English conquest of Ireland : A.D. 1166-1185 : mainly from the 'Expugnatio hibernica' of Giraldus Cambrensis : part I, the text / edited by Frederick J. Furnivall.

CHAPTER XII.

Macmoroȝwȝch sawe the englysshe-men so stalwarth that no power mẏght ham wythstond̛. he bethoght hym̛ of thynge that was passed, & that sume of hys eldre to-fore hym̛ hadden̛ somtyme the kynge-dome of all Irland̛, & that al the lond was subyet to hym: he wold, by hẏs myght, by ryght of hys eldren̛, brynge hyt yn-to the self state, that al þe lond̛ shold be vnder̛ hys lordshyppe, as hyt was wndre hys eldren̛ to-fore hẏs tẏm. Of þys tẏnge̛ he spak preuely wẏth Robert, & wyth Moryce, & besoght har consaẏll therof; And þay hym̛ answerd, & seiden̛, that 'lẏghtly that mẏght be done, yf he wold make come more plente of englyssh men̛ ynto þe lond.' he bad ham well þorwe, that thay sholden yn al manere senden after more of har kyn̛ & frendshype. & for thay shold̛ the bettyre wyll haue ther̛-to, he profred̛ ham̛ to yeue hys eldest doghtre to on of ham, whych hyre so wold, wyth all hys lond aftyr hẏs daẏ. bot, fore euery of ham had wyf & I-spoused that tyme, after mych spech, & many dalyaunce ther-of at thys consaylle, thay thoght þat he, to the erle Rychard, (of whom we haue ar thys I-spoke, & to whom he behete the same doghter ther-to-fore at Brystowe,) hys lettres shold send on thẏs maner: "¶ Dermot Macmorgh, priynce of leynestre, to Rychard, Gylbertes son̛, erle of strugoẏl, sendeth grettynge. If þou rekenest the tyme that ys Igoo, as well as we that nede haue, our̛ mone nys ycome to þe no rather than̛ hys tyme. Storkes & swalewes, & oþer somer foules, we haue aftẏre I-loked: thay comen̛, & wyth þe cold north-westre wẏnd þay ben awey ywent. Bot thy comynge, that we so mych haue desyred & so longe I-loked after, nether estren wynde, ne noon other, vs ne hath I-send, as thou vs be-hete. þerfor, that thou ne hast y-dene troght some grete lette, hastylẏ be about to do; for that wer̛ al our̛ gladnes, that thou hast swyth. If þou stalwardly comest, & wyth good myght, the four̛ partyes of Irland shal sone be turned to þe fyft." Whan the erle had thys I-hard, he was yn many thoghtes; & aftyr many selcouth [Fol. 6b.] & dyuers redes, at the last he bethoght hym, that so fewe men̛ as weren̛ yn-to the lond I-come ther̛-to-fore, hadden̛ yn̛ so lytyll whẏll so well I-sped of har aduentures: he name to hym the better herte, & thynge

that he douted myche ther̛-by-fore to begyne, he wax tho the bolder to tak an hond. Fro that tyme, al hẏs thoght & all hys wẏlle was, nyghte & day, wyth aƚƚ hys myȝth to wend̛ in-to Irland̛. He went hym to þe kyng̛ henry, & hym swith be-soght þat he shold̛ delyuer hym hys londes þat sholden be hys by ryght of herytage, other yeue hym leue to do hym yn adventur̛, lond̛ to purchace yn̛ vnked land̛.