MAc Morogh beheld his men, & perceiuing them to be somewhat dismaied and out of heart, framed his speech to recomfort them, and thus saith vnto them. Ye men of Lein|ster, truth and kindred in all aduentures hath hither|to ioined vs in one fellowship: wherefore let vs now plucke vp our hearts and like men stand to our de|fense. For why, that wicked and ambitious man Ro|thorike, the author of all wickednesse & mischiefe, who desirous to haue the sole souereignetie and dominion dooth now determine (which God forbid) either to driue vs cleane out of our countrie, or vtterlie to de|stroie vs: and marke you now how he listeth vp his head and looketh alost. He is so proud and glorieth so much in his great multitude, that by ambition and pride he measureth & valueth his force and strength: but yet (for all that) manie times a small number being valiant and well appointed are better and haue preuailed against great troops, being but sluggards and vnarmed. If he make chalenge and pretend title to Leinster, bicause the same sometimes hath beene tributarie to some one king of Conagh, then by the same reason (1) we also maie demand and chalenge all Conagh: for both thereof and of all Ireland our ancestors haue béene the sole gouernors & monarchs. But to the purpose and to speake plainelie, he séeketh not to rule and to reigne as a monarch, but to vsurpe and destroie as a tyrant, to driue vs out of our coun|trie, to succéed into euerie mans right & inheritance; and so alone to rule the rost, and to be master ouer all.
Manie there are which doo brag of their great mul|titudes, and put their trust therein: but let them be well assured that we Leinster men though we be but few in number; yet we neuer were nor yet are af|fraid to incounter euen with the best & proudest. For why, victorie is not gotten, neither dooth it stand al|waies in the great multitude of people, but in vertue and valiantnesse, in strength and courage. We on our sides against pride, haue humilitie: against wrongs, equitie: against arrogancie, modestie: and against intemperance, discretion & moderation: and these vertues are to fight for vs. Men doo not alwaie atteine vnto victorie by great troops and multitudes of people, but by vertues. The lawes of all nations doo grant and allow to resist and withstand force and iniurie with force and strength: it is a fauourable cause to fight for our countrie, and to defend our pa|trimonie. And forsomuch as they contend for the gaine, but we to eschew the losse; let vs be of a good courage: we stand vpon a good ground, and our seat is naturallie verie strong of it selfe, as also by our industrie made more strong: but by reason of the streictnesse thereof, the greater the companie is ther|in, the more comberous and troublesome it will be: [page 10] and yet to win the victorie, a small companie being valiant, couragious, and of a good agreement shall serue and be sufficient.
(1) There be (as is said) fiue portions of Ireland, and euerie of them (except Meth which was reserued to the monarch for the time being for his diet) had their particular princes, & none of these did hold anie one of the other: but of some one of them cho [...]se was made by the whole estates of the land to be the mo|arch; and he for the time being did take and receiue homage and [...]altie of all the others, not in respect that he was a particular prince, but bicause he was the monarch. And this Mac Morogh allegeth for him selfe, denieng that he held anie of his lands of the king of Connagh otherwise than in respect that he was the monarch.