10.21. The ouerthrow giuen to Hasculphus and the Easterlings or Norwaie|men at Dublin. Chap. 21.

The ouerthrow giuen to Hasculphus and the Easterlings or Norwaie|men at Dublin. Chap. 21.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 AT this time about the feast of Pentecost or Whitsuntide, Hasculphus, who was some|time the chiefe ruler of Dublin, sought by all the waies he could how he might be reuenged for the reproch and shame which he had receiued when the citie of Dublin was taken, and he then driuen to flie to his ship, and to saue himselfe. This man had beene in Norwaie, and in the north Ilands to séeke for some helpe and aid; and hauing obteined the same he came with threescore ships well appointed, and full fraughted with lustie men of warre vnto the coasts of (1) Dublin, minding to assaile the citie, and hoping to recouer the same. And without anie delaiengs he landed and vnshipped his men, who were guided and conducted vnder a capteine named Iohn Wood or Iohn Mad, for so the word Wood meaneth. They were all mightie men of warre, and well appointed after the Danish maner, being harnessed with good br [...]gandines, iacks, and shirts of male; their shields, bucklers, and targets were round, and coloured red, and bound about with iron: and as they were in ar|mor, so in minds also they were as iron strong and mightie.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 These men being set in battell araie, and in good order, doo march onwards towards the east gate of the citie of Dublin, there minding to giue th'assault, and with force to make entrie. Miles Cogan then warden of the citie, a man verie valiant and lustie, although his men and people were verie few, and as i [...] were but a handfull in respect of the others: yet boldlie giueth the aduenture and onset vpon his eni|mies: but when he saw his owne small number not to be able to resist nor withstand so great force, and they still pressing & inforcing vpon him, he was dri|uen to retire becke with all his companie, and with the losse of manie of his men, and of them one b [...]ing verie well armed, yet was his thigh cut off cleane at a stroke with a Galloglasse axe. But Richard Cogan brother vnto Miles, vnderstanding how hardlie the matter passed and had sped with his brother, sudden|lie and secretlie with a few men issueth out at the south posterne or gate of the citie, and stealing vpon the backs of his enimies, maketh a great shout, and therewith sharpelie giueth the onset vpon them. At which sudden chance they were so dismaied, that al|beit some fighting before, and some behind, the case was doubtfull, & the euent vncerteine: yet at length they fled and ran awaie, and the most part of them were slaine, and namelie Iohn Wood, whom with o|thers Iohn of Ridensford tooke and killed. Hascul|phus fleeing to his ships was so sharpelie pursued, that vpon the sands he was taken, but saued; and for the greater honour of the victorie was caried backe aliue into the citie as a captiue, where he was some|time the chiefe ruler and gouernour: and there hée was kept till he should compound for his ransome. And then he being brought and presented to Miles Cog [...]n, in the open sight and audience of all the peo|ple, and fretting much for this euill fortune and ouer|throw, suddenlie and in great rage brake out into these speeches, saieng: We are come hither now but a small companie, and a few of vs, and these are but the beginings of our aduentures; but if God send me life, you shall sée greater matters insue and follow. Miles Cogan when he heard these words (for in the toong standeth both life and death, the lord abhorreth the proud heart, and verie badlie dooth he ease his greefe which augmenteth his sorrow) commanded him to be beheaded. And so the life to him before cour|teouslie granted, he by his fondnesse did foolishlie lose it.

(1) The port or hauen of Dublin is a barred ha|uen, and no great ships doo come to the towne it selfe but at a spring or high water, and therefore they doo lie in a certeine rode without the barre, which is a|bout foure or fiue miles from the citie, and the same is called Ringwood; and from thence to Holie hed in Wales is counted the shortest cut betwéene Eng|land and Ireland.

10.22. Rothorike prince of Connagh and Gotred king of Man do be|siege the citie of Dublin. Chap. 22.

Rothorike prince of Connagh and Gotred king of Man do be|siege the citie of Dublin. Chap. 22.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 AFter this, the Irishmen perceiuing that by reason of the kings late proclamation, the earles men and vittels did wast, decaie, and consume for want of their woonted supplies from out of England: all their princes assembled themselues, and doo agree with all their power and force to besiege the citie of Dublin, being procured therevnto by Laurence then archbishop there; who for the zeale and loue of his countrie, did verie earnest|lie trauell herein: and ioining with Rothorike king of Connagh, they sent their letters to Gotred king of the Ile of Man, and to all others the princes of the Ilands, making earnest requests, vsing their persuasions, and promising liberall rewards, if they would come to helpe and aid them to besiege Dublin; they on the water, and the other at land: who were easilie to be persuaded thervnto, and forth|with yéelded to these requests, not onelie for the de|sire of gaines offered: but especiallie, because they doubted, and were afraid of the Englishmen, who hauing dailie good successe they feared least they in EEBO page image 17 time would giue the onset on them, and make a con|quest ouer their possessions. And therfore they foorth|with made themselues readie, and prepared their ships accordinglie. And as soone as the next good wind serued, they came in thirtie ships of warre, verie well appointed, and arriued into the hauen of Aneliffe, or port of Dublin: whose comming was verie thankfull and gratefull. For whie? Whose helps are best liked when men in their affaires haue those to ioine with them which be or feare to be in the like perils and dangers? But the earle and his compa|nie, who had béene shut vp now two moneths within the citie, and whose vittels failed, and were almost consumed, by reason that vpon the kings comman|dement a restraint was made (and therefore none could be brought vnto them out of England) were in a great dumpe and perplexitie, and in a maner were at their wits end, and wist not what to doo. And in this their case see the course and nature of fortune, who when she frowneth, sendeth not one euill alone, but heapeth mischéefe vpon mischéefe, and trouble vp|on trouble. For behold Donald Mac Dermon came from out of the borders of Kencile, & brought news that the men of Wexford & of Kencile to the num|ber of thrée thousand persons had beséeged Robert Fitzstephans and his few men in his castell of the Karecke, and vnlesse they did helpe and rescue him within thrée daies it would be too late; for they should and would else be taken. At this time there was with the earle within the citie Maurice Fitzgerald, and his cosine Reimond, who was latelie returned from the court; and these were not onelie now trou|bled in respect of their owne cause, but for the distres of others, and speciallie Maurice Fitzgerald, who tenderlie tooke and was gréeued with the distressed state of his brother Robert Fitzstephans, and of his wife and children, that they being in the middle of their enimies, should be in so weake a hold not able to kéepe out such a companie: and so rising vp ma|keth this spéech to the earle, and to such as were about him, as followeth.

10.23. The oration of Maurice Fitzgerald. Chap. 23.

The oration of Maurice Fitzgerald. Chap. 23.

YE worthie men, we came not hither, nor were we called into this countrie to be idle, nor to liue deliciouslie: but to trie fortune, and to séeke aduentures. We stood somtimes vpon the top of the wheele, and the game was on our side; but now the whéele is turned, & we cast downe: and yet no doubt she will turne againe, and we shall be on the top. For such is the mutabilitie of fortune, & such is the vncerteine state & course of this world, that prosperitie and aduersitie doo interchangeablie, and by course the one follow the other. After daie commeth the night; and when the night is passed, the daie returneth againe. The sun riseth, and when he hath spred his beames all the daie time, then he com|meth to his fall: and as soone as the night is past, he is againe come and returned to his rising againe. We who before this haue made great triumphs, & haue had fortune at will, are now shut vp on euerie side by our enimies. We be destitute of vittels, and can haue no reléefe neither by land nor yet by sea: our fréends cannot helpe vs, and our enimies readie to deuoure vs. Likewise Fitzstephans, whose vali|antnesse and noble enterprise hath made waie vnto vs into this Iland, he now is also shut vp in a weake hold and feeble place, too weake and slender to hold and kéepe out so great a force. Whie then doo we tarie? And wherefore doo we so linger? Is there anie hope of reléefe from home? No no, the matter is otherwise, and we in woorse case. For as we be o|dious and hatefull to the Irishmen, euen so we now are reputed: for Irishmen are become hatefull to our owne nation and countrie, and so are we odious both to the one and to the other. Wherfore for so much as fortune fauoreth the forward, and helpeth the bold; let vs not longer delaie the matter, nor like sluggards lie still: but whiles we are yet lustie, and our vittels not all spent, let vs giue the onset vpon our enimies: for though we be but few in number in respect of them, yet if we will be of valiant minds and lustie courages, as we were woont to be, we may happilie haue the victorie and conquest of these na|ked wretches and vnarmed people. These spéeches he vsed as the sicke man is woont to doo, who in hope of recouerie of his health, dooth manie times beare out a good countenance, and dissemble his inward greefe and heauinesse. When he had fullie ended his talke and spoken his mind, Reimond, who was also in the like anguish and heauinesse spake thus.