Tristram he also was sore wounded with a Speare whose head was venomed and could not be cured untill that by counsaile he repaired to the country where the venome had beene confected Whereupon he came to Ireland and to King Anguish his Court and having great skill upon the Harpe he recreated himselfe delighted the house and fell in loue with La Bell Isod the Kings daughter and she with him In processe of time the Queene had learned that he had given her brother Morogh his deaths wound and comparing the piece of the swords edge which was taken out of the skull with his sword found them to agree and banished him the land Not long after upon conference had with Marke King of Cornewall of marriage and commending the beautie and vertues of La Bel Isod spoken of before hee commeth to Ireland to intreate of marriage betweene King Marke and her And having effected his purpose taketh her with him to Cornewall where Marke espoused her with great ioy and solemnity but the old secret love betweene Tristram and her had taken such impression in both and so inflamed their hearts that it could not easily be quenched so that in processe of time Marke espied it and in his furious jealousie slue him as he played upon the Harpe to recreate La Bel Isod and thus as his love began with the Harpe so it ended at the Harpe it is recorded that Isod came to his grave and swouned She was saith mine Author so faire a woman that hardly who so beheld her could not chuse but be enamoured with her In Dublin upon the wall of the Citie is a Castle called Isods towre and not farre from Dublin a Chappell with a Village named Chappell-Isod the originall cause of the name I doe not finde but it is coniectured that her father King Anguish that doted on her builded them in remembrance of her the one for her recreation and the other for the good of her soule About the time that King Arthur raigned lived many famous men of Irish birth renowned for their great learning and sanctitie and commended by divers Antiquaries both at home and abroad to the posteritie But before I come to speake of them I must first make mention of Congellus a Britaine by birth who builded the Monasterie of Bangor not farre from West-Chester which was called the Colledge of Christian Philosophers and became the first Abbot thereof himselfe in the dayes of King Arthur anno Dom. 530. I make mention of him because Bernard in the life of Malachias reporteth this Colledge or Abbey which he built to have beene the head or principall Abbey of all the Monasteries in Europe the seminarie or bee-hive of many thousands of Monkes after the Apostolike manner getting their living with the sweate of their
Pyrate prevailed for the time and that the Princes of the land not being able then to withstand his forces yeelded unto the iniquitie of the time and wincked at his rash enterprises And whereas he gave forth his stile King of England they laughed at it and he perceiving the wilinesse and ingeniositie of the people and having small stomacke to continue among them by reason of many mishaps which befell him left the land and went for France to seeke adventures where he ended his dayes Further they write that he had a sonne called Barchard alias Burchared Mac Gurmond whom his father made Duke of Leinster and Baron of Margee He was commonly called O Gormagheyn Hee builded Gurmund grange in Monte Margeo with other memorable things for him and his posterity hee is said to have beene the founder of the mother Church or priorie of old Leighlin but I rather beleeve hee was a Benefactor or endower thereof in the time of Saint Eubanus the originall Patron and that one Lazerianus a Bishop and Confessor Anno 651. procured the perfection of the whole as in the Leighlin records more at large doth appeare Againe it is recorded that Duke Burchard lyeth buried on the North side of the Chancell of that Cathedrall Church over against the Treasurers stall under a marble stone as it was found for certaine Anno 1589. by Thadie Dowlinge Chancellour and others with this Epitaph Hic jacet humatus Dux fundator Leniae i. Leighlenie En Gormondi Burchardus vir gratus Ecclesiae Here lyeth interred Duke Burchard the sonne of Gurmond founder of Leighlin and a gratefull man to the Church There are saith mine Author other remembrances of this in those parts as Gurmunds-grove and Gurmunds-foord the which I overpasse Mons Margeus in Irish Sliewe Marrig or Sliew Marighagha which is the mountaine reaching along by Leighlin to Butlers wood wherin as before I have touched Gurmunds-grange standeth was as I haue learned of old granted to one called de Sancto Leodegario by the name and honour of Baron de Marrighagha but time and place have brought the name to degenerate and turne from English to Irish. Of late yeeres a Gentleman of the name dwelling at Dunganstowne neere Catherlagh affirming himselfe to be lineally descended from Baron Sentleger made claime unto the same but the successe I hearken not after as impertinent to my purpose About the yeere 587. Athelfrid the Saxon King of Northumbers so tyrannized over the Britaines that they were faine to take Ireland for their refuge and Atdan King of Scots pittying their state raised forces to defend them but could not prevaile so great was the miserie of the Britaines Anno Dom. 635. was Cadwallin crowned King of Britaine Caxton and Florilegus write of cruell warres betweene Edwin sonne unto Athelfrid King of Northumbers and Cadwallin how that Edwin made him flee into Ireland destroyed his land cast downe his Castles burnt his Mannors and divided his land among his friends and lastly how that in a good while after Cadwallin came upon him with forces out of Ireland slue Edwin and recovered all his possessions In the dayes of this Cadwallin Kenevalcus otherwise called Cewalch King of West Saxons builded the Church of Winchester made it a Bishops See and the first Bishop he placed there was one Agilbertus who came out of Ireland who in a short time after was deposed say some Grafton with other writers record not the cause but Beda writeth that he was offended for that Kenelwalkus divided the Province into two that he left the See went into France became Bishop of Paris and there ended his dayes and how that Kenelwalkus sent for him againe and againe but his flat answer was for that he had dealt with him so unkindely he would never returne I must here insert that which Cambrensis writeth of the antiquities of Brechinia or Breknoke in this sort there was of old of that country which now is called Brecheinoc a governour that was a man both mighty and Noble whose name was Brachanus of whom the country of Brecheinoc Brecknokshire is so called of whom one thing came unto me worthy the noting the histories of Britaine doe testifie that he had foure and twenty daughters that were all from their childhood brought up in the service of God and happily ended their dayes in the holy purpose they tooke upon them Doctor Powell the great Antiquarie of Britaine in his learned annotations upon him explaineth the same thus This Brachanus saith he was the sonne of one Haulaph King of Ireland his mother was one Mercella the daughter of Theoderike the sonne of Tethphalt a petite King of Garthmarthrin to wit of the country which tooke the name of this Brachanus and at this day is called Brechonia or Brechinia in British Brechinoc in English Breknok This Brachanus had to his daughter one Tydvaell the wife of Congenus the sonne of Cadell a petit King of Powis and the mother of Brochmael surnamed Scithroc who slue Athelfred alias Ethelfred King of Northumberland at the river of Deva called of the Britaines Doverdwy and foyled his armie about the yeere of our Lord 603. Here Breknoktowne and Breknokshire have cause to glorie of Ireland that gave them the name and honour which they hold to this day and Ireland to glory of them that gave their Kings sonne Marcella their Lady and all that country in her right Also I cannot omit another thing of that age the which Grafton reporteth of the Clergie and I finde in Beda more reverently delivered for that I have formerly spoken much of them and shall have occasion to speake something hereafter especially seeing Bedaes words are generall to be understood as well of the one land as of the other if not rather of Ireland considering what hath beene delivered heretofore In those dayes saith Grafton the Monkes and Clergie set all their mindes to serve God and not the world and were wholly given to devotion and not to filling of the panch and pampering of the body wherefore they were then had in great reverence and honour so that they were then received with all worship And as they went by the streetes and wayes men that saw them would runne to them and desire their blessings and well was him then that might give unto them possessions and to build them houses and Churches But as they increased in riches of worldly treasure so they decreased in heauenly treasure as in the dayes of Aluredus some deale began and sithen that time hath sprung not all to the pleasure of God Then they applyed nothing that was worldly but gave themselves to preaching and teaching of the word of our Saviour Iesus Christ and followed in life the doctrine that they preached giving good example to all men And beside that they were utterly void of covetousnesse and received no possessions gladly but were enforced thereunto So farre Grafton Anno Dom.
extortion cruelty tyranny and other damnable offences iustly exiled now sheweth no Princely stomacke but a base Wolvish minde for when 300. of the Ossory mens heads were throwne at his feete alas they had not offended hee viewed them all and finding one whom he knew and mortally hated he held him by the head and eares and most brutishly with his teeth bit the nose and lips of the dead whom without the ayde of the Britaines hee durst not behold in the face In this bloudy course Dermot directed these worthy warriours they more affecting the prey for their present maintenance then the bloud of any person to spoyle burne waste the country and murther the poore and seely people which God wot meant no harme whereupon Donald Prince of Ossory despising Dermot Mac Morogh by the advice of his Councell and friends sent to Robert Fitz Stephens in writing as followeth Sir Knight of Noble race renowned for martiall prowesse Donald Prince of Ossory sendeth greeting Dermot that damnable adulterer in his owne person with the King of Meths wife and in his sonnes person with my wife have drawne thee and those Gallants most worthy Knights into this poore country and naked people I will yeeld my selfe it is for the good of my poore followers into thy hands peace I crave and peace let me have Robert Fitz Stephens acquainted Dermot Mac Morogh with the premises of all sides the Irish dissembled as hereafter shall further appeare peace they granted and they acknowledged Dermot for their Lord and Soveraigne In all this service I may not conceale what Cambrensis delivereth David Barry and Meilerius effected singular exployts and deserved no lesse commendations As soone as the good successe of Dermot and the strangers lately arrived was spread abroad Rory Oconochor alias Rodericke King of Connaught Monarch of Ireland called the Princes and Nobles of the land together and layeth before them the dangerous estate and imminent perill of the whole land how Dermot guilefully had trayned in strangers how hee and the strangers were like to ouer-runne all unlesse with all expedition this mischiefe were prevented in summe they concluded that every man shall to his Armes and make ready horse and foot and set upon these invaders Dermot Mac Morogh having certaine knowledge of this great separation and mischiefe intended and his false harted subjects that lately fawned vpon him were fled to the enemies fearing the puisance of the Monarch and the forces of the whole land called Robert Fits Stephens and said vnto him Fortune is fickle our state is an ague that commeth by fits my friends fleet away and argue false hearts no marvaile though I bee disquieted if you stick not to mee I am undone Robert Fitz Stephens replied Wee have left behind us our deare friends and our native soyle wee have fired all our shippes not upon intent to runne away wee haue already in armes ingaged our lives fall out as fall out may wee will live and dye together bee you true to us wee will not bee false to you Dermot hereupon gathering his spirits together got him and his followers to a certaine fastenesse not farre from Fernes where hee intrenched and plashed himselfe being invironed with woods hils rockes bogges and waters a place to mans seeming inaccessible and invincible to endure for a while wandring clowds and threatning stormes of his adversaries to vanish and bee caried away with waving winds of fortune and unfortunate warres Whose foresight and ready wit Robert Fitz Stephens highly commended Immediatly there came a Messenger from Roderic the Monarch unto Robert Fitz Stephens with this message The Britans may not by the Lawes of Armes display their Banners and Ensignes in forreine possessions and dispose the lawfull heires of their inheritance but they are with licence of the Irish to pack home whence they came It is a blemish for the Brittish nation iniuriously to giue aide to a shamefull fact neither may the lechery of Dermot be mantled under British cloaks wherefore depart and forsake him that is forsaken of God and man And here by my messenger receive to defray your charges and transport you to your native soyle Robert Fitz Stephens answereth your present I will not accept faith and troth I have pawned to my friend Dermot I will not breake hee forsakes not me I will not forsake him neither leave him distressed you speake of lechery what is that among martiall men I heare you have Bastards your selfe to what end is your embassie If Roderick give councell we need it not if he Prophecie we credit not his oracle if he command as a Prince we obey not his autority if hee threaten as an enemie a figge for his Monarchy The messenger returned with small welcome going and comming Roderic bethought himselfe againe and sent letters to Dermot perswading him to be at peace with his country people and to banish the strangers out of the Land he rejected his councell and despiseth the messenger Roderic seeing that his private practises tooke small effect put himselfe in armes assembleth his forces and delivereth unto them these speeches You right worthy and valiant defenders of your Country and liberty Consider with what people and for what cause wee are now to fight and wage battell the enemy of his owne Country the tyrant over his owne people the exile fugitive behold hee is returned backed with strangers and purposeth to destroy us and the whole Nation hee being an enemy hath brought in those enemies which have beene ever hatefull unto us all and are most greedy to have the Soveraignty and Dominion over us all protesting openly and firmely avouching that by fatall destiny they are to bee Commanders over this land And so farre hath he poured out his venome that there is no favour nor mercy to be looked for at his hands O cruell beast yea more cruell then ever was beast who lately bit with his owne teeth the nose and lips of the dead he to satisfie his insatiable malice and bloudy minde spareth neither man woman nor childe he deserveth well to be hated of all that opposeth himselfe an enemy to all wherefore my loving and deere country men be well advised looke about you and consider advisedly how by the like meanes I meane civill warres all Realmes and nations for the most part have beene overthrowne and brought to utter ruine Iulius Caesar attempted the invasion of Britaine was twice foyled and indured the repulse but when Androgeus Duke of London fell at variance with the King to be revenged sent for Iulius who thereupon returning subdued the land The Britaines being at discord and hating their vicious King Careticus the Saxons finding opportunitie to over-runne all sent for Gurmundus the arch-Pirate and terror of the Ocean seas who ioyning forces together foyled the Britaines and banished their King not long after Isembert aspiring to the Crowne of France procured the said Gurmund to his ayde behold the end Gurmund was slaine Isembert overthrowne
But I may not so leave my Prelates they synodically decreed as followeth that all the English men within the land whatsoever they were should bee manumised a worshipfull piece of worke and no thanke to them all for the English sword was then ready to cut off the Irish heads this reformation was but a sweeping of a house with a Foxes tayle The prosperous successes of Earle Richard surnamed Strangbow were no sooner effected but fame flyed abroad and flatterers carried it to Henry the seconds eares and made him jealous as Kings commonly are that a subject as Richard was should not onely in the right of his wife content himselfe with Leinster but most presumptuously without licence as the King alledged attempt the conquest of a kingdome where he formerly by grant of Adrian was interessed Whereupon the King in his iealous rage indeavouring to stop the Springs and Water-courses proclaimed We Henry c. Forbid and inhibit that from henceforth no shippe from any place of our dominioâ— shall traffique or passe into Ireland and likewise charge that all our subjects upon their dutie of allegiance which are there commorant shall returne from thence into England before Easter next following upon paine of forfeiture of all their lands and the persons so disobeying to be banished our land and exiled for ever The Earle seeing himselfe in this distresse being in perill to lose his friends and to want his necessaries out of his native soile by entercourse of Merchants calleth a Councell where it was agreed and concluded that Sir Reimond Legrosse should bee sent over to pacifie the King who then was in Aquitaine with these letters Most puissant Prince and my dread Soveraigne I came into this land with your Majesties leave and savour as farre as I remember to aide your servant Dermot Mac Morogh what I have wonne was with the sword what is given me I give you I am yours life and living at your command Vpon the receit of these letters there fell of all sides three disasters the King was mightily incensed against Earle Richard and therefore delayed Sir Reimond Legrosse and gave him no answer secondly the death of Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury troubled him exceedingly and to helpe the readers memory with the time it was as the rime delivereth Annus millenus centenus septuagenus Primus erat primas quo ruit ense Thomas The third was that Dermot Mac Morogh a most bountifull Prince died and was buried at Fernes Anno 1171. Hastulpus late Governour of Dublin of whom I have formerly spoken returneth and entreth the haven of Dublin with threescore saile to his aide of Ilanders Norwegians and Esterlings they forthwith landed and unshipped themselves and had to their Captaine saith Cambrensis one Iohn Wood some call him mad Iohn for the prankes he playd for wood and mad beare one sense Stanihurst calleth him Pewood Douling Heywood They were all mighty men of warre and well appointed after the Danish manner being harnessed with good Brigandines jackes and shirts of maile their Shields Bucklers and Targets were round and coloured red and bound about with iron and as they seemed in armes so were they no lesse in mindes iron-strong and mighty they marched in battaile array towards the East gate of the Citie Miles Cogan the Governour with a faire company yet but a handfull to the number of the enemy sallied forth and gave them battaile where both sides lost many a tall man Miles Cogan seeing himselfe overlaid with the furious rage and multitude of his adversaries gave backe and retired into the towne by this time Richard Cogan his brother had secretly issued out with a good company at the South posterne gate compassed the Danes and being at the foot of the rereward made mighty cry and shout whereat the Danes were amazed and the two brethren had the killing of them before and behinde The Danes brake their array threw their Armes away fled towards their ships where many also for haste were drowned In this skirmish Iohn Wood was slaine and Hastulphus taken prisoner and put to his ransome The prodigalitie of this Hastulphus was such that he contented not himselfe with life but braved and bragged of his exploits in the hearing of Miles Cogan and therewithall delivered that that attempt was nothing but a taste or proofe of the Irish valour and shortly they should see another manner of forces assault them What saith Miles Cogan is it not enough for him to have his life but he must threaten us with further rebellion goe take him and cut off his head And thus the blabbe of his tongue turned to his confusion Shortly after the Irish and country birth lying aloofe wayting for all opportunities and understanding of some unkindenesse and displeasure conceived by King Henry the second against Earle Richard and in that quarrell generally against all the Britaines and invaders of Ireland they put their heads together they plot they draw their draughts and devices to lay siege to recover the Citie of Dublin and the chiefest instrument was Laurence O Toole Archbishop of Dublin who wrote unto Roderic King of Connaght unto Gotred alias Godfrey King of Man and to all the Princes of Ireland that it would please them some in regard of neighbourhood othersome in regard of naturall affection unto their native soile and distressed country men of Irish birth put to their helping hand ioyne their forces together lay siege to the Citie of Dublin by sea and by land relieve their brethren rid them from the Britaines hands and restore them to their former liberty The Bishop for the good opinion that was held of his learning gravitie and sanctitie prevailed insomuch that Gotred King of Man came into the harbour of Dublin with thirty saile Roderic the Monarch and forces of Ireland came by land and incamped within sight of the towne Within the towne were Earle Richard Strangbow Maurice Fitz Gerald Reimond Legrosse lately arrived from out of England Miles Cogan Richard Cogan with other worthy men and Citizens to the number of thirty thousand fighting men As they were prepared for battaile as commonly one mischiefe falleth in the necke of another Donald the base sonne of Dermot Mac Morogh came in post to the Earle and delivered how that Robert Fitz Stephens in his Fort of Carreck by Wexford was besieged with three thousand men of Wexford and Kinsele by the conduct of Donald Prince of Limeric sonne in law to Dermot Mac Morogh who before time in his extremity and in the warres betweene him and Roderic the Monarch for chiefery at the request of Dermot Mac Morogh was relieved by Robert Fitz Stephens and so aided that he foiled his enemy and thus good is recompenced with evill In this perplexitie and doubtfull danger Maurice Fitz Gerald full of courage turneth him to the Earle and the martiall men in these words you most valiant men wee came not into this land neither were we procured hither to be idle or to live
land he tooke to wife in the I le of Cyprus the Lady Berengaria daughter to Garsias some say Sanctius King of Nauarre and died without issue when he had raigned nine yeeres nine moneths and two and twenty dayes It is noted by the Antiquaries that upon the death of his father he had three notable windfals the first was the Crowne of England the second was his fathers treasure which he found at Salisbury amounting to nine hundred thousands pound in coyne besides Plate precious stones Iewels and apparell lastly in the Coffers of Ieffrey Ridley Bishop of Elye who dyed intestate he found towards his coronation 3260. pound in silver five markes in gold which was better for his coronation was most Royall Iohn Comyn Archbishop of Dublin was at it Mathew Paris in Latine and Holinshed in English have penned it verbatim Will. K. of Scots did him homage and when he was the second time crowned King bare a sword before him King Richard the first yeere of his raigne gave the Lady Isabell sole daughter and heire of Richard surnamed Strangbow Earle of Penbroke to William Maxfield Lord Maxfield and Earle Marshall of England Anno 1189 This William his surname was not Marshall as Sir Iohn Plunket his collection hath laid downe but Maxfield his descent I finde thus with William the Conquerour there came into England to his ayde one Walter Maxfield a Norman that was his Marshall this Walter had issue William William had issue Walter Walter had issue Iohn Iohn had issue this William Maxfield that married Isabell the daughter of Strangbow who was made Earle Marshall of England Earle of Penbroke in Wales and Prince of Leinster in Ireland in the right of his wife This William was in great favour with King Richard the first that gave him the Lady Isabell to wife and honoured him so at his coronation that he bare a regall Scepter before the King in the top whereof was set a Crosse of gold and when the King with full determination passed over into Normandie and from thence into the Holy Land he assigned him the third governour of the Realme Iohn Earle of Morton Anno 1199. after the death of his brother Richard sent this William among others into England to set all things in a readinesse for his coronation the which being the 27. of May and yeere aforesaid gave him his full creation to the Earledome of Penbroke and girded him with the sword not long after King Iohn sent him with others as Embassadors to the French King with sundry other imployments he was also in great favour with Henry 3. as shall be shewed when I come to his raigne He had five sonnes and five daughters his sonnes all succeeded him in the Earldome of Penbroke and office of Marshalsie together with the Principality of Leinster and dyed all without issue The daughters were all honourably matched in the life time of their father and brethren and had his territories and possessions in Wales and Ireland orderly divided among them the which they and their posterity peaceably enioyed This William Earle Marshall the elder came to Ireland Anno 1207. hee builded the Castle of Kilkenny and gave the towne a Charter with priviledges wich they enjoy to this day hee founded there also the Monasterie of the blacke Fryers and ended the way of all flesh at London Anno 1220. and lyeth buried in the temple of his Lady Isabell at Tinterne in Wales William Marshall his eldest sonne succeeded him both in the office of Marshall and Earldome of Penbroke and Ogie and Principalitie of Leinster he granted a Charter to the towne of Kilkenny Anno 1223. sixt of Aprill with the testate of Thomas Fitz Antony Lord of Thomas stowne Seneschall of Leinster Fulkoe Carnae Walter Pursell William Grace Haman Grace Amnar Grace and others he ended his dayes at Kilkenny Anno 1231. and resteth in the Monastery there which his father had formerly founded Againe of this William I have seene another Charter exemplified Anno 1329. by King Edward the third with an inspexim Edwardus Dei gratia Rex Angliae Dominus Hiberniae Dux Aquitanie omnibus Ballivis Ministris omnium villarum villatorum Lagenie ceteris quibuscunque deijsdem partibus salutem Supplicavit nobis superior et communitas villae de Kilkenny quod cum Willielmus nuper Comes Mariscallus et Pembrochie tempore quo idem Comes extiterat Domini totius terrae Lageniae concesserit Burgensibus et Communitati ville predicte qui pro tempore fuerint diversas libertates inter quas videlicet quod ipsi in perpetuum per totam Lageniam terram potestatēin suam tam villa quā alibi essent quieti de theulonio lastagio poritagio de omnibus aliijs consuetudinibus quibuscunque quam quidem cartam inspeximus c. Teste Iohanne Darcy Iusticiario nostro Hibernie apud Kilkenny 8. die Iulij anno regninostri 3. per billam ipsius Iusticiarij Yet Holinshed writeth that this William Marshall the younger deceased at London and lyeth buried by his father in the new Temple Richard Marshall the second brother succeeded he was Earle Marshall of England Earle of Penbroke in Wales and Ogie in Normandie and Prince of Leinster in Ireland In the yeere 1233. and the Moneth of Aprill in a battell nigh Kildare upon the great Heath called the Curragh fighting against the Oconors hee tooke his deaths wound whereof shortly he dyed Hee lieth buried by his brother William in the blacke Fryers at Kilkennye which was the foundation of William Earle Marshall his father Henry the third lamented his death and protested that he lost then the worthiest Captaine of his time His tombe with the tombe of eighteene Knights that came over at the Conquest and resting in that Abbey at the suppression of the Monasterie was defaced and inhabitants there turned them to their private uses and of some they made swine-troughs so as there remaineth no Monument in the said Abbey save one stone whereupon the picture of a Knight is portraied bearing a shield about his necke wherein the Cantwels armes are insculped and yet the people there call it Ryddir in Curry that is the Knight slaine at the Curraghe Iohn Clyn guardian of the Fryers there in his Annals of Ireland writeth thus Post incarnatum lapsis de virgine natum Annis millenis tribus triginta ducent is In primo mensis Aprilis Kildariensis Pugna die Sabbati fuit in tristitia facti Acciderant stallo pugnae Comiti Mariscallo And upon his Tombe Hic Comes est positus Richardus vulnere fossus Cujus sub fossa Kilkennia continet ossa After the decease of Richard Gilbert Marshall the third brother was Earle Marshall of England Earle of Penbroke and Ogie and Prince of Leinster Anno 1239. King Henry the third held his Christmas at Winchester where there rose a grudge betweene the King and this Earle Gilbert by reason that this same Earle with his servants having tip-staves
King they craved Interpreters which granted Roderick their Chieftaine uttered for him and his the request in this manner Not as degenerate from the courage of our auncestors but inclining our selves to the bent and swaye of fortune we are become suppliants to Ireland that never before have humbled our selves to any Looke Sir King eye us well It is not light prowesse that hath caused these valiant bodies to stoop Scithians we are and the Picts of Scithia great substance of glory lodgeth in these two names what shall I tell of the civill Tumult that hath made us leave our home or rippe up old Historyes to make strangers bemoane us Let our vassailes and children discourse it at large and leysure if perhaps you vouchsafe us any leysure in the Land To which effect and purpose your infinite necessities pray your favours A King of a King Men of Men Princes can consider how neere it concerneth their honour and surety to proppe up the state of a King defaced by Treason and men will remember nothing better beseemeth the nature of man then to feele by compassion the griefes of men Admit we beseech you these scattered reliques of Scithia If your Realmes bee narrow we are not many If the soyle be barren we are born to hardnesse If you live in peace we are your subjects If you warre we are your Souldiours We aske no kingdome no wealth no triumph in Ireland We have brought our selves and left these casualtyes with the enemie Howsoever it like you to esteeme of us we shall easily learne to like it when we call to minde not what we have beene but what we are Great consultations was had upon this request and many things debated too and fro In the end they were answered that their antiquities layde forcible arguments wherefore it could not be expedient to accept the Scithians into Ireland that mingling of natiōs in a Realme breedeth quarrels remedilesse that Ireland finding scarcity rather of roome then of people that those few inferred amongst a many might quickly disturbe and put the whole out of joynt But quoth they though wee may not dwell together yet shall you finde us your very good neighbours and friends Not farre hence lyeth the Iland of Brittaine in the north thereof your manhood and polycies shall winne you scope enough our Capitaines shall conduct you the way our strength shall helpe to settle you addresse your shippes and hye you thither With this perswasion they shaped course towards the north of Brittaine now called Scotland where contrary to all expectation Marius the King awayted their comming and gave them there a sharpe battle wherein Rodericke was slaine with diverse of his band Them which remained and appealed to mercy he licensed to inhabite the uttermost borders of Scotland Wives they wanted to encrease their Issue and because the Brittaines scorned to match their daughters with such a froward and beggerly people the Picts continued their first acquaintance with the Irish and by entreaty obtained wives from them conditionally that if the Crowne should happe to fall in question they should then yeeld thus much prerogative to the woman as of the female blood royall rather then of the male to choose their Prince which Covenant saith S. Bede the Picts are well knowne to keepe at this day But long afore this time the Scottish Chronicles mention the arrivall of Almaine Picts into the marches now of England and Scotland vvith vvhom certaine Irish called then also Scotts joyned against the Brittaines devising to erect a kingdome there aswell to fortify themselves as to gratifie the Irish who detracting their obedience lately promised to Gurguntius practised all they might to abridge the kingdome of the Brittaines First therefore came from Ireland Fergusius the sonne of Ferchardus a man very famous for his skill in blasoning of armes Himselfe bare the Red Lyon rampant in a golden field There was in Ireland a monument of Marble fashioned like a Throne which Simon Brecke a companion to Hiberus and his brethren found in the journey because he deemed the finding thereof to be ominous to some Kingdome he brought it along with him and layde it up in the country for a Iewell This marble Fergusius obtained towards the prospering of his voyage and in Scotland he left it which they used many yeares after in Coronation of their King at Scona But Fergusius though he be scored in the row of Kings for one and the first yet he held himselfe there obscurely sundry times beat backe into Ireland where he was finallie drowned by misfortune within the Creeke of Knockfergus That Fergusius encountred with Coilus the Brittaine and slew him as writeth the Scotts it is impossible except they mistake the name of Coilus for Calius with whom indeede the age of Fergusius might well meete and the rather for that in the first yeare of his raigne the Picts entred and then Fergusius immediately after them 330. yeares ere Christ was borne Now Coilus raigned in the yeare of our Lord 124. about which time befell the second arrivall of the Picts in Brittaine so it seemeth they mistake by a slight error Coilus for Calius and the second arrivall of the Picts for the former This confusion of Histories is learnedly noted by Cooper in his generall collection of Chronicles CAP. XI How the Irish setled themselves in Scotland REturne wee now to the course of our Historie while the Picts were bestowed in the north of Brittaine and waxed populous the Irish made sundry arrands over to visite their Daughters Nephewes and kindred In often comming and going they noted waste places and little Ilands not replenished but rather neglected and suffered to grow wilde Hereof in Ireland they advertised their Prince namely Reuther or Rheuda who being the Issue of Fergusius bethought himselfe of his interest to certaine peeces of land beside the nation of the Picts Hee therefore well appointed partly by composition and some deale perforce stepped into those hamlets which no man occupied proceeded hansomely to reare his kingdome By little and little he edged forward and got betweene the Picts and Brittaines on this side the Scottish banke which he possessed but a season The place was thereof named Rheudisdale now Riddesdale asmuch to say as the part of Rheuda for dahal in their language signifieth part In those quarters after sundry conflicts with the borderers hee was by them slaine but the kingdome lasted in his successours still and the tvvo nations the Picts and the Irish lovingly suffered each other to thrive The Scotts caught up the Islands the Frontiers The Picts dwelt in the middle Soone after the peace betweene them vvent suspitions the diversities of people place custome language vvith the memorie of old grudges stirred up such inward jealousies and hate that it seemed they were easie to kindle as in such factions there never wanteth drifte to drive a tumult so it happened that
Greek in the Irish tongue yet for their comming from Spaine which they so much urge Iohannes Major Scotus forsooth hath found one Spanish word bona dies in Irish vennoka die to which I answere una hirundo non facit ver but indifferently to examine the matter wee finde that diversity of times alteration of government invasion of strangers planting of new Colonies and conversing with forraigne nations doe alter languages The Hebrewes by reason of their peregrination and captivities do smach of the Chaldees Syriack and Arabick tongues The Slavonian tongue as Surius and others record without exception at this day is the most dispersed language upon the earth for the Muscovites Ruthenes Russians Dalmatians Bosnenses Croatians Istrians Carnians Carniolanians Carinthians Stirians Maesians Servians Bulgarians with other nations reaching to Constantinople as Bohemians Lusatians Silesians Moravians Polonians Circasians Quinquemontanians even unto Pontus and the remnant of Vandals beyond the river Albis through Germany into the North have the language and yet we have neither their characters nor ancient Annals extant Saint Ierome borne in Strido in the confines of Dalmatia and Pannonia is said to have translated the Bible into the Slavon tongue but whether it be in that language extant let him report that knoweth it Gothi Hypogothi Gepidi Vandali Hunni Alani though they vary in name yet they vse one language saith Paulus Diaconus The Italian Spanish and French tongues are compounded of the Latine The German high and low country Saxon Scottish and English have great affinity Northwales Southwales Cornwall and little Britaine in France as Cambrensis and Sir Io. Price have learnedly discoursed but the Irish excepting the Red shanks and the Scottish of the haye londe have affinity with no tongue as I can learne more then with the British language Many reasons there are gentle reader to induce thee to bee of that opinion first of all according unto the first command the Celticke tongue was of force in all these Northerne parts Bodinus writeth that the British and Celtick language was all one Pausanias the Grecian maketh mention how the Celts in their language called a horse Marc and three horses Trimarc the which the Welshman useth to this day with a gutturall alteration Margh and Treemargh Also Camden the learned Antiquary of this our age is of this opinion remembring the story of Gurguntius and the infinite number of British words in ure among the Irish the which he termeth infinitam vim Britannicarum dictionum that the Britaines first peopled this land And although of a long time by reason of troubles and alterations the speech grew wholly out of vse yet afterwards in successe of time it was revived Secondly the British and Irish oft matched together so that there grew among them great alliance and affinity to the furtherance of the language Mare King of Cornwall anno 459 married with Label Isode that built Isodes Chappell or Chappell-Isode and Isodes Tower in Dublin shee was the King of Irelands daughter Edwal ap Meiric Prince of Wales in the time of Edelred anno 992 married in Ireland Iago ap Edwal Prince of Wales in the time of Cnute anno 1031 married in Ireland In the time of Edward the Confessor Conan the sonne of Iago Prince of Wales married with Ranulph daughter of Alfred King of Dublin anno 1041. In the time of William Rufus Arnulph Earle of Pembroke married with the daughter of Marogh King of Ireland anno 1101 at the same time Magnus the sonne of Herald married with another daughter of the said King In the time of Henry the first and King Steuen lived Griffith ap Conan Prince of Wales that was wont to brag of three things that his mother was an Irishwoman his grandmother an Irishwoman and that hee himselfe was borne and of a child brought vp in Ireland In the time of Henry the second Biryd the sonne of Owen Gwyneth Prince of Wales being Lord of Cloghran in Ireland begat his sonne Howel upon an Irish Gentlewoman In the same Kings raigne Richard Strangbow Earle of Pembroke married with Eva the daughter of Dermotte Mac Morrogh King of Leinster Thirdly when there was any trouble in Ireland they fled to Wales when they had any warres or rebellion there they came for refuge and aide into Ireland hereof came the shaking of hands Brother Brannagh Brother Erinagh In the life of Henry the third it is written that when Othobon the Popes Legate came to Oxford and soiourned at Osney Abbey among other schollers some for one cause some for another that were there a poore Irish scholler Matthew Paris calleth him Capellanum Hibernensem drew neere unto the kitchin dresser and praid for some releefe the cook took a ladell full of hot liquor and threw it in his face a Welch scholler standing by tooke his bow and shot the cook through with an arrow Stow writeth that the cook was the Legates brother the hurly burly was great the schollers came together in armes and as it is said one Odo of Kilkenny was their ensigne bearer the Cardinals men were well beaten the Cardinall himselfe to save his life fled secretly at a posterne gate to the King made a grievous complaint and craved the aide of armed men to fetch off his men and thereof arose great troubles but to proceed Dermotte Mac Morogh King of Leinster being banished out of his country had aide out of Wales Conan the sonne of Iago Griffith ap Conan Rees ap Tewder Owen the sonne of Cadogan Kadwalader the sonne of Griffith ap Conan Marlgon ap David Princes of Wales Algar Earle of Chester Arnulph Earle of Pembroke Magnus the sonne of Herald William de Bruse Lord of Breknock with his wife and children in extremity tooke Ireland for their refuge where they found favor and kindnesse to their own hearts desire as in the British Chronicles published by Caradoc of Sancarban Cambrensis Humfrey Lloid and Doctor Powel doth more plainly appeare These two nations conversed much one with another Sir Tristram one of the Knights of the round Table came to Ireland Morogh brother to the King of Ireland whom Caxton calleth Morhaus was one of King Arthurs Knights Merlin the Welch Prophet came twice to Ireland and in Ofaby there is a Chappell bearing his name the occasion of his first comming was this There was a noble man of Ireland which had a suit unto the King of England with whom Merlin was great to whom he said Merlin if thou wilt effect my sute come to Ireland and I will give thee as much land as thou shalt see round about thee it was done after his arrivall Merlin demanded his promise the noble man put him into a cellar where was a grate and without a bawne with an high wall looke out saith the Irish man the Welch Prophet could not see a quoits cast from him and thus was he deceived having left his spirit of prophecy at home But to our purpose Fourthly
last a plotte defalked from these parts called Meth comprising as they are now called as well East-Meth as West-Meth in Latine Midia or Media in Irish Mhidhe And here must not bee forgotten that there hath beene in these kingdomes great change and alteration by usurping and compounding among themselves and by dividing of Countries as we finde Mounster was into two parts and since have beene there great Earles deriving their names of Mounster Ormond in Irish Oirther Mughane Desmond in Irish Deasmughain and Thomond in Irish Tuathmughain the which an Italian comming into Ireland meruailed at when he inquired what great men dwelled in the land for he understood Ormond to bee orbis mundi the round world Desmond decem mundi ten worlds Thomond duo mundi two worlds profecto said he Valdè gloriósi tituli assuredly these are very glorious titles So were there also in processe of time diuers other lesser kingdomes as by the processe of the historie will very well appeare And here for this time leaving to discourse farther of the Irish kingdomes I conclude with this one remembrance that from time to time there was one chosen to be chiefe soveraigne Monarch ouer them all and the number of Monarchs from Hermon to Laogirius the sonne of Nealus Magnus that is great Neale in whose time S. Patricke converted them to Christianitie amounteth to an hundred thirty and one And now backe againe to the historie where we left It is said that of Hiber or Hiberus who was slaine as hath aboue beene recorded Ireland was called Hibernia certaine it is with the concordance of most and the best antiquaries that the land was not called Hibernia neither right Spaniard arived here before the daies of Gurguntius Divers writers haue diversly delivered the originall name of the land some corruptly some poetically some etymologically Ierna Iuvernia Ibernia Overnia Vernia Iris of the Britaines Ywerdhon of the Irish themselues Erin and tooke that name of Fin Erin of whom at large in the booke of Houth of the Saxons and English it is called Ireland that is the land of Erin All these names originally grew of Hiberus the Spaniard or in remembrance of Iberus the second King of Spaine who was the sonne of Tuball the fift sonne of Iaphet Annius Viterbiensis writeth that of this King the river is called Iberus amnis Spaine Iberia and the inhabitants about the river Iberi This land of Ireland hath also beene called Scotia Major Scotland the greater after the birth of Christ but that came of corrupting the word Scytha as I said before Lastly it hath beene called Banno of the Poets or Bardes of the land Stanihurst thinketh it was so called of the Banne a river in the County of Weixford the place is now called Bagganbun where the Britaines vpon the conquest arived and thereof is the rime At the creeke of Bagganbun Ireland was ylost and wonne But for this ancient name Banno and other the like which the Poets of Ireland haue in use I referre the courteous reader to learned Camden in his treatise of Ireland about the beginning Lanquet in his collections of antiquities noteth that the Scottish historiographers about the yeere of the world 3652. beginne their histories at Fergus the sonne of Ferquhard King of Ireland that he should come with great power out of Ireland to their aide against the Pictes and that they fauoured him so much that they chose him King and that hee raigned ouer them in Scotland 25. yeeres and how that in his raigne he slue Coile King of Britaine at what time by generall consent there was no Scottish man then commanding in Albania no Pict at that time seene in Britaine or Ireland nor Coile King of Britaine in many yeares after I am of Lanquets opinion thus he writeth These histories of the Scots as they set them forth bee full of errors and agree with none other historians Notwithstanding this Item may not stoppe the course of the historie and therefore whether he came out of Ireland as we here take it or out of Denmarke as some haue thought well he might be King of Albania for so was it then called and not Scotland and so from him I will terme them Kings of Albania untill I finde the name Scoti knowne amongst forraigne writers This Fergus saith Buchanan hauing orderly disposed of his affaires in Albania went into Ireland to pacifie and quiet troubles there risen and hoising saile for his returne into Albania he and all his company were cast away in a tempest vpon the rockes at a place of him now called in the British and Irish tongues Karregfergus or Craigfregus corruptly in English Knockfergus It is written that he advanced in his banner a red Lyon Rampant with his taile folden toward his backe as it were moved with anger the which his successors since have used After this his infortunate decease there rose great strife about the succession his two sonnes Ferlegus and Mainus were young and many exceptions were made against them in the end the two sonnes were put beside and the eldest of the sept after the Irish Tanistrie tooke place which fell upon Feritharis an Irish man brother to Fergus And this Tanistrie continued saith Buchanan unto Kenathus 3. during the raigne of fourescore Kings But I must leave them and follow onely what concerneth Irish businesse About the yeere of the world saith Lanquet 3750. and odde not allowing as he protested before but following the Scottish histories one Reuthar commander of the invaders in Albania now called Scotland was vexed with civill warres and by the Britaines banished into Ireland where he lived twelve yeeres See more of him in Hector Boetius and Buchanan The 9. King Albaniensium Scotorum so Stanihurst calleth them was Iosina Thereus and is the next that seemeth to haue any right or interest in the Irish historie This man was bred and brought up in Ireland and favoured the nation saith Bale above all others he sought peace of all men honoured Chirurgions Physitians and Druydes of Ireland raigned 24. yeeres and so ended his dayes The next that concerneth our purpose is Gillus the usurper who through much treason and many murthers aspiring to the Crowne of Albania and deservedly falling into the hatred and mislike of all his subjects was at length forced by his Nobles who rose in Armes against him to take a fisher-boate and flee into Ireland where hee was promised aide but to prevent further mischiefe one Cadall is appointed generall of an Armie to pursue the tyrant into Ireland and meeting him in the field drove Gillus to flee When the Irish men had forsaken him he hid himselfe in a denne invironed with woods and bogs where shortly after an Irish Kerne for reward found him out cut off his head and brought it to Cadall after he had tyrannized three yeeres He was the thirteenth King of Albania In the
called Baragh-llys in Vlster he was a man in his prosperitie of great command in Ireland so that the Danes and Norweyans had through him great dealing and entercourse with Ireland and Ireland with them But yet as it sometime falleth out among the deerest friends many jarres and broiles and factions fell betweene them and especially betweene the sept of Klan ne Morne and Klan ne Boisken both which sides still relieved themselves out of Denmarke The King of Denmarke at last hearing of the same of Fin Mac Coile sent for him and tooke such a liking to him that he concluded to marry him unto his daughter Fin went thither with three thousand souldiers the King one day as they conversed together asked after the manner of the death of his three sonnes Comen Law-ne-Meyd and Feagh who formerly went into Ireland to maintaine one of the factions Dermot O Doyne one of Fins company answered trouble not thy selfe O King this is the hand that killed thy sonne Comen one Osker said this is the hand that killed thy sonne Law-ne-Meyd Keyn Mac Fin also said this is the hand that killed thy sonne Feagh Herewith the King was wroth and said Fin Mac Coile thou and thy men are my prisoners forthwith they drew their Skeynes the Kings guard for feare fled they tooke him prisoner carried him aboord their shippes hoised up saile and brought him to Ireland so as the marriage was dasht and the King driven to pay a ransome for his libertie before he could get from them This Fin Mac Coile also fought with a Gyant that landed at Houth and came to challenge combats for tribute and by policie not by strength overcame him his policie was this he caused him in the night for the space of three nights to be kept waking and in the day time to be fought withall and thereby weakened his strength and foiled the Gyant Toward his end one Gorre an old man after these former warres and troubles came to his house before spoken of and boasted unto the Gentlewomen then present of his feates in warre and the combats he had fought whereat they laughed he being offended with them sware in his anger that hee would burne them all got old timber and straw put it in the house fired it made fast the doores and compassed about the house with men that none might escape They cryed unto him out of their windowes to save their lives but he was inexorable and could not bee drawne to any compassion and when the house was readie to fall he fled into Mounster and there hid himselfe in a Cave Fin Mac Coile came home from hunting and beheld this wofull desolation how his Wife his Maides his old Souldiers his Horses his Greyhounds his Plate and houshold stuffe his Shields Iackes and Shirts of maile and his instruments of Musicke were consumed to ashes made after Gorre into Mounster where he found him and after some skirmish of both sides tooke him and brought him to the place where he had committed this villany Gorre when hee beheld the bones of them that were burned laughed and being asked why his answer was that hee laughed at them that formerly laughed at him This wilâ—e Gorre being kept that night from execution in the dead of the night stole away and was found in a Cave where by commandment of Fin Mac Coill Hugh Gorre his owne sonne killed his father and after became madde himselfe And the end of Fin Mac Coill was that he dyed a beggar and in great miserie So farre out of the booke of Houth Now to continue the storie It is written of Maximus who beganne his raigne in Britaine Anno Dom. 387 that he tooke great displeasure against the Scots and Irish for partaking with Conan and upholding the faction betweene him and Carodoch thus it is written Maximus drave the Scots out of Britaine and compelled them to get habitation in Ireland the out Iles and the North part of the maine and finally divided their region betweene the Britaines and the Pictes He denounced warre also against the Irish men for receiving them into their land but they craving peace yeelded to subscribe that from thenceforth they would not receive any Scot into their dominions Hector Boetius penneth this matter at large that all the Scots were banished and despersed themselves into the Hebrydes Orchades Norwey Denmarke and some into France and Italie And where Maximus somewhat tendred their utter ruine and overthrow and referred them to the Pictes for favour the Pictes most cruelly gave sentence that the Scots which fled not should eate the Pictes sword c And of Ireland he writeth Vpon the first comming of this newes all Ireland mourned and made great lamentation and when they had deliberately examined the exiles and understood all the accidents that befell them in Albion they appointed certaine dayes for a parley summoned from East to West all the Princes of the land to meete their Monarch at the certaine day and place prefixed to consult how and by what meanes the Roman forces might be resisted and the kingdome of Albion restored to their allies and cousins the Scots When they could devise no remedie for they feared the power of the Romanes they thought good to put up all iniuries and to intreate for peace To this purpose they sent Ambassadors to Maximus the Romane Captaine who at the first sharpely rebuked them for that they had sent aide into Albion against the Romanes their confederates and favourites and in especiall seeing that unto that day Ireland of all the kingdomes of the world felt little smart of the Romane sword In the end he received them into favour and granted them peace upon these conditions That they should thenceforth receive no enemies of the Romanes into the Realme of Ireland neither any that gave aide against the Romanes and that no rebell of the Irish under pretence of marchandize should thenceforth set foot in Albion These conditions of peace being concluded the Irish were quiet and trode not upon Scottish soile So farre Boetius Not long after this according to Ponticus Virunius Guanius King of Hunnes and Melga King of Pictes having long hulled here and there and roved upon the seas were by Gratianus after their invading of Britaine and Scotland in the absence of Maximus overthrowne and driven out of the kingdome and forced to flee for refuge into Ireland soule weather followed these two Kings and Ireland gave them hard entertainement at the first Notwithstanding I finde that this Guanius and Melga after the death of this Gratianus who usurped the kingdome of Britaine for the space of foure yeeres upon the death of Maximus who had slaine Gratianus the Emperour prepared againe for Britaine and brought with them the exiled Scots with Irish and Ilanders for their aide But to proceed Thomas Cooper who afterwards was Bishop of Winchester speaking of the returne of the Scots from exile in
Nunne Segnith and her associates and in the North part of that country a Nunnery Ceall Abbain where he made an end of his course and slept with his fathers There was great strife for his corps betweene the North and the South the Lords of the country strove for it in Armes The North pleaded here hee first builded and made his abode the South answered with us was he borne with us hee most conversed and we will have his corps or else we will leave our carkasses in this place The body was laid in a Cart bruit beasts had the drawing of it when both sides were in Armes the silly beasts were frighted and ranne away with the dead and where he was buried I have not found as yet His Monkes howled and kept a lamentable stirre the record runneth thus Populus civitatis Magarnoid in Australibus Laginensibus sic dicebat Iste sanctus a Domino ad nos missus est per multos annos apud nos vixit monasteria multa et cellas in nostra regione edificavit et ipse est noster Sanctus et venerabilis Pater qui nostrā civitatem similiter construxit qui post multa miracula apud nos ad Dominum migravit et per eum semper a Domino adjuvari speramus et scitote quod nos morti omnes prius trademus antequam revertamini eo a nobis absente Ad hanc vocemira principum et militum utrorumque arsit surgentes in furorem magnum contendere et rixari conantes Tunc verò monachi clerici quibus non licebat bellare seorsum exierunt ululantes flentes fusis lachrymis dicentes heu heu Domine Deus cur concedis tam maximam caedem tantorū nobilium virorum circa corpus famulitui qui in sua vita multa bella prohibuit He had familiaritie with Saint Beartanus an Abbot Brendanus Molyng Flannanus Munnu Gobban and with Columba the reverend Priest Saint Patricke was sent into Ireland by Celestinus Bishop of Rome before named five yeeres after Palladius was sent into Scotland So writeth Iohannes Major Scotus and Functius therein followeth him but I thinke they are too forward in their computation for hee came into Ireland Anno 432. and for this beside Iohn Bale Bishop of Ossorie I have warrant from Iocelin the Monke of Furnese who wrote his life at the request of Thomas Primate of Ardmagh Malachias Bishop of Dune and Sir Iohn de Courcy Earle of Vlster and out of Sigebertus and Iohn Clyn Guardian of the Fryers Minors in Kilkenny in his collections of Irish antiquities who also saith that he was 16. yeeres old when the Pirates brought him out of Britaine into Ireland that he was sixe yeeres in servitude that he was eighteene yeeres under Saint Germane a Bishop in France that he spent thirty and five yeeres in converting Ireland and other Ilands to the faith that he bestowed thirty three yeeres in contemplation and that hee died anno aetatis one hundred twenty two Bale writeth his life Patricius surnamed Succetus Magonius of most writers called Magnus for his excellent vertues had in Britaine to his father one Calphurnius a Priest the sonne of Ponticus a Priest saith Iocelin and to his mother one Conche of Pannonia Concessa saith Probus sister to Saint Martin cosin saith Iocelin hee was brought up under godly tutors when Maximus reigned first under his uncle Martin afterward under Germanus Bishop of Auxerre in Burgoyne from thence he came to Italy and so to Rome where for his grave carriage and singular learning descending of noble race he got the name of a Senator Patricius His first name saith Florilegus was Nannus and in his consecration hee was called Patricius Sigebertus and Stanihurst write that in his baptisme hee was called Suchat or Suchar of Saint German Magonius and of Celestinus Patricius the like saith Beda in his Martyrologe Celestinus then Bishop of Rome sent him together with Segetius a Priest anno 432 after Palladius the Grecian unto the Scots and Irish to defend them from the Pelagian heresie he with a wonderfull fervency of spirit preached the Gospell unto the Irish nation travailing in the vineyard of the Lord the space of thirty nine yeeres converted them unto the Lord with his great learning and sanctity of life Whereupon among other miracles the which he is said to have wrought upon the top of an hill like a second Elias he prayed and fasted forty dayes and nights in a vision hee received of Christ the Gospell and a staffe an Hermit gave him the staffe saith Iocelin Hee destroyed the prophane temples of false gods hee erected monuments of piety builded Churches ordained Ministers releeued the poore redeemed captives healed the sick delivered the possessed raised sixty dead persons baptized twelve thousand if all be true which Vincentius Antonius and Capgrave report of him Out of the treasure of his pure heart many Authors affirme that he wrot in Latine these bookes De antiquitate Avalonica lib. 1 Itenerarium Confessionis lib. 1 Odoeporicon Hiberniae lib. 1 Historia Hiberniae ex Ruano lib 1 De tribus habitaculis lib. 1 De futura electorū vita lib. 1 Abiectoria quaedam 366 lib. 1 Sermones quoque lib. 1 Ad Cereticum tyrannum epist. 1 Ad Avaloniae incolas epist. 1 Ad Hibernenses Ecclesias epist. plur Ad suos Britannos epist. plur The manuscript Legend of Ireland reporteth that Saint Patrick in his Epistles wrote his owne life The Antiquaries report that in his conflicts with the sages of the Gentiles this Apostle of the Irish wrought no lesse miracles then of old Moses under Pharaoh or Peter under Nero and that he endured many dipleasures In the end after his death hee was buried neere the City of Dune but the yeere among the Historiographers is not agreed upon yet in remembrance of him this distichon was made Hi tres in Duno tumulo tumulantur in uno Brigida Patricius atque Columba pius Saint Patrick died first Brigida six yeeres after him and Columba many yeeres after her yet were all three buried in one grave What Bale hath formerly written I find he hath gathered out of Vincentius Antoninus Capgrave Leland Gildas Giraldus Cambrensis Bostonus Buriensis and Florilegus and all that Iocelin hath at large written and what Legenda Plumbea and the booke of Houth report to avoid prolixity and to shunne fabulous conceits I omit Now to the Irish Chroniclers They deliver that in his captivity in Ireland being sold to Milcho King of Vlster saith Iocelin to Milach saith Stanihurst to Cuulcu saith Florilegus to Macbuaine saith the Irish Anonymus and to reconcile them all I take it that Milcho was called Milcho Macbuaine he kept swine six yeeres no disgrace unto him for Marcellus Bishop of Rome he that will not beleeue other writers will credit the Martyrologe of Sarum by the commandement of Maximian the tyrant kept
browes and the labour of their owne hands And the rather for that he had to his Disciples of Irish birth Columbanus that travailed France Germanie and Italie Breudan that furnished Ireland and Scotland with holy men with Luanus and others of whom I shall have occasion to speak in their places This Congellus also Bernard is mine Author founded the Abbey of Benchor alias Bangor here in Vlster where many singular learned men of Irish birth were trayned up yea Britaines Saxons and Scots also and dispersed themselves farre and nigh as hereafter shall more plainely appeare into forraigne countries converted and confirmed thousands in the true faith The which Abbey of Benchor was afterward destroyed by Pyrates and nine hundred Monks slaine in one day and so continued waste unto the time of Malachias Bishop of Armach whereof I will speake hereafter Yet in an ancient manuscript Legend of Ireland I finde that this Congellus the Abbot was borne in Dail Naraid in Vlster of honourable Parents and upon some displeasure conceived forsooke his native soile came to Mounster to Saint Fintan Abbot of Cluoyn Ednech at the foote of Mons Blandina where he was ioyfully received who after long instruction through the counsaile of Fintan returned to his native soile and entred the Monasterie of Saint Kiaran in Cluayn Mac Noyse where Bishop Lugidus gave him orders and that in a while after he founded the famous Abbey of Benchor in Vlster in the country called Altitudo ultorum to the East sea as I reade in the life Mocoemog containing three thousand Monkes and that seven yeeres after hee went into Britaine and founded there a Monasterie that swarmed with Monkes as formerly in part is delivered whither out of all places by sea and land they flocked unto him for the same of learning which there was professed He when hee had setled his affaires there returned into Ireland and now resteth at his monasterie of Benchor The fame of both Monasteries or Colledges of Christian Philosophers and famous men thither frequenting and entercouâ—sing with domesticall and forraigne students mee thinkes should reconcile Britaine and Ireland now being in one and breed an agreement among Antiquaries Brendan among others was famous at this time borne in Connaght brought up under Hercus a Bishop and directed by Barintus a Monke he was excellently seene in the liberall sciences and travailed into Britaine to the Abbey of Bangor where hee learned the monasticall rules of Congellus from thence he went to Llancarvan and builded a Monasterie became the father of three thousand Monkes that got their living with the labour of their hands and sweate of their browes left to oversee them Machutus and Molochus travailed over Ireland and Scotland with other countries after seven yeeres peregrination he returned to Ireland and became Bishop of Kerry of old called Kiaragi but now Ardfertensis where he ended his dayes and lyeth buried at Cluenarca otherwise called Luarcha Yet in the life of Ruadanus I finde hee was buried at Cluanferta Other things that Capgrave the martyrologe and Bale have I omit When Saint Brendan was olde Saint Fynbarry was a childe hee is now the Patrone of the Cathedrall Church of Corke his Legend runneth thus There was a certaine King in Ireland called Tegernatus who had to his handmaid a very beautifull Damosell this King gave charge throughout his dominion that none should be so bold as to touch her for it was supposed he kept her for his owne tooth Yet saith the Legend one of his souldiers whose name was Amorgen a blacke Smith got her with childe the which being brought to light and the time of her travaile nigh approaching Tegernatus commanded that Amorgen the father the faire harlot the mother with her great bellie should bee cast into the fire and burned to ashes But saith the Legend they were all miraculously deliuered and the childe safely brought into the world At his baptisme he was named Loanus but in a while after three religious men that had the charge of him by reason of the beautie of his white lockes and gratious aspect called him in Irish Fuenbarrah whom now wee call Fynbarry He was brought up under Bishop Torpereus the disciple of Gregorie Bishop of Rome and was conversant with Faâ—turus another Legend calleth him Fyachna a King in Ireland who did alot him a certaine portion of land in his country Bishop Torpereus gave him orders after which he went saith the Legend into Albania now called Scotland did much good there and went from thence to Rome and was consecrated Bishop in the time of Gregorie the first then he returned to Ireland landed on the South side of the river Lee where one Edo a Noble man gave him a parcell of ground where with the aide of many good men he built the old Citie of Corke and the Cathedrall Church annexing thereto a faire Church yard wherein now standeth a watch Towre builded by the Danes The Legend speaketh of a priviledge granted to that Church-yard which I take to have beene brought in through the covetousnesse of the Priests That what faithfull soever being penitent shall bee buried there shall not after this life feele the torments of hell as if every faithfull penitent Christian were not freed from hell wheresoever he be buried But let us proceed Torpereus Bishop of Cloan his Schoolemaster was the first man that was buried in that Church-yard After this Finbarry went to Calangus a reverend man then Abbot of Cloane and concluded betweene themselves that in the feare of God they would both be buried in one place and so indeed it fell out for there Finbarry fell sicke received the Sacrament at the hands of Calangus ended his dayes and was brought to the Church-yard of old Corke and there interred shortly after followed Calangus and there Bishop Torperus the first Bishop of Cloane Finbarry the first Bishop of Corke and Calangus the first Abbot of Cloane keepe together in the dust of the earth waiting for the resurrection at the last day The fabulous circumstances of the Legend I leave to old Wives and long winters nights yet to satisfie the reader that I met with the Originall I will lay down part of the Latine rithmes sung yeerely on his day being the 25. of September not worthy of translation into English and here they follow Infantis clari matremque patremque ligatum Ambo Rex quondam flammis praeceperat uri Interea mirum bellum gessere elementa Ignis edax stupuit non audens mandere ligna Hic nondum genitus jam matris ventre moratus O nova res miris cepit clamare loquelis Obstupuit rex c. Ad Christi verbum ducentes tres seniores Infantem secum nitidum vultuque decorum Dogmata ut sacra cunabulo disceret evo Contigit ut nimio solis fervore sitiret Tunc senibus quidam praeceperat ire ministrum Vt potum puero cerva deduceret almo Statim
hee had at large written the lives of the foresaid learned men that came out of Ireland he maketh in his Chronicle a recapitulation of them the which will helpe the memorie of the reader therefore I thought good to lay it down Egbert the second time essaied to convert Friseland and Saxonie gathered together twelve Apostolicke men Willibrode Switbert Acca Wigbert Wilibald Winibold Lebuinus Ewaldus surnamed the blacke in Irish Duffe Ewaldus the white Werenfridus Marcellinus and Adalbertus 1 Saint Willibrod and Saint Switbert by common consent of the brethren were elected and consecrated Bishops Saint Willibrode was made Archbishop of Friseland he received by the donation of Duke Pipinus the Citie of Traiectum with all thereunto appertaining He founded in the territorie of Saint Thomas a Colledge of regular Canons In the towne of Rhen he is said to have found the body of Cunera one of the eleven thousand Virgins He travailed in preaching without Friseland â—e had in Latharingia two women disciples Herlind and Relind Nunnes of Maeseike which now is of Leodium or Leege in Flanders He converted the Hulstenses Axellanos Hasuenses Birfletanos At Trevires in the Church of Saint Marie and Martyres hee founded a Monasterie of Monkes Benedictines At Epternacum among the Luxemburgs he founded a famous Monasterie wherein hee was buried Anno 736. 2 Saint Switbert was consecrated in England and converted many in Traiectum Holland Gelderland chiefely Wiic Hagelsteyn Alcmaria Waterlaâ—dia Gerconium Bomelia Tiela Huesda Bura Baâ—ua with other places Hee is called the Apostle of Teisterbandia Westfalia and of the Boructuarians He builded a Monasterie in Werda Caesaris where he ended his dayes Anno 710. 3 Acca went into England to the consecration of Saint Switbert and when Switbert returned he became Bishop of Lindisfarne Wigbert is said to be martyred in Fostilandia adjoyning upon Friseland by Radbodus King of Friseland who also slue Saint Egelmund the Martyr 5.6 Wilibaldus and Winiboldus being brethren went to Aistadium in Germanie 7 Lebuinus converted the Transiselanians and resteth among them in Daventria 8.9 The two Ewaldes went to Nabia preached Christ and were martyred by the old Saxons 10 Werenfridus converted many to the faith at Arnhemium in Westervaert and at Neomagum in Elst. 11 Marcellinus preached 65. yeeres chiefely in Trenta Twenta Oudenzeel and Daventria 12 Adelbertus was the first Archdeacon of Traiectum preached in Kenemaria together with Engelmund an Englishman before spoken of and lyeth buried at Velsen in Egmondan monasterie He writeth farther of Wiron and Plechelinus Bishops of Friseland who came thither together with Otgerus a Deacon out of these parts and were entertained by Pipinus Duke of Brabant Many things are written by Beda Capgrave Surius Baronius Molanus Lippeloo and others of Fursaeus Foilanus whom Beda calleth Fullanus and Vltanus They were three brethren and the base sonnes of a King of Leinster they flourished about the yeere sixe hundred fiftie and odde Fursaeus is said to have had many visions and dreadfull conflicts with divels and infernall spirits He preached unto the Irish Scots Britaines and Saxons hee went into France where he wrought many miracles saith Molanus and because of the fame that went abroad of him one Ercanaldus gave him at Latiniacum a parcell of land to build a Monasterie also hee gave him another piece of ground at Perona sometime a towne in Flanders but now of France and parcell of Gallia Comata where he builded another Monasterie and drew unto him saith mine Author germanos fratres Foilanus and Vltanus and there ended the way of all flesh They of Cambray doe honour him as a Bishop not that hee was a Bishop but an Apostle of certaine places The martyrologe of Sarum reporteth how that after his death the angels and the deuils strove for his soule how that the soule returned to the body againe and how that he lived afterwards Here the Author is deceived for it was a trance that he was in out of which after certaine conflicts he came to himselfe againe and finally in godly sort ended his dayes I finde in the life of Mocoeinoge that there was one Fursaeus a Bishop but more ancient then this With Fursaeus there were at one and the selfe same time many famous men of Irish birth renowned for learning and sanctitie which gave themselves to travaile and dispersed themselves to farre countries as Foilanus and Vltanus before mentioned also Mombolus Boetius Eloquius Adulgisius Columbanus Hetto Helanus Tresanus Germanus Veranus Gobanus Corbrican Dicull Fredegandus Colmanellus Madelgarius Algisius and others After they had visited Rome they came backe saith Molanus into France and Flanders Fursaeus and Adelgisius into Perona Foilanus and Vltanus into Possa Eloquius and Algisius into Theoras the reverend Priest Hetto unto the lake adioyning unto Corbriolum where he builded a Monasterie called domus Petri. Further saith Molanus in the confines of the Attrebates there is a Village called Buym which hath a Church called Saint Hetto whereupon is written In hoc loco Hetto Hiberniensium Episcopus mansionem habuit in another place of the Church Hic reposuit Hetto Hibernensis Episcopus reliquias de corpore sancti Clementis Papae Martyris In another place he writeth of Hetto Goban and Corbrican that they were three brethren and in their returne from Rome died at Walciodorum and lie buried at Fesca Beda left but a bare mention of Goban and Dicull onely this that they were companions of Foilanus Foilanus was slaine in a place in Flanders called Carboriar Saint Bernard writeth that in the place where he was slaine there is a Monasterie builded by the name of Saint Foilane ordinis praemonstratensis in the Diocesse of Cambray Fredegand preached in Antverp where now hee resteth and is greatly honoured Mombolus became an Abbot in the Monasterie of Fursaeus in France a perceiving a conspiracie of his covent against him forsook the place and withdrew himselfe together with a few of his company unto a place of old called Condrynus upon the river Isara where he led an hermites life and ended his dayes There was another of that name a Saint of Burdeux but not of Irish birth Eloquius preached most painefully throughout France and Saxonie and being seated at Latiniecum in the Monasterie which Fursaeus had founded perceived some treacherie practised against him withdrew himselfe as formerly Mombolus had done to a solitarie place called Grimacum upon the rivers of Some and Isara where he departed this life afterwards his body was translated to Walciodorum in Flanders and there he resteth About this time Saint Autbert borne in Ireland was Bishop of Cambray he converted Hannonia and is called the Apostle of Flanders of him Molanus writeth thus Autbertus had beene for certaine yeeres Hiberniae gubernator governour of Ireland the which I take to be some ecclesiasticall charge by which occasion many singular good Preachers heretofore
or threed Girdle for a token which tooke away a swelling and crampe that troubled her and that he was shrouded in the winding sheete which the Nunne Verca had sent him Anno 875. Ardulphus Bishop of Lindisfarne fearing the incursion of the Danes who destroyed Churches and defaced Tombes tooke the corps of Cuthbert and attempted the transporting of it into Ireland but the winde was against them and compelled them to land in England then they brought it to Cuncacester some sixe miles from Durham where it rested some yeeres Anno 925. though Stow referre it to the yeere 995. Aldunus who was the first Bishop of Durham preventing as formerly Ardulphus did the invasion of barbarcus people removed it to a place full of bushes and thornes now called Durham and with the aide of Earle Vthred builded a Church over it where now at length it resteth Edmund the second Bishop of Durham enlarged the Church and beautified the place of his buriall and long after were brought thither the bodies of Balther and Bilfride that had beene Anchors Acca and Alkmundus that had beene Bishops Ebba the Nunne and familiar of Cuthbert Boisilus the Abbot his master King Oswine and the bones of Beda that rested at Girwin so writeth Capgrave He that will see farther of Cuthbert and his patrimonie so called in the Bishopricke of Durham of the endowments and grants given by Christian Princes and of the reverend opinion held of the place because of the sanctitie of Irish Cuthbert let him repaire to learned Camdens Brigantes the which for that they concerne the antiquities of England more then Ireland I omit Now to come to the 700. yeere of Christ. I will beginne with Adamannus who flourished Anno 701. as Florilegus writeth in the time of Alfred King of Northumbers whom Beda highly commendeth and as it may be gathered and borrowed out of his workes many things to furnish his historie of England I finde of divers reported that he was in Ireland and did much good I take it he was of Irish birth for I cannot finde the contrary Bale summarily out of Beda and others writeth in his life as followeth Adamannus Coludius by profession a Monke not vowed but of the Apostolike order and governour of that famous Monasterie which of old Columbanus the disciple of Congellus had founded in the I le Hu made himselfe a patterne of vertue to be followed of many hee was a man studious and singularly well seene in holy Scripture as Tritemius witnesseth neither ignorant of prophane literature wise and faire spoken hee was for his life and conversation renowned and for opinion of sanctitie recounted the father of many Monkes so that hee travailed in a manner all the North regions of Britaine he was a notable Preacher instructing with heavenly admonitions Irish Scots Pictes and Anglosaxons Hee willingly gave eare to all such as made report of any memorable acts of Palestina by their travaile and of other places of the holy Land with the site thereof trusting thereby to attaine unto a better sight in the holy Scripture Then it fell out say the Chronographers that one Arnulphus a Bishop of France comming from Ierusalem and being winde-driven to that place arrived there and throughly enformed Adamannus the which he shortly after committed to writing and dedicated unto Alfred King of Northumbers with these titles De locis terrae sanctae lib. 1. De situ Ierusalem lib. 1. De paschate legitimo lib. 1. With certaine Epistles So farre Bale I have seene beside these a Manuscript worke of his of the life of Saint Columba in three bookes About the yeere 740. saith Lippeloo Gualafer Bishop of Dublin was famous who by his prayers obtained that Cecilia wife to David King of Scots and daughter to the King of Sicilia being barren did conceive beare a sonne called Rumoldus who after the decease of Gualafer was made Bishop of that See and consecrated by the Archbishop of Canterbury and two other Prelates He went into England afterwards to France and came to Rome Anno 752. in the time of Stephen 2. he resigned his Bishopricke from thence hee went into Brabant and by his prayers saith mine Author got one Eliza wife to Earle Ado of the age of 66. yeeres to conceive In the end he went to repaire an old Church agreed with workemen wrangled with them so that they for one quarrell and other and especially for that they held him to be rich hoping to get some part of his wealth knockt him in the head with a hatchet and there lay Saint Rumolde Molanus in discreet sort examineth this historie and delivereth that this Rumoldus tooke with him beyond the seas one Saint Himelin now Patron of Fenacum the place in Dutch is Sijnte Himelijns Vissenaken some said he was of his bloud others some that he was of his bloud and bone His words are these Some suppose that Saint Rumold was the sonne of Erfinus King of Scots after whom succeeded in the kingdome the third and fourth sonne Fergusius and Achaius but the names of the first and second sonne are not extant They adde happely unto the rest that because he was the King of Scots his sonne it stood him upon to forsake the Bishopricke of Dublin when Solvathius that raigned betweene Fergusius and Achaius warred against the Irish and upon this occasion he tooke his iourney to Rome and at his returne preached the Gospell at Mechlin All which by conferring the times would have some great probabilitie unlesse the antient Monuments and Records of Mechlin had avouched him to have beene the sonne of one David a King and to have beene brought forth into the world by the intercession and devout prayers of Gualafer Bishop of Dublin and of him baptized whereby I gather that he was the sonne of some King of Ireland Neither is it any mervaile though we reade not of this David when as Saint Bernard witnesseth that Ireland was not governed by one King but by many the orderly succession of which Kings I suppose for the most part is now perished If you urge that hee came of the Scottish bloud royall I admit it for it is so sung every where throughout the Diocesse of Mechlin but that of old the Irish men were understood and comprehended under the name of Scots by the life of Saint Patricke and elsewhere is very manifest To this purpose is that which Beda affirmeth that Ireland is properly the country of the Scots and Ionas also writeth in the entrance to Columbanus his life how that the Scottish nation inhabit the Iland of the Irish. This Rumoldus died Anno 775. and is honoured in Mechlin for their Patron Virgilius Solivagus borne in Ireland and descended of noble Parentage in his yeeres of discretion forsooke his native soile and together with certaine companions of the same countrey birth went into Germanie where Anno 754. hee was made Abbot of Salisburge by Odilo Duke of Bavaria and shortly
Queene you my Lord discover it not I. Gormo dyed for sorrow and Thira lamented in one day the departure of her Lord and husband the King the death of her sonne and her owne dolefull widdowhood Anno 939. so writeth Caradoc Abloic a most worthy Prince and Monarch of Ireland deceased Anno 940. after the death of Athelstane his brother Edmund raigned over Britaine He subdued the Danes that remained in Northumberland together with others that came out of Ireland to invade the land with Anlaffe their Captaine saith Fabian he slue some and banished the rest so writeth Cooper Anno 948. the Abbey of the blessed Virgin Mary by Dublin was founded by the Danes Molanus writeth of one Columbanus an Abbot of Irish birth that became a recluse or an anachorist Anno 957. in the Church yard of the Monasterie of Gandavum where he kept the space of two yeeres and there ended his dayes This yeere saith Caradoc Congelach King of Ireland was slaine but he sheweth not where nor how Anno 959. Edgar the sonne of Edmund beganne his raigne over England he reduced all into one Monarchie Camden found in a Charter where Edgar delivered of himselfe that it pleased God of his mercy to grant unto him together with the command of England to subdue all the Ilandish kingdomes of the Ocean together with their fierce and mighty Kings as farre as Norwey and the greatest part of Ireland with Dublin the most noble Citie thereof unto the kingdome of England Anno 966. Rodericke the sonne of Edwall Voell Prince of Wales was slaine by Irish men that landed there for a prey spoyled the country and destroyed Aberfraw Caradoc so complaineth of them Molanus writeth of one Forananus a Bishop which flourished Anno 980. he termeth him Bishop of Domenormor and Metropolitane of Ireland and Scotland where he mightily erred in the name of the place of the person and his stile For hee was Bishop of Dromore in Ireland and no Metropolitane at all but to his purpose hee findeth him among his Saints of Flanders and saith that he was warned in a vision to travaile so that he with a company of Irish Priests arrived in France and came to Rome in the time of Benedict 7. from thence he came backe to the Monasterie of Walciodorum where hee and his Priests became professed Monkes of the order of Saint Benedict for the space of twelve yeeres and there ended their dayes The Monkes there saith he were wont among other Saints at Easter yeerely to call upon him Sancte Foranane ora pro nobis untill that the reformers of Bursfeld wiped him out of the Catalogue of Saints for that he was not canonized by the Church of Rome Anno 988. as I finde in the British Chronicle Elwmaen the sonne of Abloic King of Ireland was slaine and a great number of people dyed with famine that is alwaies the end of civill warres and rebellion in Ireland Anno 1004. the Scots I know not the cause entred Ireland and after their manner as also the Danes did then in England preyed burned and destroyed they tooke Gulfath and Vbiad Irish Lords and put out their eyes they ransacked also the Citie of Dublin Anno 1012. Grace and Dowlinge the Irish Antiquaries doe concurre the English Writers are silent and deliver how that Bernaidus commonly called Brian Bowrow Monarch of Ireland and his sonne Murcath alias Murchardus Mac Brian with other Kings of the land subiect unto him gathered great power and met at Clantarfe nigh Dublin and gave a sore battaile unto Sutraic alias Sutric the sonne of Abloic King of Dublin and unto Moilmordha King of Leinster This Sutric to withstand the Monarch had hired to his aide all manner of strangers he could get by sea or by land as Danes Norwegians Scots Britaines Pirates and sea rovers The fight was desperate the field all bloud a horse they say was sometime to his belly in bloud There were slaine that day of the one side Brian the Monarch and his sonne Murchard of the other side Moilmordha King of Leinster Rodericke the Arch-Pirate and Captaine of the strangers with others of both sides innumerable Sutrick was sore wounded was brought to Dublin and shortly after died of his wound I pray thee gentle Reader who got by the bargaine As farre as ever I could learne a woman set them together by the eares The Booke of Houth after the Irish observation delivereth the story thus There was a Merchant in Dublin commonly called the white Merchant a Dane the fourth sonne of the King of Denmarke who had a faire wife of Irish birth and he being full of iealousie and ready to travaile for merchandize into farre countries desired of Brian Borow Monarch of Ireland that his wife untill his returne might waite upon his Lady soiourne in his house for the safeguard of her person credit and honestie the which was granted and the King undertooke it This Merchant made as speedy a returne as he could and being landed early in a morning with a privy key entred the chamber where his wife lay and found Morogh Mac Brian the Kings sonne in bed with his wife hee wheeled about devising what was best to be done at length resolving himselfe to depart for that time tooke Moroghs sword and put it into his owne scabbard and his into Moroghs scabbard Hee went to the King and complained of the abuse here spoken of the King answered He is my sonne give thou iudgement upon him saith the Merchant let him keepe the whore still I will be revenged upon him and his partakers in the field as soone as possibly may be and I doubt not but all Ireland shall rue the day of this villanie Immediately he went to Denmarke brought over to his aide thirty thousand Danes and Norwegians landed at Clantarfe whereof the field was called the field of Clantarfe hee summoned Morogh and his favourites to fight and thought at the first to have taken Dublin Brian Borow fearing this made more haste then good speed tarried not for the forces of the land that were comming with his sonne Donogh to his aide but rashly with his sonne Morogh the Author of all this mischiefe gave them battaile The which battaile all the forenoone being cruelly fought seemed all to leane on the Irish side but in the afternoone the Danes that were in the rere and yet fresh for any fight they had were directed to wheele about and to take the voward unknowne unto the Irish which fiercely fought and encountred with the wearie and wounded Irish and wonne the field Here was Brian Borow and his sonne Morogh and eleven thousand of the Irish slaine One thing further gentle reader note there was a Priests sonne accounted a tall man of armes who in the beginning of the battaile fled away fearing the hardinesse of the Danes and Norwegians and went to Donogh Mac Brian the brother of Morogh who was comming with forces to the
is that say they the stones of your two foster brethren with that she cast up a wilde look and never beheld him cheerefully againe Ororic her Lord and husband being in pursuit of kerne theeves and outlawes that had mightily annoyed his people in the furthest part of his country she with all celerity supposing it a fit time sent for her lover Dermotte the message was no sooner delivered but hee was a horse backe posting to the Harlot to be short he tooke her away with him at which time O false heart she strugled she cryed as though she were unwilling and that hee forced her Ororic immediately heard of it gathered his forces together mustred his people craved ayde and among others wrote unto Roderick Monarch of Ireland as followeth Though I am not ignorant most renowned Prince that humane causes are to be weighed in the balance of patience and that a man endued with vertue will not effeminate himselfe by reason of the unconstant and mutable minde of a Harlot yet in so much this horrible crime whereof I am fully perswaded came to your eares before my messenger could deliver his letters a thing heretofore not heard of as farre as I remember not practised against any King of Ireland severity causeth me to call for justice when charity admonisheth me not to seeke revengement If thou behold the shame I confesse it redoundeth to me alone if you weigh the cause it is common to us both what confidence shall we repose in our subjects that are bound unto us in regard of our Princely command if this effeminate adulterer or rather queller of chastity shall escape unpunished for so abhominable a fact for the unchastised offences of Princes notoriously committed in the sight of al men breed a most pernitious imitation as precedents unto the people in summe you have sufficient experience of my good will and affection towards you you see mee wounded with the cruell darts of fortune vexed with infinite discommodities and now extremely driven to my utter shifts It remaines seeing I am wholly yours that not onely with counsell being requested but with armes being urged you revenge my quarrell this when you will and as you will not onely I aske but require at your hands Farewell The Monarch for some former quarrell against Dermot was all on fire and joyning forces with Ororic entred Leinster with fire and sword the people cry woe and alacke O bone in Irish now are wee punished for the lewdnesse of our Prince Dermot lulling himselfe in his lovers armes heareth the newes starteth upon a sodaine beholdeth his Lady hath no power to speake runneth forth calleth his men cryeth for aid throughout his country none gave â—are unto him the country thought now whereas they could not that God will be revenged on him for his exactions cruelty tyranny and all other villanies practised upon his subjects and especially for deflouring another mans wife when he saw himselfe quite forsaken voyd and destitute of all ayde he betooke himselfe to the sea and fled for England but what became of the Harlot I cannot learne belike shee hanged her selfe when she had set all the country in uprore Anno 1169. Iohn Clin and Iohn Stow are mine Authors now that Dermot is fled I am to insert a story out of the British Chronicles of Conwey and Strotflur Abbeyes afore I discourse of him which was in the same yeere that he tooke the sea how that Owen Gwyneth Prince of North-Wales had a sonne called Ryryd who in the right of his wife as it seemeth was Lord of Clochran in Ireland and another sonne begotten vpon an Irish woman called Howell and a third sonne called Madoc This Madoc finding his country in great contention and his brethren at civill warres prepared certaine ships with men and munition out of Wales and Ireland and sought adventures by seas he sailed west from the coast of Ireland so farre north that hee came to a land unknowne where he saw many strange things This land in the opinion of Humphrey Lloyde the great Antiquary of Britaine must needs be some part of that country of which the Spaniards affirme themselves to be the first discoverers since Hannos time For by reason and order of cosmographie this land to the which Madoc came must needs be sonne part of Nova-hispania or Florida whereupon it is manifest that the same country was long before discovered by Britaines and Irish men afore either Columbus or Americus Vespatius led any Spaniards thither Of the voyage and returne of this Madoc there be many fables the which I will not report He prepared ships for a second voyage and tooke with him men and women to inhabit that land therefore it is to be presupposed that he and his people inhabited part of those countries for it appeareth by Francis Loves that in Acusanus and other places the people honoured the Crosse whereby it may be gathered that Christians had been there before the comming of the Spaniards but because this people were not many they followed the manners of the land and used their language I am of opinion with others that the land whereunto Madoc came was some part of Mexico first of all for that the inhabitants of that land report their Rulers to have descended from a strange nation that came from a far country which thing is confessed by Mutesuma King of that country in his orations made for quieting of his people at his submission to the King of Castile Hernando Curtecius being then present which is laid downe in the Spanish Chronicles of the conquest of the West-Indies secondly the british words and names of places used in that country to this day doe argue the same as when they talke together they say Gwrando which is hearken or listen in British Also if you peruse Sir Humphrey Gilberts discovery they have a Bird which they call Pengwin in Brittish and Cornish a white-head but the Iland of Corroeso the Cape of Britaine the river of Gwyndoor and the white rocke of Pengwyn be British or Welch words whereby it appeareth that it was that country which Madoc and his people inhabited now remembring my selfe that my pen hath not carryed me so far unto forraigne countries by sea but that I expect Dermots returne by sea and by land into Ireland Dermot Mac Morogh came to Henry 2. in Normandie made his moane as formerly in substance is delivered craved aide for his restitution into his country being a King exiled although distressed and void of comfort unlesse hee might obtaine it at his Majesties hands the Kings hands being full of warres he granted him his favourable letters as followeth Henry King of England Duke of Normandie and Aquitaine Earle of Anjow c. unto all his subiects English Normans Welch and Scots and to all nations and people being his subiects greeting whereas Dermot Prince of Leinster most wrongfully as he enformeth banished out of his owne country hath craved our ayde therefore for
and his whole practise came to nought Wherefore let us with one minde like those valiant Frenchmen in our rightfull cause in the defence of our country and safeguard of the lives of our wives and children couragiously give the onset upon our enemies And whiles these strangers are but few in number let us stoutly issue out upon them The fire while it is but in embers and sparkles may easily be covered with ashes but if it breake into flames it is hard to be quenched wherefore it is expedient we stoppe beginnings and prevent sicknesse when it creepeth least when it takes roote it will hardly be cured wherefore cheere my hearts wee fight for our country and liberty let us leave unto our posterity an immortall fame let us march on and lustily assault them that the overthrow of a few may be a terrour to many and that it may be a president unto all forraigne Potentates never to attempt the like againe Dermot Mac Morogh and his men receive intelligence of this march and the approach of the enemy and beholding his men somewhat dismaid turned him to them with loving countenance yee men of Leynster my naturall subjects of my flesh and bloud whom loyalty truth and kindred hath hitherto lincked together let us live together and dye together in the defence of our persons and country you see how that wicked and ambitious minded Rodericke the Author of many mischiefes not contented with his owne country and kingdome seeketh now the soveraignty and dominion over the whole land the which I hope God will not permit You see his glory his pride and audacious attempts how he lifteth up his head and looketh aloft he trusteth to his multitude doubt you not but that God is on our side and the rightfull cause ours though wee of country birth to you Leinster men I speake bee not so many as they are neither so well appointed it forceth not for victory is not measured by multitude but by valour and courage and oftentimes wee know that a few stout and hardy men have foiled troupes of sluggards dastards and white liverd Souldiers If you mistrust any defect in your selves behold a present supply at your back and elbow Doe not you see these Worthy Knights these Valiant Warriers these Noble gallants the flowre of Brittaine their valour in part you have sufficiently tryed their furniture excelleth their order and aray is most comely they have forsaken their native soyle their friends and kindred and all for our sakes will they fly no they have burned their Ships the Land will yeeld them neither succour nor refuge neither will the bloody tyrant Roderic shew any mercy wee are sworne the one to the other while breath lasteth and life endureth If the enemy pretend with the sword to chastise us for our sinnes as it appeareth by their slaunderous shamelesse reports alas what have you done God knoweth your consciences are cleare your cause honest to take Armes in defence of your Prince and Countrey Why doe they not behold the blemishes nay the hainous enormities and villanies that raigne among them Their carrows their kerne their theeves their murders their swearing their lying their drunkennesse their whordome and bloody minds who reformeth The Tyrant Roderic hath murdered his owne naturall brother hee hath three wives alive he hath eleven bastards by severall women O villaine to behold a mote in our eye and cannot see a beame in his owne If the tyrant make challenge and pretend title to Leinster because the same hath sometimes beene tributarie to some one King of Connoght by the same reason also may wee demand and challenge all Connoght for our ancestors have beene sole Governours of both and Monarchs of all Ireland The Lawes of all Nations doe permit and allow to resist and withstand force and injury with force and strength Let us be of good courage wee stand vpon a good ground our seat is naturally very strong of it selfe now by our industry made more defensive feare nothing quit your selves like men When Dermot had made an end of his Irish Oration Robert Fitz Stephens in the Brittish tongue turneth him to the Brittaines You my companions in martiall affaires you lusty young gallants that have endured with me many perils yet still retaine your noble and valiant courage consider whence wee came what wee are and the cause we have in hand we are lineally descended from Troy whose fame hath filled the whole earth and now lately some of us out of Normandy have seated our selves in Brittaine and have to our wives children and kindred of the ancient and noble Brittish race of the one we cary our valiant and noble mind of the other wee learned the experience in feates of Armes wee are not come hither as pirats and theeves to robbe and spoile as it is well knowne unto you wee had our native soile to inhabit wee had our kindred about us and the countenance of great persons wee came after the course of the World as Marshall men but in an honest cause to take our adventures Heere wee are our friends are with us our foes are in armes against us wee are well appointed the enemy is but a wilde naked rasâ—all and savage people feare nothing our cause is good Dermot sought us we sought not him hee loveth our nation and our friends in former times have found friendship in his Countrey hee is a Prince lately exiled whose fall is more to be pittied then envied we are to comfort him to aide him and to restore him to his Kingdome It is more honorable to make then to be a King and to restore then to exile he is a Prince of a bountifull mind hee hath promised large for us and our heires after us hee hath in part already most faithfully performed his yeeres are many and his daies are but few after him wee shall enjoie his and if we overcome the enemy wee shall possesse all feare not death it is but a short delay betweene transitory and eternall life it is but a short passage from vaine and temporall delights to certaine and perpetuall joies if we conquer here wee shall inherit here and purchase unto us immortall fame if we misse here we are sure of a Kingdome in another world Roderic considering with himselfe the events of warres how doubtfull and uncertaine they are wrought all meanes to intreat for peace being timerous to adventure battaile with strangers whose force hee mightily feared and whose puissance and valour being renowned he was loth to encounter withall he sent messengers unto Dermot Mac Morogh promising him that hee and his heires should in peace and quietnesse enjoy all Leinster and acknowledge him for his chiefe King and Monarch and to yeeld unto him the service and homage that to that belonged and that he should deliver him his sonne Cunthurus Cnothurinus saith Stanyhurst for pledge and hostage And if the peace were truly kept and performed Roderic promised to give him his
daughter in marriage and in the end when Leinster should bee quitly setled and reduced to the old Irish order Dermot should drive away the Brittans and strangers and procure no more into the Land all this was concluded vpon and solemnely undertaken by oathes on both sides yet all was but flat dissimulation In the nook of this landeth at Wexford Maurice Fitz Girald brother to Robert Fitz Stephens by the mothers side in two ships having in his company tenne Knights thirty horsemen archers and foot a hundred whereof Dermot was very glad and mightily encouraged on everie side And immediately tooke with him Morice Fitz Girald and bent his forces towards Dublin to be revenged on them for many wrongs and especially for the death of his father whom they murthered in their Councell house as formerly hath beene delivered and after for more despite buried him with a Dog They left Robert Fitz Stephens behind busily imployed in building of a Fort or a strong hold some two miles from Wexford in British and Irish called the Carricke As they drew neere Dublin they preyed they spoyled they burned all before them Dublin trembled for feare the townesmen intreated for peace the which was granted upon the delivery of certaine pledges and hostages In the meane while no small stirre arose betweene Roderic the Monarch and Donald Prince of Limerike for chiefery Whereupon there arose deadly hatred and martiall warres Roderic drew all his forces against him Dermot Mac Moroogh sent to Robert Fitz Stephens that in all haste he should draw forces to the ayde of Donald Prince of Limirike his sonne in law which was accordingly affected where Roderic was foyled lost his chiefery and with shame enough returned to his own country Now Dermot Mac Morogh is puffed up with these prosperous successes and whereas a while agoe he would have contented himselfe with Leynster alone now Connaght and all Ireland seeme little enough unto his aspiring minde Secretly hee acquainteth Robert Fitz Stephens and Maurice Fitz Gerald with his purpose and offereth any of them his daughter and heire with his inheritance after upon condition that they should send for supplies of their kindred and country men to effect his enterprises they modestly thanked him for his offers and refused his daughter for that they were both already married and withall wished him to write for Richard Strangbow with whom he had formerly concluded to that effect unto whom he addresseth his messenger and directeth his letters in this forme Dermot Mac Morogh Prince of Leinster to Richard Earle of Chepstow the sonne of Earle Gilbert sendeth greeting If you doe well consider the time of men and matters as we doe which are distressed then would you regard whether we have cause to complaine of men or to maligne and curse the infortunate time Even as the seely Storkes and Swallowes with their comming prognosticâ—te the summer season and with westerly windes are blowne away we have observed times and seasons fit for your arrivall and transportation if your affaires had correspondently accorded unto our expectations East and West no doubt would have fitted our purpose but hitherto being frustrated of your long desired presence and promises unlesse the most valiant Knights of your country birth whose valour and prowesse my penne is not able to paint unto the posterity had upheld our state and dignity We beseech you againe and againe in the league and amitie of Princes not to use further delayes our successe hitherto hath beene to our hearts desire Leynster is our owne your comming will inlarge our bounds the speedier it is the more gratefull the hastier the more joyfull the sooner the better welcome Richard Strangbow was pleased with these letters glad of the successe of Robert Fitz Stephens and cast with himselfe how hee might speedily passe for Ireland He repaired to King Henry 2. humbly beseeching him either to restore him to such possessions as by right of inheritance did belong unto him or to give him Passe to seek adventures in some forraigne country and among some strange nation Stanihurst excellently conceited layeth downe the Kings answer Henry smiling within himselfe saith Loe whether and where thou wilt goe and wander for me it shall be lawfull for thee take Dedalus wings and flye away Strangbow betweene â—east and earnest takes this for a sufficient licence and makes ready for Ireland and sends before him Reimond le Grosse nephew to Robert Fitz Stephens and Morice Fitz Gerald sonne to William Fitz Gerald the elder brother which land at Dundorogh commonly called Dundenold West of Wexford with tenne Knights forty Esquires and fourescore Archers and foot whereupon Omolaghlin Ophelin Lord of the Decies raised the country consulted with the townesmen of Waterford and concluded that it stood them upon with all expedition to set upon the strangers they made ready 3000. men by land they runne up and downe the shore they row their song was kill kill kill Reimond straight upon his arrivall had fortified himselfe the Waterfordians march against him in battaile array the Britaines being but sixscore and ten came forth to make good the field against 3000. Reymond perceiving in the skirmish that the enemy over-laid them retired to his Fort the Irish perswading themselves at that instant to give the Britaines an utter overthrow thicke and thinne with all haste pursued them and the formost entring at the foote of the last Britaine into the Fort had his head cloven in two with Reymonds sword immediately saith Reymond strike the drumme follow mee fellow souldiers the Irish being disordered and out of battaile array and discouraged with the death of one man flie away then they which in this doubtfull skirmish were like to be vanquished and quite overthrown became victors conquerours wan the field they chased the Waterfordians that were out of order at their wits ends slue of them saith Cambrensis above 500. persons and being weary of killing they cast a great number of those whom they had taken prisoners headlong from the rocks into the sea In this service Sir William Ferand a Knight deserved singular commendations and was the onely man of all the Britaines saith Stanihurst that was slaine Thus fel the pride and rash attempt of Waterford thus decayed their strength and force and thus became the ruine and overthrow of that Citie which as it bred a great hope and consolation to the Britaines so was it the cause of a great desperation and terrour to the enemy They tooke 70. of the best men in Waterford prisoners they enter into consultation and call a martiall court what was to be done with them Reymond full of pittie and compassion delivereth his opinion you my noble and valiant companions and fellow souldiers for the increase of whose honour vertue and fortune wee presently seeme to contend let us consider what is best to bee done with these our prisoners and captives for my part I doe not thinke it good nor yet allow that
forthwith take our own armour and weapons against us well well the Mouse is in the cubbord the Fire is in the lappe and the Serpent is in the bosome the enemie is at hand ready to oppresse his adversarie and the guest is in place with small curtesie to requite his host If our enemies when they come in good array and well appointed to give the onset and to wage battel against us if they should happen to have the victorie the vpperhand over us would they deale in pitty and mercy would they grant us our lives would they put us to ransome Tush what needs many words when the deeds are apparent our victory is to bee used that the destruction of these few may bee a terror to many whereby all others and this wild and rebellious nation may take example and bewar how they meddle and encounter with us of two things we are to make choice of one for either we must valiantly and couragiously stand to performe what we have taken in hand and all fond pitty set aside boldly and stoutly to overthrowe and vanquish this rebellious and stubborne people or if we shall after the mind and opinion of Reimond altogether be pittiful and full of mercy we must hoise up our sailes and returne home leaving both the Country and all that we have already gotten to this miserable and wretched people When Herveie had made an end of his speech they put it to voyces and the voyces went on Herveis side whereupon the Captaines as men condemned were brought to the Rockes and after their Limbs were broken they were cast head long into the Seas and drowned every mothers sonne Vpon the 23. of August being Saint Bartholomewes Eeve and yeere aforesaid to wit Anno 1170. Richard surnamed Strangbow Earle of Strigulia whose original and of-spring in another place herafter if God permit shall bee laid downe landed in the Haven of Waterford where Dermos Mac Morogh Robert Fitz Stephens and Maurice Fitz Gerauld and Reimond le Grosse met him and joyned their forces together Reimond le Grosse was made generall of the field they tooke small rest after their arrivall for upon Bartholomew day being tuesday with Banners displayed in good aray they assaulted the City by water and by land the townesmen manfully defended themselves and gave them two repulses Reimond having compassed the towne espied without adjoyning unto the towne wall where now standeth a strong Bulwarke an old Cabban propped with old timber and entred into the old wall the which proppes they sawed asunder then downe falleth the cabban and withall a great part of the wall the breach thus made the Brittains doe enter and in the streets kill man woman and child and there left them in heapes In Reignald tower upon the wall of the tower they found one Reignald I take it the tower beareth the name of him and Omalaghlin Ophelim Lord of the Decies whose lives Dermot Mac Morogh saved they found there other two whom they put to the sword they rifled the houses they ransacked the City they made havock of all lastly they left there a strong ward Then according to precedent covenants Dermot gave his daughter Eva in marriage to Richard Strangbow and after solemnity thereof they all marched with their forces towards Dublin For Dermot bare them a deadly hatred and hitherto winked at them untill further oportunity served for the villany and cruelty they shewed to his father the townsmen of Dublin foreseeing his revenging mind procured to their aid as many as they could throughout the land they trenched they plashed in paces streets and narrow places all the wayes along to Waterford to hinder their march Dermot was not ignorant thereof whereupon he led the army from out the common and beaten way through the Mountaines of Glandelogh and came safe to the walles of Dublin There the Citizens sent messengers to intreat for peace and amongst others Laurence O Toole Arcbishop of Dublin while they parled without for peace Sir Remond le grosse and Sir Miles Cogan scaled the wals for saith Cambrensis they were more desirous to fight under Mars in the field then in the Senate to sit with Iupiter in Councell they made a breach they enter the Citie they put all to the sword in the meane while Hastulphus the Commander of the City with a great many of the better sort with their Riches and Iewels escaped and fled by the Sea to the North Ilands When the Earle had spent a few daies in the towne he left Miles Cogan Governour therof and by the perswasion of Dermot Mac Morogh he drew his forces into Meth to be avenged of Ororicke whom some call Morice some Murdich who was the cause of his exile and whose wife Dermot had formerly taken away The Earle no sooner entred the Countrey but the Army was given wholly to the spoile they robbed they spoiled they burned and wasted all before them Roderic King of Conoght and Monarch of Ireland seeing his neighbours house set one fire thought it high time to looke to his owne and wrotte to Dermot Mac Morogh contrary to the order of Peace formerly concluded thou hast procured and allured a swarme and multitude of strangers to invade this land all the while thou didst containe thy selfe within compasse of thine owne territories we winked at thy proceedings but forasmuch as now thou not caring for thy oath nor regarding the safety of thy hostages hast so fondly and falsly passed thy bounds I require thee that thou wouldest retire and withdraw these excourses and inrodes of strangers or else to begin I will not faile to cut off thy sonnes head and send it to thee with speed Dermot despised the messenger and would scarce vouchsafe to reade his letter upon the messengers returne Roderic was mad and in his rage caused his pledges head the sonne of Dermot Mac Morogh to be cut off In this troublesome time the Primate of Armagh called the Prelates and Clergie to a Synod at Armagh assembled a Councell where according to their wisedomes they endeavoured to finde out the cause of these miseries that fell upon the land they inquired not whether the Bishops had bought their Bishoprickes for money whether their Parsons did pray whether their Ministers were lettered what whoredome symony or lechery with other enormities raigned among the Clergie but simply like themselves posted over all to the Laytie and concluded insipienter that the iust plague fell upon the people for merchandizing of the English nation for then they bought and sold of the English birth such as they found and made them bondslaves so they served Saint Patricke called the Apostle of Ireland who was a bondman sixe yeeres in Ireland but Patricke preached Christ and the English nation reformed the land Here the sacred letters reconcile all the stone which the builders refused is become the corner stone and why so the answer followeth it is the Lords doing and it is marvellous in our eyes
the land there were certaine Irish men which tooke part with him served faithfully and were as reason required rewarded for their service and had for recompence certaine lands given them which they quietly held and peaceably enioyed untill the comming of the Kings sonne then new commers wanting both living and governement had it given them to furnish them in their foolish prodigalitie so that these Irish men flying unto the enemies became not onely enemies but were espials upon the English and conductors of the enemy against them A third reason of ill successe Cambrensis urgeth against England first how that the Britaines or Cambrians so he termeth them entring this land and breaking the ice to the conquest of Ireland were afterwards by William Fitz Adelme and others envied and every way maligned secondly how that the English commanding the land were by the English disgraced and one often times articling accusing and disgracing one another thirdly how that the Normans comming in place overthrew all for the King being borne beyond the seas affected them most they were of his Councell at home in time of peace and made Commanders abroad in time of warres these comming with the Kings sonne into Ireland were fine in their apparrell delicate mouthed feeding upon dainties they could not disgest their meat without Spice and Wine at every meale they could not endure the service in the Marches and borders they would not remaine in remote places they brooked not the Forts Holds and Garrison places but liberty they liked of so it were in a walled town a warme chamber a Ladies lappe a soft bed a furre gowne and their Lords sides to guard and attend pleased them well they would talke and bragge of service sweare and stare at home stand upon the pantofles of their reputation disdaine others and especially the Irish and durst not shew their faces in the field These were they that gave themselves to command the Irish that would not be commanded by them they polled pilled extorted and what not In the space of eight moneths that Earle Iohn staied in Ireland I finde that he built three Castles Tibrach Lismoore and Archfinan alias Ardsivin at Ardsivin upon Midsummer day so Cambrensis reporteth the Prince of Lymeric bent and animated to rebellion slue foure Knights and the greater part of the Garrison there shortly after the same rebels of Lymric by a slight drew out the Garrison to seize upon a prey and lying in ambush killed many of them but these revolters escaped not scotfree in all the parts of the land for at this time when the Irish men of Kennally with great forces had entred Meth killing burning spoiling and preying the Country William le Petit Governour or Iusticer saith Cambrensis drew a head against them rescued the prey put them to flight made a great slaughter of them and sent a hundred heads of the principall of them to Dublin The Kings sonne hearing of these troubles hastned away unto England left the land tumultuous troublesome al upon an uprore committed the charge thereof saith Stanihurst Bruseo Courceo Giraldidis c. in primis Hugonis Lacaei virtuti where in truth I find no such matter for Cambrensis whom herein I must relie unto being then in Ireland with the Kings son reporteth how that Henry the second hearing of the course which these greene heads held in Ireland thought good to call them all unto England and send thither no more such young commanders and by the advice of his Councell committed the charge and absolute command thereof unto Sir Iohn de Courcy whom hee appointed Lord Lievtenant of Ireland the Booke of Houth also testifieth the same Earle Iohn immediatly gathered forces travailed over the whole land pacified for the time Corke Tumound and Conoght From the death of Hugh Delacy who was slaine Anno 1186. unto the time Hugh Delacy the yonger came to be Lord Iustice of whom hereafter more at large Here gentle Reader Cambrensis leaveth us who most faithfully continued the affaires of Ireland some 30. yeeres and odde he was by father a Barry by mother a Gerraldin nephew to Morice Fitz Gerald and Robert Fitz Stephens that first entred to the Conquest of Ireland hee was borne in Pembrok-shire and was Archdecon of Saint Davids and Brechnoc and diversly imployed by Henry the second in whose time among others the first Conquerors his kindred he came into Ireland againe and became Tutor unto Iohn the Kings sonne and accompanied him into Ireland he wrote many learned workes and among other the Conquest of Ireland the Topography of Ireland and Mirabilia Hiberniae Whereof hee dedicated one unto Richard Earle Strangbow and another unto Henry the second he was elected Archbishop of Saint Davids but at Rome he was out-bid by him that had more money and missed the Cushin hee departed this life when hee was about foure score yeeres old and resteth at Saint Davids Yet one thing further of him which he reporteth of himselfe how that he at the time of his being in Ireland had Conference with Mathew Archbishop of Cashill and he saying among other things You have many Saints in Ireland but I doe not find any martyr amonst you the Bishop taking it in ill part as spoken in derision of the Nation answered with great anger Sir it is so that our people is rude savage and barbarous yet there is none so brutish and bloudy as to lay violent hands upon a Priest now it fals out that wee are to be governed by such a Nation as is not guiltlesse of Prelats deaths and it is like if it stands with Gods pleasure that shortly we shall make up a number of Irish martyrs this he spitefully spake meaning the death of Thomas of Canterbury In a while after that Sir Iohn de Courcy had brought the whole land to a good passe and pacified the Irish tumults this I find in the Booke of Houth Sir Hugh Delacy the younger is sent over into Ireland as Lord Iustice to take the absolute Command of the Realme He had no sooner landed but he sent very imperious letters unto Sir Iohn de Courcy to discharge him and all that were authorized by him of their places and command and in like sort like the green heads spoken of a little before which landed with Earle Iohn they braved it out disdained old experimented souldiers and offered sundry disgraces unto the rest of the English so that thereof rose much heartburning division quarrels and bloody brawles The Irish seeing this sudden alteration this division among the English this undiscreet government thought now to find fit opportunity publikely to release themselves of that which they had oft secretly intended by their runnagades they summoned at a day a place all the Chieftaines of Irish birth to a parlee where after many doubts debated many griefes opened they concluded with full resolution to invade all the English and roote them wholly out of the land and first they swoare to