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 XXXIV.

Whan this was done, and the meyne was nobely arrayed both by londe and also by watyr / come thythyngis to Reymonde, that his Fadyr willam fiz-geraude was dede. Reymond wente ouer into Walis, to take seysyne in his Fadyr landis; And heruey that tyme was made constabil of the meny. he wolde fayn entremitte hym to done sumthynge, the whyle that Reymonde was out of londe; and made the Erle and meny wende to cassell forto werryn in monestre. He sende also aftyr the meny of deuelyn to come to ham. And As thay come throgh Ossory, and lay a-nyght in a place thar thay demyd to be al Sure, Obreen, the kynge of Thomonde, was Sure, and awayted hare [Fol. 16a.] comynge By good Spies. He aroose, with mych Pepil, vppon Hame, erly a day in the mornynge, and Smote vppon ham vnwittyngly, and killid iiij^e. knyghtis and weryn ouer hame, and CCCC men. Whan the thythynges herof come to the Erle, he turned agayne to Watyrford̛ with mych shame, and helde hym ther as man that was besegid, that he came not fro thennes. And for this aduenture, the Pepil of Irland with oo herte al-to-giddyr arysen vpon the Englysℏ, and Slowen ham in al places that thay ham myght fynde // The kynge of Connaght come also ouer the shynnyñ into Myth, and found al the Castelis waste and woyde. he braunt and keste ham doune to grounde, til he come ryght to Deuelyn. The Erle Saw that he was narrow bylad: by consail of his men, as the laste remedy of lyue, he sende his lettres to Reymond, ouer into Walis, in thes wordis: "As rath as

ye haue sey thes lettres, ne lette not to come to socoure vs with good myght: and youre desyre of Basyle my Sustre, lawefully forto Spouse, anone at youre comynge, with-out fayl ye shall haue" // Whan Reymond hadd this herde, both for the maydes lowe that he so longe had desiryd, and forto prow his myght, and socoure his lorde in his mychel nede, with Meyler, his emys sone, he dight hym al that he myght in such haste, so that he myght haue / and hadde xxx^ti. knyghtes of his owyn kyne, and CCC bowmen, the coyse of al Walis. he putte hym to sayle, and arryued at Weysforde in xv. shippis. that same tyme, þe men of Weysforde hadd Purveyed ham to vndo al the Englysℏ, wherso thay myght ham fynde. Whan thay Saue the chippis comynge Into hawyn, and baneres that thay wel knew; throw that comynge So Fresly, that trayson was lefte; and anoone Reymonde went wyth his men to watyrforde, and broght thens the erle boldely to Weysforde. Fresell, that was keper of watyrforde, wente by the watyr of Sure in botis with his men; and, as they were in the watyr, the liddyr gides that hym Sholde lede, slayñe hym and al his men, and turned agayn to the Cite, and gaddrid̛ ham to-geddyr al the Irysℏ-men, and smyte vpon the Englysℏ-men, and slayne al thay that thay myght fynde in hous, in wey, men and women, yonge and olde, with-out any sparynge, Saue thay that Escapid̛ into Rathevyldestoure; and throgh ham was the touñe Sawid, tyl the traytorys ther-aftyr come to Pees, and euer ther-aftyr the lasse belewid and lowid. / Reymond, when he hadd thus I-Sawid the Erle, he mvnyed the Erle of his promes. the erle sende anoone to deuelyn aftyr his suster; and Wente neuer frome Weysforde tiƚƚ that she was, with myche wyrchipp, Spousid to Reymonde. Whan he was spousid, and al the day was holde in Ioy and gladnys, and mych Plente of mette and drynke, and the nyght aftyr in delytes of chambyr, as ham beste plesyde / Came tythyngis that o-conghoure, kynge of Connaght, hadd destrued al Myth, and was come with grete hoste into the contrey of Deuelyn. Reymond was not Slow, nethyr for lowe of his fayre wyffe, ne [Fol. 16b.] for the moche feste; But amorrow He toke His men With Hym, and Went towarde Deuelyn. O-conghoure

had thertofor assayed his meny, and douted hym the more. he wolde not abyde hym, but was glade to take homwarde. Reymonde lette restore and arere that was destrued̛ by the werre; And fale casteles ryght vpe, and broght into radyr state. and for dred of hym, the londe wax in good pees a goode whyle, that none Irysℏ-man ne durst hym not styre, werre to begynne.