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 XX.

Sone aftyr this, many of them that weryn come into Irland with the Erle, and also tofor,—by the kynges comandement that come to ham as hit is to-for told,—leften the Erle, and wentyn into england. The pepil of Irland Saue the Erle narrow by-lad, both of his men that hym lefte, and of vytayle that trukked̛, wher-of he had grette plente ther-before out of Englond̛. Thay gaderid ham to-gederis mych pepill, al the princes of the londe with al har Power, and be-segedyn Deuelyn on euery syd. and that was by procvrynge of laurance, Archebishope of Deuelyn, as men sayd, for loue of his Pepil / Also he sende his lettres, with o-conghoure-is lettres, kynge of connaght, to Gothrede, kynge of Man, and to othyr Princes of the northe ylondes, for to be-Sette the hauyn of Deuelyn; and large yeftys and presentis ham yaue, and mych mor ham promysid, forto helpe ham. and, for thay dred ham of al Suche aventures, Throgh that, that the Englysℏ-men haddyn So wel conqueryd vpon the Irysℏ, Thay comyn the radyr ham to helpe. and in lytyll whyle came xxx^ti. shippis, ful of bold men wel arrayid to fyght, and be-setten the hauyn of amlyffy. whan the Erle and his men weryn wel two monthys besegid in the Cite of Deuelyn, and to ham come no Soccovr on lond ne on watyr, [Fol. 10a.] And Vytayle ham falid, (and as Hit ys oft̘ founde, Selde befallyth one Harme that more ne comyth aftyr, and euer gaderyth to helpe more and more,) Come Donald, Macmurghes sone of Okensely, to the Erle, and tolde hym, for that Robert Steuenes-Sone was besegid in his castel that he had rerid̛ at the Karrike, of̘ the Citteseynes of weysford, and the men of Okenseley, wel iij^e. Mƚ. men; And̛ few men had with hym; and, but hym come Socoure by the thyrd day, that of hym, ne thay that with hym weryn, neuer no more to thynke. In the Cite of Deuelyn, wer that tyme lefte with the Erle, Morice fiz Geraud̛, and Reymond, that from the kynge was come newely, Sory for ham-Selfe and for haris. and thegh they wer in grete angwysche for ham-Selfe, they weryn in wel more for har good brodyr, and for his, that amonge his enemys was besegyd̛, in

place febilly garnesyd, but a dyche and a hegge of thornys vpon, and a lytil stone wal. Moryce aros vp to-for the Erle and the knyghtes, and sayd̛: "Not to delytes, ne ydylnes, come we nat into this land; but forto sechyn adventures, and proven oure Streynth vpon peril of oure hedys. we haue stond̛ awhyle, and hygh; and now we ben turnyd to the louyst; for So is the schavnge of this world. the end of euery gladnes is Sorrow. And euery Surnesse hath vnsurnes at the ende. Aftyr the bryght day, comyth the nyght; and aftyr, the durkenes of̘ the nyght is a-way dryven̄ with the lyght of the Sone. Afor this, the ouerhand was in al places our, and plente of al goode. Now ben we So belokken, that none helpe vs ne may come, nothyr by lond̛ ne by watyr. On the othyr Syde, Robert Steuenes-Sone, whos bolde hert openyd vs the way into this lond, is besegid fer with his fomen in febyll place. Whate abyde we? haue we any hoppe that oure lond-pepil wil vs come to helpe? tharto ne trust we not / for we byth now in Such lawe y-Sette, that [In the margin, 'as we byth ynglys on to the yryssh, so we byth yryssh on to the ynglys.'] as the Iryssℏ wer, or this, to the Englysℏ, Also the Englysℏ byth now to the Iryssℏ. Wherfor go we out boldely assaylyn oure enemys! thegh we fewe be, we ben men of herte and wel wepenyd! ne shaƚƚ neuer nakyd raskayl, thegh they many be, haue myght ne powere vs to wythstond̛." Whan Morice had this sayd, Reymonde, that was Smyte wyth the Same Sorrow of herte, sayde to ham the same wordis, and mych mor, 'that thay woldyn alther-formyst Smyte vpon the kynge of connaght / and he that was hede and formyst of ham al.' Al that ther weryn, heldyn herto, and went to wepyn ham, and leppyn to hors, and delyd ham on thre, thegh thay few were. In the formyst, was Reymond, with twonty knyghtes; In the othyr, Milis, with xxx^ti. In the thyrd, the Erle and Morice wyth fowrty knyghtes, and Morice with fourty knyghtis and Squyeris; and men an-hors and a-fote, to euery of thys y-sette, as hit wolde befall. thay went ham out of the Cite Softely, about noon dayes, and wyth So few men assayledyn an hoste [Fol. 10b.] of xxx^ti Mƚ. Reymonde, amonge the fyght, fryst Smote vpon ham, and ferre to-for al othyr. he Smote two throgh-out with a Spere. Reymond and Morices two Sonnes, Geraud and alexandyr,

thegh they were fryst Sette in the laste of the hoste, throgh kynly bolul [?for 'bolnys,' 59/14.] hertely Smyten out to the formyst, and many dyddyn to deth. Al the othyr freschely folwedyn aftyr; And in lytyll Space of tyme dyscomfyted al the hoste, and slowyn so many, that no tonge myght tell. Oconghoure, that that tyme Satte in bathe, vnneth Escapid̛. thay folwid the dyscomfiture on euery halue tyll the nyght ham lette. Than thay turned ayeyñe, and toke har pilfre, gold and Syluyr, clothis, and wepyn and hors, and wentyn with myche gladnes into the Cite. A-morrow thay lefte good kepynge in the cite, and turned toward Weysford by Odrooñ, wyth baneres ylacyd, forto Socoure Robert Steuenes-Sonne.