10.25. How Rothorike of Connagh, and all his whole armie was discomfited. Chap. 25.

How Rothorike of Connagh, and all his whole armie was discomfited. Chap. 25.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 IMmediatlie vpon the foresaid persuasi|ons, euerie man with all spéed had made him selfe readie and got on his armor, thinking it too long yer they did bicker with the enimie: and being all assembled and in good arraie, they diui|ded them into thrée wings or wards, though in num|ber they were verie few. In the first was Reimond with twentie gentlemen and his few soldiers. In the second Miles Cogan with thirtie gentlemen and his other few soldiers. And in the third was the earle and Maurice Fitzgerald with fortie gentlemen and all their soldiors. And in euerie ward were some of all the citizens, sauing such as were appointed for the gard and safetie of the citie. Thus all things being set in an order, they suddenlie in the morning about nine of the clocke issued out, but not without some contention and controuersie: for they striued among themselues, who should haue the fore ward, and giue the onset vpon the enimies, who were in number a|bout thirtie thousand: neuerthelesse they in the end a|gréed and appointed in order how all things should be doone: and foorthwith issued out and gaue the onset EEBO page image 19 vpon their enimies, who then were out of araie and order, being vnwares of their comming. Reimond among the first being the first was foremost, & gaue the first aduenture, and striking two of his enimies through with his lance or staffe siue them both. Mei|lerius also and Girald and Alexander the two sonnes of Maurice, although they were in the rereward; yet they were so hot vpon the spurre, and followed in such lustie maner, that they were as forward as the fore|most, and right valiantlie did ouerthrow and kill manie of the enimies.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 The like valiant minds were in all the whole resi|due, who now striued & serued all for the best game: and so lustilie they acquitted themselues, that the e|nimies being afraid, were faine to take their héeles and to run awaie. But they still followed and pur|sued them euen vntill night, still murthering & spoi|ling them. Rothorike the king himselfe trusted so much in the great troops and multitudes of his peo|ple; that he thought nothing lesse, than that so small a number as were within, would issue out and giue the onset vpon so manie as were without. And ther|fore taking his pleasure and pastance, he was then a bathing: but when he heard how the game went, and how his men were discomfited & the most part fled or flieng awaie, he neither tarried for his cham|berleine to apparell him, nor for his page to help him: but with all the hast and post hast he could, he turneth a faire paire of heeles and runneth awaie: and albeit he were verie sharpelie pursued, yet (though hardlie) he escaped. At night all the companie being retur|ned, they recouered themselues into the citie againe: not onelie with the honor of the field, but also with great booties and preies of vittels, armor, and other trash. Immediatlie also were dispersed the other camps, namelie the archbishops, Machlaghlin, Ma|chelewn, Gillemeholocke and Okencelos, who had all the force of Leinster, sauing a few of Kencile and Wexford: and these were incamped on the south side. Likewise Ororike of Meth, Okarrell of Uriell, Mac Shaghline and Ocadise which were incamped on the north side raised their campes and shifted for them|selues. On the morrow, all things being set in good order, and good watch appointed for the safe kéeping and custodie of the citie, they march towards Wex|ford, and take the higher waie by Odrone.

10.26. The guilefull and treacherous taking of Robert Fitzstephans at the K [...]ecke. Cap. 26.

The guilefull and treacherous taking of Robert Fitzstephans at the K [...]ecke. Cap. 26.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 AFter this good successe, fortune who can|not continue firme in one staie, dooth now change hir course, and interlineth aduersitie with prosperitie. For whie, there is neither faith firme, nor felicitie permanent vpon the earth. For the Wexford men and they of Kencile, forget|ting their promise, and nothing regarding their faith which they had before made and assured vnto Robert Fitzstephans, doo now assemble themselues to the number of thrée thousand, and doo march toward the Karecke, there to besiege the same, where Robert Fitzstephans was then: who mistrusting & fearing nothing, had but fiue gentlemen and a few archers about him. The enimies giue the assalt, & not pre|uailing at the first, doo renew the same againe and againe: but when they saw that all their labours were lost, bicause that Fitzstephans and his compa|nie though they were but a few in number, yet they were verie nimble and verie readie to defend them|selues, and especiallie one William Nott, who in this seruice did verie well and worthilie acquit him|selfe; they now doo séeke to practise their old subtil|ties and guiles. They leauing therefore to vse force and violence, doo now vnder colour of peace come toward the Karecke and bring with them the bishop of Kildare, the bishop of Wexford, & certeine other religious persons, who brought with them a masse|booke, Corpus Domini, and certeine relikes: and after a few speeches of persuasion had with Fitzstephans, they to compasse their matter, tooke their corporall othes, and swore vpon a booke, that the citie of Du|blin was taken: and that the earle, Maurice, Rei|mond, and all the Englishmen were taken and kil|led; that Rothorike of Connagh, with all the whole power and armie of Connagh & Leinster, was com|ming towards Wexford for the apprehension of him: but for his sake, and for the good will which they bare vnto him, bicause they had alwaie found him a cour|teous and a liberall prince, they were come vnto him to conueie him awaie in safetie, and all his ouer into Wales, before the comming of that great mul|titude, which were his extreame and mortall eni|mies. Fitzstephans giuing credit to this their swea|ring and a [...]owries, did foorthwith yeeld himselfe, his people, & all that he had vnto them and their custodie: but they foorthwith most traitorouslie, of them that thus yéelded into their hands some they killed, some they beat, some they wounded, and some they cast in|to prison. But assoone as newes was brought that Dublin was false, and that the earle was marching towards them; these traitors set the towne on fire, and they themselues with bag and baggage and with their prisoners gat them into the Iland Begorie, which they call the holie Iland, and which lieth in the middle of the hauen there.

10.27. The description of Robert Fitzstephans. Chap. 27.

The description of Robert Fitzstephans. Chap. 27.

[...] Noble man, the onelie patterne of vertue, and the example of true industrie and la|bours: who hauing tried the variablenesse of fortune, had tasted more aduersitie than prosperitie! O worthie man, who both in Ireland and in Wales had traced the whole compasse of for|tunes wheele, and had endured whatsoeuer good for|tune or euill could giue! O Fitzstephans, the verie second an other (1) Marius, for if you doo consider his prosperitie, no man was more fortunate than he: and on the contrarie, if you marke his aduersitie, no man was or could be more miserable. He was of a large and full bodie, his countenance verie comelie: and in stature he was somewhat more meane: he was bountifull, liberall, and pleasant, but yet sometimes somewhat aboue modestie giuen to wine and women. The earle (as is aforesaid) marched with his armie towards Wexford, fast by Odrone, which was a place full of streicts, passes, and bogs, and verie hardlie to be passed through: but yet the whole power, force, and strength of all Lein|ster came thither, and met him and gaue him the battell, betwéene whom there was a great fight, and manie of the enimies slaine. But the earle with the losse of one onelie yoongman recouered himselfe in safetie to the plaines, and there amongst others, Meilerius shewed himselfe to be a right valiant man.

(1) This Marius was named Caius Marius, his father was borne in Arpinum, & from thence came to Rome, and there dwelt, being a poore artificer and handicrafts man, but much relieued by Metellus a noble Roman, in whose house, and vnder whom, both the father and the: sonne were seruants: but being EEBO page image 20 giuen altogither to martiall affaires, he became a verie valiant man, and did as good seruice to the citie of Rome as anie before or after him. Affrica he con|quered, and in his first triumph Iugurtha and his two sonnes were bound in chaines, and caried cap|tiues to Rome before his chariot. The Cambrians, Germans, and Tigurians wanting habitations, and thinking to settle themselues in Italie, trauelled thitherwards for the same purpose; but being denied by the Romans, they made most cruell warres vpon them, and slue of them at one time fourescore thou|sand souldiers, and thréescore thousand of others, wherewith the state of Rome and of all Italie was so broken, and ouerthrowne, that the Romans much bewailed themselues, & did thinke verelie that they should be vtterlie destroied. In this distresse Marius tooke the matter in hand, and méeting first with the Germans, gaue them the battell, slue their king Teutobochas, and two hundred thousand men, be|side fourescore thousand which were taken. After that he met with the Cambrians, and slue their king Beleus, and an hundred and fortie thousand with him, as also tooke fortie thousand prisoners. For which victorie he triumphed the second time in Rome, and was named then the third founder of Rome. Againe in the ciuill wars which grew by the means of Dru|sius, all Italie was then in armes, and the Romans in euerie place had the worse side (for all Italie be|gan to forsake them) and in this distresse Marius ha|uing gotten but a small power in respect of the eni|mies, giueth the onset vpon the Marsians, and at two times he slue fouretéene thousand of them: which so quailed the Italians, and incouraged the Romans, that the Romans recouered themselues and had the maistrie. As in the warres so otherwise was Marius verie fortunate: for being but of a base stocke, yet he maried Iulia, a noble woman of the familie of the Iulies, and aunt vnto Iulius Cesar: he passed tho|rough the most part of the offices in Rome: he was first Legatus àsenatu, then Praefectus equitum: after that Tribunus plebis, Praetor, Aedilis, and seuen times was he consull. And as fortune séemed to fauour and coun|tenance him aboue all other in Rome; so did she al|so checke him with great reproches, & burdened him with great miseries. For his pride was so excessiue, and his ambition so intollerable, that the best and most part of the Romans deadlie hated and enuied him: and therefore when he laboured to be Aedilis, Praetor, & Tribune, he was reiected; he was accused for ambition, and proclamed a traitor and an enimie to the common-wealth: he was inforced to forsake Rome and flie into Affrike. Also being at the seas, the mariners cast him on land among his enimies, and draue him to shift for himselfe. When he was pursued by his enimies, he was faine to hide him|selfe in a bog, and couered himselfe with dirt & mire because he would not be knowne. Neuerthelesse he was taken and deliuered to a slaue to be killed. Ma|nie other [...]ormes of aduersitie and miserie did he a|bide and indure, and therefore it was said of him, that in miserie no man was more miserable, and in felicitie none more fortunate and happie than he.