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 XXXVIII.

OFf̘ the kynge and of his sonnes, and of the Purchas that the kynge did, is y-now tolde Sortelych. Now we will turne agayñe to oure knyghten gestis in Irland̛ // The londe in Irland was in good pees vndyr Reymonde-is kepynge; but heruey of montmorthy,—that euer hadd envy to Reymonde, and Saw that his goodnes and his wyrchippe wex euer more and more,—for he ne drust not opynly show the felony that was in his herte, he be-thoght that he wolde Pryuely / he made to hym semblant of mych loue; be-soght gretly that he sholde alyaunce haue to har kynryde, and namely, that he haue to wyue a gentyl woman, Morices doghtyr, fitz-geraude, that was callid Neste. This mayde was to hym graunted̛, and he hyr Spoused̛. and that the kynred sholde be fastyr bounde to-giddyr, by procurynge of Reymonde and of hym also, the Erle yaue Ellyn his sustyr, to Willam, Morices Eldyst Sone. the Erle sende also aftyr Moryce, that was than went into walis; and at his comynge, he yaue halfe to hym of Ofelan, and the castel of wickylow; and the othyr halfe he yaue to Meyler. In the tyme that the Pees was, and the londe in good state, befel that Obreen, the kynge of Thomonde, agayn his trouth and the kynges Pees, began to wyth-drawe hym frome the kynge, and wolde not be bowynge to hym, nethyr to ham that wer vndyr hym in the londe.

Reymonde tolde therof gret vnworthynys, and in lytyll whyle gaddrid to-gidderis his hoste, So that he hadd an hundred knyghtes and xxti, thre hundrid oþer an hors, and CCCC bowmen afoote; and aboute al-halwyn-tyde wentyn toward lymerike. whan thay wer thedyr come, thay hadd gret lette of [Fol. 18a.] the watyr of the Shynnyñ, that Was Betwen Ham and the Cite, So that thay myght not ouer-wende. the yonglynges—that wel couetos were ham-selfe to auaunce, har myght to show, and also wynnynge to gette and to haue,—wer sore greuyd that thay myght not ouer to the cite that was ham so nyghe, for the watyr that was to depe, and so Streyte rynnynge betwen, and also so stony by the grounde. As the fryste of ham was abydynge vpon the watyres brynke, was a knyght amonge ham newely dobbid, fayre and stalwarth, Reymondes Eme, that was callid Dauy the Welsse: throgh gret couetyse that he hadd, ouer al othyr to wyn the formyste price, he dreddit not to do hym-Selfe to so horribill Perel of deth. he smote his hors with the Sporis, and ouer-threw adoūn̄e Into the watyr, that was depe and ful of stonys. the hors was mych and stronge, and come Sone vp abow the watyr with hym. he wissed̛ the hors sydlynge ayeynes the watyr asquynt, and come ouer on the othyr syde, and cried to his men, and seyde that he had a forde founde. but, for he found no man that hym wolde follow, but O knyght that was callid Geffrey Iudas, he turned agayn by that Same wey (and the knyght come with hym) holde and Sounde; but the knyght, throgh the Streytnys of the watyr, was caste doun, he and his hors, and drounde to-for ham all / whan Meyler, that thedyr was with Reymonde come, this Sawe, he hadd gret envy that Such boldnys sholde be tolde of any othyr, and noght of hym: vpon the hors that hym bare, he Put hym-Selfe in the watyr, and boldely, wyth-out any ferde, Passid ouer the othyr syde. The Citteseynys Saw hym comynge out of the watyr so al-oone: thay came agayn hym, some forto kepe hym vpward at his comynge out of the watyr, forto make hym turne agayn; othyr, to vndo hym ryght in the watyr. The knyght was stronge, and boldely Putte hym vp be-twen two Perelis:—on oone halue, the wode rynnynge

watyr so grymly; on the othyr syde, his enemys, that wyth stones and with fawis hym leydyn on, both at the watyr, and vpon the wallis of the toun, that ryght vpon the watyr stode. he Put his shelde and his hede with the sallet [galeam ictibus clipeumque praetendens.] , agayn the strokys, and hertely helde hym amyd al the Perelis al-one, with-out any helpe, ful vnsure on al sydis / the cry was ful horribill on euery syde. And Reymond, that was at the laste of the hoste, as hede and ledder and prynce of al the hoste, herde the cry, and wyst not what hit was. he come anoone hastely throw al the hoste, til he come to the watyr; and whan he Saw his eme on that othyr syde, so narrow besette, he hadd grete angwysche in his herte; and sharpe and bittyr began to cry to his fellouys, "Men, that So bolde ben, of ryght kynde, and in so many angwyschis with vs hath youre streynth proued, come forth, men! they way is oppenyd̛ to-for vs; and the forde that noone of vs knew, throgh boldnys of oure is founde. followe now the herty knyght that so stronge is by-ladde; and lette we neuer so ney to-for oure eyyne be shente!" wyth that worde, Reymonde was the fryste that [Fol. 18b.] Put Hym in the Watyr; and al the Hoste aftyr did Ham in aduenture, and in goddys grace, and wenten ouer al quyte, (but o knyght, that was callid Guy, and two footmen,) her enemys kylledyn to-for hem, into the Cite [The English copier of this MS. has jumpt from the first 'Cite' to the second—see lines 21, 22 opposite,—and put 'killedyn' = 'slowen' l. 22 opp. for 'flowen,' l. 21 opp.] , and Slowyn ful many of the Citteseynes, and dreyntyn ["her enemys kylledyn to-for hem, into the Cite, and Slowyn ful many of the Citteseynes, and dreyntyn" = fugatis in urbem hostibus, non sine grandi civium strage, muros statim irruperunt; et urbe potiti cum victoria, spoliis plurimum ditati et auro, periculi damna lucri simul et laudis honore compensarunt. v. 322-3.] . Thay foundyn ther so mych golde and Siluyr, and othyr riches, that for that, and also for the Maystry that god ham sende, thay tolde lytel of the Perel and the lostis that thay hadd ther-to-fore. Now ared þe, whyche was the boldyst of this thre knyghtes: Whedyr he that, with-out any man to-for hym, put hym in the watyr forto techyn al the othyr the wey; Othyr he that, aftyr Ensampill of hym, and the horribil deth of ham that weryn drovnde to-for har eyyn, Passid the watyr, and al-one sette so hardy his body, to marke, amonge so many ennemys; Othyr he that, aftyr ham both, so hardy and so boldely, with al the hoste, Put hym in so grette Peril. Thus was as this tyme lymerike take on

a tyvysday, theraftyr hit was socourid̛ on a tywysday, waterford was take on a tyvysday, and deuelyn also. noght for oo Purpos was that day wayted therto, but as hit befell by case and by aduenture, and not with-out skylle. For the tyvysday, by hethyn men tyme in the olde worlde, was sette to a god that is callid Mars, and Was holde god of battayle; And on þat day thay fovndyn, that who-so battayl be-soght, he sholde spede bettyr that day than in othyr dayes.