10.7. The speeches and oration which Rothorike O Connor made vnto his soldiors. Chap. 7.

The speeches and oration which Rothorike O Connor made vnto his soldiors. Chap. 7.

ROthorike O Connor, seeing that by those his deuises and practises he could doo no good at all, and thinking that for somuch as he could not auaile with words, he with force and armes, as his last remedie and helpe, pre|pareth his armor, and maketh for the battell: and as|sembling his people togither, maketh vnto them these speeches. Ye right noble and valiant defendors of your countrie and libertie, let vs consider with what people, and for what causes we are now to fight and wage the battell. That enimie of his owne countrie, that tyrant ouer his owne people, and an open enimie vnto all men, and who sometimes was an exiled man: sée how he being inuironed with the force of strangers, is now returned, & mindeth the vtter destruction of vs all, and of this his nation. He enuieng the safetie of his countrie and countrimen, hath procured and brought in a strange nation vpon vs, that by the helpe of a hatefull people he might sa|tisfie and more effectuallie accomplish his malice, which otherwise by no means be could haue brought to passe. He then being an enimie, hath brought in that enimie which hath béene euer hatefull both vnto him, and vnto vs; and who are most gréedie to haue the sauereigntie & dominion ouer vs all, protesting and openlie affirming, that by a certeine fatall desti|nie they are to be rulers ouer this land: yea, & so far hath he shed out his venome, and almost euerie man is so inuenomed therewith, that now no fauor nor mercie is so be shewed. O cruell beast, yea more cru|ell than euer was beast! f [...] to satisfie his insatiable malice, and to be auenged with the bloudsheding of his owne people, be spareth neither himselfe, nor his countrie, [...]. This is he who is a most cruell ty|rant ouer his owne people: this is he who with the force and helpe of strangers useth all force and cru|eltie against all men. He deserueth well therefore to be hated of all, which séeketh to be an enimie vnto all. Looke therefore (yee worthie citizens) well to your selues; I saie looke and consider well how by these meanes, I meane by ciuill discord, all realmes & nations haue for the most part béene ouer throwen & vanquished. (1) Iulius Cesar minding to inuade Britaine had the repulse twise, & was driuen out by the Britons. But when Androgeus fell at variance with the king, he then to be reuenged, sent againe for Iulius, who thervpon returned and conquered the land. (2) The same Iulius also conquerd all the west parts of the world, but when he wa [...]ed & became am|bitious, & would be a sole monarch, & haue the whole gouernement in himselfe, then discord was raised, & debate was rife, & by that me [...]es all Italie was fil|led with mur [...]hers and slaughters. (3) The Britons being at discord [...] their [...] [...]cured Eurmun|dus, who then was a te [...]ror to all the ocean I [...]es, that he with the Satons should pursue and make wars vpon their king, who so did [...] [...]ut in the end to their owne confusion and destr [...]on. Likewise not long after (4) [...] us the French king, being an e|nimie to his owne people, and at discord with them, he procured the said [...] to and and helpe him to subdue his people, who so did, but thereof to had but bad succe, Wherfore let vs with [...]ne mind like to these Frenchmen stand [...]outlie to the defense of our countrie, and couragi [...] giue the onset vpon our enimies. And whiles these strangers be but few in number, let vs lustilie [...]ue out vpon them: for [...] while [...] [...] in sparkles is s [...]ne couered, but EEBO page image 9 when it is in great flames, it is the harder to be quenched. It is good therefore to méet with things at the beginning, and to preuent sicknesse at the first growing: for diseases by long continuance hauing taken déepe root, are hardlie to be cured. We there|fore, who are to defend our countrie and libertie, and to leaue to our posteritie an immortall fame: let vs valiantlie, and with a good courage aduenture and giue the onset, that the ouerthrow of a few may be a terror vnto manie; and that by this example all other forren nations may be afraid to aduenture the like attempt.

(1) Iulius Cesar hauing receiued two repulses, retired & tooke shipping, being in an vtter despaire & not minding to returne anie more. Whervpon Cas|sibelan then king of the land called & assembled all his nobles to London, where for ioie he kept a great and a solemne feast, and at the same were vsed all such games and pastimes, as in those daies were most accustomed. And at a wrestling game then it chanced two yoong gentlemen, the one being nephue to the king, and the other cousine to the erle of Lon|don (Kent) to fall at variance, & in the end the kings nephue was slaine. The king much grieued therwith sent for the earle, whose name was Androgeus: and bicause he would not come vnto him he made wars vpon him. The earle considering in what distresse he was, and how farre vnable to incounter the power and withstand the displeasure of the king, sendeth his messenger with his letters vnto Iulius Cesar, and besought him most earnestlie to returne with his armie, and he would aid and helpe him against the king with all the power he had. Iulius Cesar glad of these tidings returneth with all spéed, and in the end hath the victorie: and thus by meanes of debate and diuision the relme, which otherwise was thought to be impregnable, was subuerted and made tribu|tarie.

(2) Iulius Cesar hauing happie and fortunate successe in all his affaires, grew into such a liking of himselfe, that he would needs be the sole monarch and emperor ouer the whole world, taking foule euill that according to the ancient gouernement of the Romans anie one should be ioined with him: and ambitiouslie séeking the same, he became dreadfull to the people, lothsome to his friends, and in the dis|pleasure of the senat: who maligning at his aspiring and mistrusting the sequele thereof, conspired his death, and in the end he comming into the senat house, and mistrusting nothing, was murthered and slaine.

(3) At this time Careticus was king and ruled ouer Britaine, now named England, who was so vitious a man in all respects, that he became hate|full both to God and man: and his subiects not abi|ding his tyrannie, nor brooking his wickednesse, fell at diuision with him. Wherevpon Gurmundus then king of Ireland was procured (some saie by the Britons and some saie by the Saxons) who being en|tered into the land, and séeking by all the meanes they could to be the sole lords of the land, to inuade the land, which he did, and by the helpe of the Saxons droue the king out of his realme into Wales. And the Saxons hauing thus their wils droue also all the Britons out, who from thensefoorth hauing lost the land of Britaine, did inhabit themselues in Wales, Cornewall, and elsewhere, where they might haue re|fuge and succour. And thus though they were reuen|ged of their king, yet they themselues in the end felt the smart thereof: for they were all destroied or bani|shed: such are the fruits of dissention and debate.

(4) This Isembertus was not king of France, but as (Gaufred saith) was nephue to the king: and the land being then in great troubles, this Isembert made title vnto it, and seeking by all the meanes and waies he could how to compasse the same, procured Gurmundus to helpe and aid him, promising him great rewards. Wherevpon Gurmundus passed o|uer into France, where he had but an euill successe: for there was he slaine, Isembert ouerthrowne and the French nation preuailed. And herevpon Rotho|rike taketh an occasion to incourage his people to stand to their tackle, and valiantlie to withstand Mac Morogh, who as Isembert had procured in Gur|mundus; so had he flocked in Englishmen to ouer|run his countrie.