[1] WHen these things were thus done, & the souldiers well refreshed by the booties and preies taken vpon the water and the land, Reimond being aduertised that his father William Fitzgerald was dead, he tooke shipping and passed ouer into Wales, there to take seisen, and to enter into the land descended vnto him. And in his absence Heruie was againe made lieutenant of the armie: who in the absence of Reimond, thinking to doo some seruice and notable exploit, bringeth the earle vnto Cashill; and for their better strength and further helpe, sent his commandement vnto Dub|lin, that the souldiers there should come and méet them; who according came foorth: and in the iourneie they passed thorough Ossorie, where on a certeine night they lodged themselues. Donald then prince of Limerike, a man verie wise in his nation, hauing vnderstanding by his priuie espials of their cõming, suddenlie and vnwares verie earlie in the morning with a great force and companie stale vpon them, and slue of them foure gentlemen which were cap|teins, and foure hundred (1) Ostomen in this sore dis|comfiture.
[1] The earle as soone as he heard hereof, with great sorrow & heauinesse returned vnto Waterford. By means of this mishap, the Irishmen in euerie place tooke such a heart and comfort, that the whole nation with one consent and agréement rose vp against the Englishmen, and the earle as it were a man besie|ged, kept himselfe within the wals and citie of Wa|terford, and from whence he mooued not. But Rotho|rike Oconor prince of Connagh, comming and pas|sing ouer the riuer of Shenin, thinking now to reco|uer all Meth, inuadeth the same with sword and fire, and spoileth, burneth, and destroieth the same, & all the whole countrie euen to the hard walles of Dublin, leauing no castell standing or vndestroied.
(1) These Ostomen were not Irishmen, but yet of long continuance in Ireland. Some saie they came first out of Norwaie, and were called Osto|men, that is to saie Easterlings, or Easterne men, bicause that countrie lieth East in respect of Eng|land and Ireland. Some thinke they were Saxons and Normans; but whatsoeuer they were, they were merchants and vsed the trade of merchandize, and in peaceable maner they came into Ireland; and there being landed they found such fauour with the Irish|rie, that they licenced them to build hauen townes wherein they might dwell & vse their traffike. These men builded the ancientest and most part of the ci|ties and towns vpon or néere the sea side within that land; as namelie Dublin, Waterford, Corke, Lime|rike, and others. And albeit they in processe of time grew to be mightie and strong, and for their safetie did build townes and castels: yet they durst not to dwell among the Irish people, but still continued and kept themselues within their owne townes and forts, and thereof they are and were called since townesmen. And of them were these, being the inhabitants of Dublin, which came to méet the earle, and were thus slaine.