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 XIII.

Whan the Kynge wyst hys entent, whoder he wold go, he ne yaue hym fully leue, ne fully hym ne warned; bot wyth such leue as he had, he dight hym þe wynter tyƚƚ the begynnynge of Maye. He sent to-for hym ynto Irland A knyght that was I-called Reymond̛ le gras;—wyth hym, x knytghtes, & fourty Squyers, & four score bowmen;—A man ful hardy & stalwarde, & weƚƚ proued yn̛ wepne, Robertis neueu, & Moryces, har eldest brother, sone. Thay arryued at a place i-called dundoneuile, four myle a soutℏ halfe Waterford; & ther thay arered a dyche, & a feble castel vpon, of yardes and turues. The men of Watterford, & wyth ham Malaghelyn̛ of olan, thys waren I-ware that thay y-hadden such negℏborhede ful loth, & toke ham̛ to rede, þat þay wolden vpon̛ ham̛, ar mo com to ham. Thay assembled ham togeddre, well thre thousand men̛, & wenten̛ ouer the wattyr of sur, that parteth the twey contres of leynestre & of mounestre, & setten̛ ham̛ yn̛ thre hostes, ful boldely for to assaylle the englysshe-men̛ with-In har castell. Reymond & hys men̛—thogh they fewe wer, theẏ wer̛ nat feẏnt—with vneuenlẏ host wenten̛ out & assembled wyth ham. Bot, as no wonder̛ was, so few men ne myght nat all priuely fẏghten aẏeyn̛ so many, thay turned ham̛ aye to har recet. the other weneden̛ that thay departed ẏn dẏscomfyte; thaẏ braken̛ har sheld. In̛, & wentten̛ aftyr: & thay war nat fully wythyn̛ þe yate, that some of ham̛ ner̛ rather̛ In than̛ þe englyssh. Reymond saw that he & hys weren̛ yn̛ gret perylle, & vpon poynt to lese the lyfe. he be-cryed hys felewes, & turned stalwarthly vpon̛ her̛ formen̛ [men in front.] ; & þe fyrste that come yn̛, he claue hym̛ the heed, & throgℏ slaght of that

man̛, all the ost was dyscomfyte, & tok ham̛ to flyght. The oþer ham folwed yn̛-to all þe pleyn̛, & leyd ham̛ on̛ so, þat yn̛ lytell whẏll thay slowe of ham̛ fyfe hundred & mo; & þe most parte of þe other̛ fellen̛ adon̛ yn̛-to þe see, of þe heye rokes, & drent ham̛-selfe. In thys fyght, was a knyght that hete Wyllyam̛ ferand, that dydde ouer-weƚƚ & aboue all other̛: he was a man̛ that hade semblant as thoght he wer̛ on̛ the mich yuell, & þer-for̛ he put hym̛- selue alwey ther̛ [Leaf 7.] the most perille was; ffor he ne raght thegh deth come betwene hym̛ & hẏs ẏuell, ar hyt war̛ to mych I-smẏt vpon̛ hym̛. Her̛ þe pryd of waterford felle; her̛ aƚƚ hẏs mẏght went to noght; her̛-of come the Englysshe hope & comfort; & to the Iresshe, dred & wanhope; ffor hẏt was neuer ther̛-to-for I-herd, that of so fewe men, so grett a slaght was done. Bot lyder consaylle thay dẏdden̛ þer̛-after, that turned ham to mych cruelte; ffor whan̛ the maẏstrẏ was al har, & al har fomen̛ ouercome, In þe fyght weren̛ ytake well thre score men̛ & ten̛, that ham yolden̛, & weren̛ the heghest & the rychyst of al the sitè, such þat þay mẏght haue had for ham the sitè delyuered, or els as myche catel as thay wolden desyr̛. Heruy of Mountmorthy, that to ham̛ was ẏcome, hẏm thrydsome of knẏghtes, & Reymond, vp dyuers domes strouen̛ what men̛ shold̛ do wyth har prysons [pryson=prisoner.] ; ffor Reymond trauayllet about for to dylyuere ham̛, as a man̛ of reuthful mode, & þus seyd to hys feres: "lordynges, what ys vs to done of our̛ wreched prisoners? I sey nat that man shal on any maner spar̛ hys foman̛; bot thay beth nat now fomen, both [but: Sed hi non hostes jam, sed homines.—Op. v. 250.] beth men̛ nat rebelle, bot yn̛ bataylle for to defend har contrey ouercome. Me thynketh thay beth now yn̛ such state, that me oght bettyr haw mercy of ham̛ & yeve ham̛ lyfe, for to yeue other̛ ensample to be boxom̛, than̛ cruely to do ham̛ to deth, whar̛-throgℏ þat other̛, throgℏ ferdnesse of trust, þe lasse to yeld̛ ham̛ to vs." Whan̛ Reymond̛ had such wordes I-seyde, yn al þe folke was moste wille [The ink has perisht: 'et murmure populi cum quodam quasi favore subsecuto.' Gir. Camb., Exp. Hib. c. xv.—Op. v. 252, Rolls Series.] to graunt ham lyf, Arose vp Heruy amonge

hame al, & thys ham̛ seyd: "Inogℏ Reymond openly to vs hath spoke of mercy & almes-dedes, vnked landes I-wonne, & nat wyth slagℏ & wyth brennynge. Wheder̛ Alexander̛ & Iulius Cesar, that weren̛ lordes of al þe world̛, wonnen londes by such wey, I wold Reymond wold me answer. Whan thay comen̛ to vs vel arrayede to fyghten̛, If þay hadde I-won ouer-hand & vs ouercome, wolden thay, for almesse & for reuth, haw had mercye of vs? nay, I trow nat. þerfor out-chese on̛ of two: Other̛ do manly thynge, wher̛-fore we bene ycome; & the folke þat ys rebbeƚƚ ayeyn vs, wyth-outten any noyse, wyth wepne hertely brynge out of dawes; Other, yf we shollen̛ do almes dede on hem̛, & ham̛ sparen̛, as Reymond hath seyd, out we wend to our̛ shyppes, & turne ayeyn̛, & let we the wreched men hold har lond, & brouken wythouten any chalange." Heruyes dome lyket bettre than Reymondes; & weren the Cyteȝeyns to deth Idemed. Thay ne hadden no wone of warytres; & þerfor þey ladden ham̛ to þe clyf of þe see, & put ham̛ adoun, & drent ham.