[1] DErmon being aduertised, and hauing perfect aduertisement that they of Dublin had procured & flocked all or the most part of the land to come to aid, helpe and to de|fend them; and that they had laied all the waies, pas|sages and streicts about the citie, whereby no man could passe that waie, he left all those waies; and pas|sing through the mounteines of Glundoloch, he brought his whole armie safe to (1) Dublin. And such was his mortall hatred towards the Dublians, that he could not forget the iniuries doon to himselfe, and the shamefull reproch doone to his father. For his father being on a time at Dublin, and there sit|ting at the doore of a certein ancient man of the citie, they did not onelie there murther him; but for a fur|ther satisfieng of their malice, they cast him and bu|ried him with a dog: and therefore aboue all others he most mortallie hated them. The citizens much mistrusting themselues, they send messengers to in|treate for peace; and in the end by the mediation and meanes of Laurence then the archbishop of Dublin, a parlée and a treatie was obteined: but whiles the old and ancient men were talking of peace, the yon|ger sort were busie in weapons. For Reimond and Miles of Cogan, two lustie yoong gentlemen, but more desirous to fight vnder Mars in the fields than [page 15] to sit in councell vnder Iupiter; and more willing to purchase honor in the warres, than gaine in peace. They with a companie of lustie yoong gentlemen suddenlie ran to the walles, & giuing the assalt, brake in, entred the citie, and obteined the victorie, making no small slaughter of their enimies: but yet the grea|ter number of them, with Hasculphus their captein, escaped awaie with such riches & iewels as they had, and recouered themselues vnto certeine ships which laie there, & so sailed to the north Ilands. At this time Two strange miracles. there happened two strange miracles in the same ci|tie, the one was of a crosse or a rood which the citizens minding to haue caried with them, was not nor would be remooued; the other was of a péece of mo|nie, which was offered to the same rood twise, & euer it returned backe againe, as you may sée more ther|of in our topographie. When the earle had spent a few daies in the citie, about setting and setling the same in good order, he left the same to the charge and gouernance of Miles Cogan: but he himselfe by the persuasion of Mac Morogh (who sought by all the waies he could, how to be reuenged vpon Ororike king of Meth) inuaded the borders of Meth, and wa|sted, spoiled, and destroied the same. All Meth being in the end wasted by the sword and fire; Rothorike King of Connagh thought with himself what might hereof befall vnto him, bicause his neighbors house being set on fire, his was next to the like perill: he sent his messengers vnto Dermon Mac Morogh with this message.
Contrarie to the order of the peace, thou hast procured, called, and flocked into this land a great multitude and number of strangers, and as long as thou didst staie and kéepe thy selfe within thy owne countrie of Leinster, we bare ther|with, and were contented. But forsomuch as now not caring for thy oth, nor regarding the safetie of thy hostages, thou hast so fondlie & lewdlie passed thy bounds: I am to require thée, that thou doo retire and withdraw these excurses of strangers; or else without faile I will cut off thy sonnes head, & send it thée.Mac Morogh when he heard this message, full stoutlie answered, and said he would not giue ouer that which he had begun, nor desist from his enter|prise, vntill he subdued all Connagh his ancient in|heritance, as also he had recouered the monarchie of all Ireland. Rothorike being aduertised of this an|swer, was somwhat warmed and offended therwith, & forthwith in his rage commanded Mac Moroghs sonne, who was his pledge, to be beheaded.
(1) Dublin is the oldest and ancientest citie in all Ireland, and was builded by one Amelaus, the eldest of three brethren named Ostimen or Easterlings: which came first out of Norwaie, or (as some write) out of Normandie, and did inhabit the land. It was first named Aghalia, that is, the towne of hurdels; for it standeth somewhat low and in a marish ground: and bicause when the same was first builded, the la|borers were woont and did go vpon hurdels, it tooke the name thereof. It was also called Doolin, which is to saie blacke water, for of that name is a certeine brooke, fleeting not farre out of the towne, but now is called Dublin or Diuelin; it standeth vpon the riuer named Aneliphus or the Liffer, and it is a port towne, being the chéefest citie and emporium of all that land. It is walled with stone round about, & at the east part therof is a verie old castle, builded first by Henrie Londers archbishop of Dublin, about the yéere 1212, which is now the quéenes castell, & wher|in the lord deputie of that land most commonly lieth, as also wherin the courts for the common law at the vsuall terms are kept. The citie it selfe stands most on trade of merchandize, & is by that means of good wealth. The inhabitants are méere Englishmen, but of Ireland birth. The gouernment thereof is vnder a maior and two shiriffes. And as concerning the order, gouernement, state, policies, and good serui|ces of the same, I shall more at large declare in my particular historie of this land.