10.3. The going ouer and landing of Ro|bert Fitzstephans and of his companie in Ireland, and of the
winning of the towne of Wexford, Cap. 3.
The going ouer and landing of Ro|bert Fitzstephans and of his companie in Ireland, and of the
winning of the towne of Wexford, Cap. 3.
Compare 1577 edition:
1
2 IN the
meane time Robert Fitzste|phans, not vnmindfull nor carelesse of his word and promise, prepareth and
prouideth all things in a readinesse, and being accom|panied with thirtie gentlmen of seruice of his owne
kinsfolks & Thrée sco [...] other in [...]. certeine armed men, and about thrée hundred of archers and footmen, which were all of
the best chosen and piked men in Wales, they all ship and imbarke themselues in thrée sundrie barkes, and
sailing towards Ireland, they land about the ca|lends of Maie at the (1) Banne. Then was the old
prophesie of Merlin fulfilled, which was, that A (2) knight biparted should first enter with force in
arms & breake the bounds of Ireland. If you will vn|derstand the mysterie herof, you must haue
respect to his parents, for his father was a Norman and an Englishman, his mother the noble ladie Nesta
was a Camber or a Britaine, in his companie also was Herueie of Mont Maurice, a man infortunat, vn|armed,
EEBO page image 5 and without all furniture: but he trauelling in the behalfe of the earle Richard, to
whome he was vncle, was rathe [...]a (3) spie than a souldier. On the next daie following: Maurice of Prendelgast a (4) lustie and a
hardie man, and borne about Milford in west Wales, he with ten gentlemen of seruice, and a good number of
archers imbarke themselues in two ships, and arriue also at the Banne. These men thus landed at the
Banne, and not standing well assured of their safetie, by reason their comming was blowen abroad through the whole countrie, they with all hast sent messengers to
Dermon, aduerti|sing him of their comming. Wherevpon diuerse of that countrie, who dwelling vpon the sea
coasts, and who when fortune frowned had and did shrinke a|waie from Dermon, now perceuing that she
fauo|red him againe, returned and fawned vpon him; ac|cording to the saieng of the poet in these
words:
As fortune so the faith of man doth stand or fall.
Compare 1577 edition:
1
2 Mac
Morogh, assoone as he heard of their landing and comming, sent his base
son Donold, a valiant gentleman vnto them with fiue hundred men: and verie shortlie after he himselfe
also followed with great ioie and gladnesse. And then when they had re|newed their former couenants and
leagues, and had sworne each one to the other, to obserue the same and to kéepe faith: then, though they
were people of contrarie dispositions, yet now being good fréends and all of one mind, they ioine their
forces togither, and with one consent doo march towards the towne of
Wexford, which is about twelue miles distant from the Banne. When they of the towne heard ther|of, they
being a fierce and vnrulie people, but yet much trusting to their woonted fortune, came foorth about two
thousand of them, and were determined to wage and giue battell. But when they saw their aduersaries armie
to be better set in order than in times past, and that the horsiemen were well armed with armour and
shield shining bright: then vpon new chances & changes taking new counsels, they set on fire and burned their suburbs, and retired into the towne.
Compare 1577 edition:
1
2
3
4 Fitzstephans minding and preparing to giue the assault, filleth the ditches with armed men, and setteth
his archers to marke and watch well the turrets of the wals: which things doone, he with great showtes
and force giueth the assault. The townesmen within being readie to stand at defense, cast ouer the wals
great peeces of timber & stones, and by that meanes hurting manie, made the rest to giue ouer and
retire. Among whom a lustie yoong gentleman named Ro|bert Barrie, being
hot and of a lustie courage, and nothing afraid of death, so he might atchiue vn|to honour, giueth the
first aduenture to scale the wals: but he was striken with a great stone vpon the headpeece, wherwith he
fell he adiong downe into the ditch and escaped verie hardlie, for with much a|doo did his fellowes draw
& pull him out of the place. About sixtéene yeares after, all his great teeth with the force and
violence of this stroke fell out; and that which is verie strange, new téeth grew vp in their places. Upon this repulse they all retired and with|drew themselues from the
wals, & assembled them|selues vpon the sea strands, where foorthwith they set on fire all such
ships and vessels as they could there find. Among whome was one merchant ship latelie come out of England
laden with wines and come, which there laie then at anchor, and a compa|nie of these lustie youths hauing
gotten botes for the purpose, would haue taken hir: which the mari|ners perceiuing, suddenlie cut their
cabels and hoi|sed vp their sailes, & the wind being westerlie and blowing a good gale, they
recouered the seas. These youths still follownig them, had almost lost all and marred the market: for if
others their fellowes had not made good shift and rowed a good pace after them they would scarselie haue
recouered the land againe. Thus fortune, which is onlie constant in inconstan|cie, séemed to haue
forsaken Morogh and Fitzste|phans, and to haue left them destitute of all hope and comfort:
neuerthelesse, on the next morow hauing heard diuine seruice through the whole campe, they determine with
better aduise and circumspection to giue a new assault, & with lustie courages drew to the wals.
The townesmen within séeing this, began to distrust themselues, & to consider how most
vnnatu|rallie and vniustlie they had rebelled against their prince & souereigne: whervpon being
better aduised, they send messengers to him to intreat for peace. At length by the earnest intercession
and mediation of two bishops, and certeine good and peaceable men which were within the towne, peace was
granted; and foure of the best & chiefest men within the towne were deliuered and giuen for
pledges and hostages, for the true kéeping of the peace and their fidelitie. Mac Morogh, to gratifie his
men in these his first successes, and to acquit the first aduenturors, did (ac|cording to his former
promise and couenant) giue vnto Robert Fitzstephans and Maurice Fitzgerald the towne of Wexford, and the
territories therevn|to adioining and apperteining, and vnto Herucie of Mont Morice he gaue in fee two
cantreds, lieng on the sea side betwéene Wexford and Waterford.
(1)
The Banne is a little créeke lieng in the coun|tie of Wexford, neere to Fither a fisher towne, which is
belonging to the bishop of that diocesse, the open seas being on the east and not farre from the hauen
mouth of Waterford on the south: and as it should séeme, Fitzstephans and his companie mistooke the place
or were driuen in there, the same being verie vnapt for a harborow: but the same being the place of the
first receipt of Englishmen, there were cer|teine monuments made in memorie thereof, and were named the
Banna & the Boenne, which were the names (as the common fame is) of the two grea|test ships in
which the Englishmen there arriued.
(2)
A knight biparted. The prophesie was not one|lie verified in respect of the parents of Robert
Fitz|stephans, the one being a Norman Saxon, and the o|ther a Camber: but also in respect of his armes
and ensigne which were biparted being of two sundrie changes, namelie partie per pale gules, and ermine a
saltier counterchanged. For commonlie all pro|phesies haue their allusions vnto armes, and by them they
are discouered, though at the first not so appea|ring before the euent thereof.
(3)
Gentlemen. The Latine word is Milites, which in the now common spéeches is termed knights, a
name of worship and honour: but the word it selfe importeth and meaneth men expert and skilfull to serue
in the wars, whether it be on foot or horssebacke. In times past when men ruled by the sword, then such
as were valiant and of good experience grew in|to credit and estimation; and the people did make choise
of such to gouerne, rule, and defend them, and who for their excellent vertues were called
Nobiles, which in English is gentlemen. And then men being ambitious of honour, did contend
who might best ex|cell in feats of prowesse and chiualrie: some deliting to excell in the seruice on
foot: and bicause they vsed chieflie the target and shield, they tooke their name thereof, & were
called Scutiferi. Some practised chief|lie the seruice on horssebacke, and they (according to
the manner of their seruice) were named Equites: but both the one and the other were in processe
of time called Armigeri, in English esquiers: and this is ta|ken for a degrée somewhat aboue the
estate of a one|lie EEBO page image 6 gentleman. And for somuch as seruice in the fields did carie awaie
with it the greatest honor and credit, and princes willing & desirous to incourage gentlemen to
excell that waie and in that kind of seruice, they deuised a third degree of honour named knighthood. And
this, as it excelleth the others before and not to be giuen but for great desert: so to in|crease the
credit and estimation thereof, it was not to be giuen but with great solemnities and ceremo|nies; and the
person so to be honored, was to be ador|ned with such ornaments as doo
speciallie apperteine to the furniture of such seruice, as namelie a sword, a target, a heime, a paire of
spurres, and such like: and they which were thus aduanced were named Mi|lites or knights, and
thus the name of seruice was turned to the name of worship: yea this degree did grow and wax to be of
such credit, honor and estima|tion, that kings and princes were and would be ve|rie circumspect and
aduised, before they would dub or promote anie man to this estate. Wherefore consi|dering the estate, nature & worship of a knight, and weieng also the course of
this historie, it cannot be intended that all they which went ouer and serued in this conquest, though
they were named Milites, that therfore they should be compted & taken for knights of
worship and high calling: but that they were such as were expert and skilfull to serue in warres
accor|ding to the nature of the word Miles. Wherefore I haue and doo English the word
Miles in this historie a gentleman of seruice.
(4)
A spie, not to watch the dooings of his coun|trimen, whereby to take them in a trip, but to note, marke
and consider the nature, maner, and disposi|tion of the countrie and people: whereby to aduer|tise the
earle how he should prouide and order his doo|ings against his comming ouer into the land.
(5)
Maurice of Prendalgast was doubtlesse a vali|ant gentleman, and borne and bred in west Wales, in or about
the prouince of Penbroke. He is not named nor mentioned in some books of this historie; but I finding in such exemplars as I haue of best credit, doo thinke I should haue
doone wrong to haue omitted him. There are yet of his race, posteritie and name, remaining at these daies
in the countie of Wexford, and elsewhere.