[1] [2] IN the meane time Ireland was in good rest and peace, vnder such as vnto whom the charge thereof was committed. And now on a time it happened, that the one eied O|rorike of Meth, being at Dublin, complained vnto Hugh de Lacie of certeine iniuries doone vnto him, praieng redresse: wherevpon the daie and a place of (1) parlée was betweene them appointed for the same. The night next before the daie of this parlée, a yoong gentleman named Griffith, the nephue of Ro|bert Fitzstephans, and Maurice Fitzgerald, being Griffiths dreame. the sonne to their eldest brother named William, dreamed in his sléepe that he saw a great heard of wild hogs to rush and run vpon Hugh de Lacie and his vncle Maurice; and that one of them being more horrible and greater than the rest, had with his tusks rent and killed them: if he had not with all his force and strength rescued them, and killed the bore. On the morrow according to appointment, they came to the place appointed for the parlée, which was a certeine hill called Ororikes hill: but before they came to the verie hill it selfe, they sent messen|gers the one to the other, requiring assurance and safetie: and hauing sworne on each part to kéepe faith and truth, they came to the place appointed and there met, but yet a small companie on either side. For it was agréed vpon on both parties, & by coue|nant excepted, that on each part they should bring but a few and the like number, and they to be all vn|armed; the swords on one side and the spars on the other side, and for all the residue of the people and companie to stand aloofe and a farre off. But Grif|fith, who came to the said parlee with his vncle Mau|rice, was verie pensife and much troubled, concer|ning the vision which he saw in his sleepe; and doub|ting of the worst, made choise of seuen of the best gentlemen of his kindred, whome he knew to be va|liant, and in whome he had a speciall trust and con|fidence. These he draweth to the one side of the hill, but as néere to the place of parlée as he could, [...]here euerie of them hauing his sword, spar and shield; lept and mounted vp to their horsses, and ranging the fields they made sundrie carreers and lustie tur|naments, vnder the pretense and colour of plesant|nes and [...]astime; but in verie déed to be in a readi|nesse if need should so require.
[1] Hugh de Lacie and Ororike this meane while were talking and discoursing of manie things, but con|cluded not of anie thing; neither did Ororike meane anie such thing. For hauing a traitorous mind, and watching his time when he might best powre out his venem, fained himselfe to go out and abroad to make water, and vnder that colour beckened vnto his men, with whome he had concluded and agreed before, that with all hast they should come awaie vnto him; and they foorthwith in all hast so did, and he also then with a pale, grim, and murtherous counte|nance, hauing his ax or spar vpon his shoulder, re|turned backe againe. Maurice Fitzgerald, which was before warned by his cousine Griffith and ad|uertised of his dreame, gaue good eie and watched the matter verie narowlie; and therefore all the par|lée time, he had his sword readie drawne about him: and espieng the traitor to be fullie bent and about to strike Hugh de Lacie, he cried out vnto him, wil|ling him to looke vnto himselfe, and to be at defense with himselfe; wherewith the traitor most violentlie strake vnto him, thinking verelie to haue murthered and dispatched him. But the interpretor of the par|lée stepping in betwéene, saued Hugh de Lacie; but he himselfe was wounded to death, and his arme cleane cut off.
[1] [2] [3] Then Maurice Fitzgerald with a lowd voice cried out to his companie, who with all hast came awaie; and then began a hot and a sharpe bickering of the English swords against the Irish spars. In which skirmishing Hugh de Lacie was twise felled to the ground, and had suerlie béene killed, if Maurice had not valiantlie rescued him. Likewise the Irishmen who were manie in number, they hauing espied the becking of the traitor, they came running in all hast out of the vallies with their weapons, thinking verelie to haue made a cleane dispatch and a full end of Hugh de Lacie and of Maurice Fitzgerald. But Griffith and his companions, still watching for that which indéed did happen, were at the first call of Mau|rice in a readinesse, and being on horssebacke they came awaie with all speed: which thing when the trai|tor saw, he gan to distrust, and thought to shift him|selfe awaie and so to escape. But as he was leaping to his horsse, Griffith was come, and with his staffe or lance strake downe and ran through both horsse and man: who being thus striken downe and kil|led, as also thrée other of his men, who brought him his horsse and were in this bickering, they cut off his head from the bodie, and sent it ouer into Eng|land to the king. The residue of the Irishmen fled foorthwith and ranne awaie, but being hardlie pur|sued euen to the verie woods, there was a great dis|comfiture and slaughter made of them. Rafe the sonne of Fitzstephans, being a lustie and a valiant [page 27] yoong gentleman did well acquite himselfe, and deserued great commendation for his good ser|uice.
(1) The maner of the Irishrie was euer, and yet is, that when so euer there is [...]e controuersie a|mongst them, they will oftentimes appoint places where to meet and assemble themselues for confe|rence; which commonlie is vpon some hill distant and farre from anie house, and this assemblie is cal|led among them a parlée or a parlement. And albeit the pretense héereof is of some quietnesse and re|dresse: yet experience teacheth that there is not a woorsse thing to be vsed among them. For lightlie and most commonlie there are most treacheries and treasons, most murthers and robberies, and all wic|kednesse imagined, deuised, and afterwards put in practise among them: and for the most part there is no parlée among them, whereof insueth not some mischéefe.
(2) This hill lieth in the prouince of Meth, about twentie miles from Dublin, and is now called the Taragh: some thinke this to be the middle part or nauill of that prouince; it is a verie pleasant and a fertile soile, and also for the most part cham|pion.