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 XVI.

Aftyr this, worth gret spech yn-to all þe lond, & mych ferdnesse of the out-comen̛ men̛. Than gaddered ham al to-gedderes, al the clerkes & the wysmen̛ of þe lond at ardmagℏ; & of thys folkes comyng̛, was mych I-spoke, & longe dalyaunce. At þe laste, comynly thay accordeden̛ al her̛-to, that, for the syn̛ of þe folk, thys mesaduentur̛ ham ys byfal; namely, that whan thay fonden̛ englysshe-men̛ chyldren to syllen̛, that chepmen & robbers woldene brynge to the lond, thay [Fol. 8b.] were wonet to by ham, & do ham yn̛ thraldome; & that throgh goddys owne

wreth hyt was, that as syllers weren̛ to-fore y-broght yn thraldome, also the byggers sholden after: ffor̛ hyt was somtym̛ that the folke of englond—The maner of har kyngdome was al I-hole—whan thay had non̛ other̛ thynge that þay myghten take to, rathar̛ than thay wold any myssayse tholy, Thay wer̛ I-wont to syllen̛ har̛ chyldren & har̛ other̛ kynnesmen̛, botℏ ynto Irlond & ynto other̛ londes. Ther̛-for̛ hyt may well be soth, that as the byggers, also þe syllers, oft serued wel, throgℏ so loly gyltes to be y-broght yn thraldome. Ther̛ hyt was yn þat consaylle be-heght, & by assent of al comynly I-set, that al the englysshe-men̛ yn þe lond that yn thraldome weren̛, shold ben̛ delyuered, & frely let goo whodyr̛so they wold.