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 V.

[a small w is inside the V.] Vhan this was thus I-don al after har̛ wiƚƚ, they tok with hame the folk of weysford̛, and̛ wenten ham̛ toward̛ Ossery, with ferd̛ as myght by tre thousant men̛; and was than prince of Ossory, Macdonenild̛, a mān̄ þat was Macmorogh switℏ lotℏ and aƚƚ his mēn̄, for mẏcℏ shame that thay had hym i-do. At þe begẏnynge, as thay com̛ in-to the contrey, in narrow weys drogℏ woddes and̛ mores, thay fonden the men̛ of the contrey stalwartℏ for to defend̛ har̛ lond̛; & mycℏ tene ham̛ didde, ar that daẏ myght take the pleyne; and̛ eke into the pleẏn thay folwed̛ ham̛ fuƚƚ freslẏ. the horsman̛ saw this, and̛ turned manly vp-on ham, & anoon slowen right many of ham̛, & discomfited̛ ham̛ euerychone. And̛ thay þat þe horsmen̛ kest to ground̛ with speres and̛ with swerdes, þe yrisshe fotemen̛ smotene of the heddes. Whan þe slagℏt was aƚƚ I-do, and̛ har enẏmẏes aƚƚ ouer-comen, thay broghten weƚƚ ccc heudes [heuedes, heads.] , and kesten at Macmorgh feet. he be-held̛ ham̛, & tried euerẏ of ham̛ bẏ ham̛-self, for to know hame, & hild̛ vp his handes and̛ tanked̛ god almyghtẏ ful Inwardly. Oon hede ther was, a-monge þe other̛, of a man that he ouer-dede and̛ mycℏ hated; he name hit be the heer̛ and̛ by the eers, and̛ with girslicℏ bit, as no man̛ ne oweth to done; with his teetℏ he karue of his nose and̛ botℏ lippes. There-after þeẏ wenten̛ forther̛ into the contrey, slowen, robeden, and branden full manly al þat hame withstonden, in-to the tẏm the prince of Ossory, by consaiƚƚ of his men̛, send̛ to ham̛, & be-soght pees: the pees was graunted̛ whan he hit bẏsoght, vp-on good ostages, and̛ othes I-swer̛, þat he, to his lord̛ Macmorgℏ, shold̛ be trew, and̛ trowth hold̛, trẏwly serue fro that tẏme forward̛. in these fightes as in manẏ othere, thogℏ that in the englishe host noon wer̛ bot good and stalward̛, Robert þe Barr̛ and Meiler fiz-henrẏ weren thaẏ that best deden. Thaẏ weren both ẏong knyghtes, and Robert Steuenes-sonnes neues; the oon his brother̛ sone, the other̛ his susteres sone; of diuerse maners, both [but.] of hardnes & of stalworthnes

mostdele al I-lẏcℏ; ffor Meyler was a man̛ that ouer mycℏ desyred̛ to be I-preisede, and þat men̛ sholden mẏcℏ speke of his stalwardnes, and preisen hym. Robert was kẏndlẏe, hardy, & stalwarde, [Fol. 3b.] and euer with the forthmost in euery fight and in euery peril, bot he hatede notynge so mycℏ as that me shold̛ spek of his stalwardnes, ne hyme preiese. The whill the host was thus in Ossory, befel þat þay weren̛ a nẏght I-loget in an old̛ casteƚƚ, & aboute; and̛ these tweẏn, as har̛ wone was, weren botℏ I-hosted to-gedderes: ffer̛ with-yn nyght come an host vp-on ham, of so mycℏ folk as thegℏ hit were fele thousand̛, on euerẏ side smẏtynge vp the host as they wolden in wode raas ferly ouersaiƚƚ hame, al, with wepne rẏngẏnge, speres and̛ sparthes ruthlynge to-geddre, with cryynge so gryslẏ that noon ende was of helf far̛, as hoft-sithes was wonet to be-faƚƚ in ostynges in Irland̛; of whicℏe frightnes the most parte of the oste was so aferd̛, that þay flowe and hidden ham̛, some in wodnes, som in mores. These twey stalward̛ mēn̄ henten har̛ wepene, & lep to hors, and wenten a-noon to Robertes tentes, (Steuenes sone,) and̛ cryed vp-on har̛ felowes þat day sholden withstond̛, and̛ tak hert to hame, and̛ defend̛ ham-self; bot few ther̛ wer̛ that so diden, til they saw that this crie and̛ þe noise was all I-left, & nas bot fantasy. Whan the host hem gaddred ayaẏn to-geddre, thaẏ wer̛ fuƚƚ sor̛ ashamet that thay so arglẏ put ham to flight, and̛ mycℏ speche was amonge ham, and̛ manẏ, hadden gret enuẏ, and̛ mẏch wonder toght of Robert de barr̛, that whan the host was in so gret frightnes, he was that man̛ þat stydfastlẏ most hẏm held, and̛ most hẏm entised for to witℏstond̛ and̛ fight; and̛ amonge aƚƚ the goode thewes that in hym weren, þis inamliche is i-told̛ of hẏm, that for no violence ne ferlẏ aduentur̛ þat hym mẏght betid, he was neuer whan-hopefully argh, ne aferd̛, ne amayed̛ of hert, ne shamefully ne didde hym to flight, bot euer mor̛ he was I-licℏ redy to weppen and̛ to defend̛ hym-self, and̛ to helpen all oþer; he the formost knẏght that in this conqueste of Irland̛ first receyued̛ dẏnt and̛ hurtẏng in battaill. A wonder̛ was of that fantasye: A-morowe whan̛ hit was daẏ, I the place, ther this folk I-seẏe smẏten vp-on hame, the wedes and̛ the grase

that stoden al euen vp-right, thay lay aƚƚ I-drow a-doune and I-cast to grond̛. [This grass, &c. only in Harl. MS. 177. Op. v. 236.]