[1] [2] IN this meane time Richard the earle, hauing prouided and made all things in rea|dinesse fit for so great an enterprise, tooke his iournie, and came through Wales to S. Dauids: and still as he went he tooke vp all the best chosen and piked men that he could get. And hauing all things in place and in a readinesse méet and ne|cessarie for such a voiage, he went to Milford hauen, and hauing a good wind tooke shipping and came to Waterford, in the kalends of September on the vi|gill of saint Bartholomew, and had with him about two hundred gentlemen of good seruice, and a thou|sand others. Then was fulfilled Celidons prophesie, Prephesies of Celidon and Merlin fulfilled. which was; that A little firebrand shall go before a great fire; and as the sparkels inkindle the small wood, so shall the same set the great wood a fire. Like|wise was fulfilled the saieng of Merlin; A great fore|runner of a greater follower shall come, and he shall tread downe the heads of Desmond and Leinster, and the waies before opened & made readie he shall inlarge. Reimond being aduertised of the earles ar|riuall, went the next morrow vnto him with great ioy, hauing with him in his companie fortie gentle|men of seruice. And on the morrow vpon saint Bar|tholomews daie, being tuesdaie, they displaied their banners, and in good arraie they marched to the wals of the citie, being fullie bent and determined to giue the assault: the citizens & such others as had escaped at Dundorogh manfullie defending themselues, and giuing them two repulses. Reimond who by the consent and assent of the whole armie was chosen and made generall of the field, and tribune of the host, hauing espied a little house of timber standing halfe vpon posts without the wals, called his men togither, and incouraged them to giue a new assault at that (1) place. And hauing hewed downe the posts wherevpon the house stood, the same fell downe togi|ther with a peece of the towne wall; and then a waie being thus opened, they entred into the citie, and kil|led the people in the streets without pitie or mercie, leauing them lieng in great heaps; and thus with bloodie hands they obteined a bloodie victorie. In the tower called (2) Reinolds tower they tooke two mur|therers prisoners, whom they vnarmed and killed; al|so they tooke there Reinold, and Machlathilen Ophe|lan prince of the Decies: but these were saued by meanes of the comming and suite of Mac Morogh, who was also come thither with Maurice Fitzgerald and Robert Fitzstephans. And when they had set the citie and all other their things in good order, Mac Morogh gaue his daughter Eua, whom he had then brought thither with him, to be maried to the earle according to the first pact and couenant; and then the mariage solemnized and all things set in order, they displaid their baners & marched towards Dublin.
(1) In the verie place of the assault is now builded a strong fort and blockehouse, which is verie well fur|nished and appointed with ordinance and shot. It is in the verie east angle or point of the walles of the citie: and within on the south side the walles dooth it appeere how the same was burned by the English|men at this their entrie.
(2) The Reinolds tower is a little tower in the wall of the old citie, and is next or verie neere adioi|ning to a late monasterie or friers there: it is a verie slender thing, and not worthie of any report; sauing that the author dooth alledge it as a fort in those daies vsed for a defense.