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.

10.28. The description of the earle Strangbow. Chap. 28.

The description of the earle Strangbow. Chap. 28.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 THe earle was somewhat ruddie and of san|guine complexion and freckle faced, his eies greie, his face feminine, his voice small, and his necke little, but somewhat of a high stature: he was verie liberall, courteous and gen|tle: what he could not compasse and bring to passe in déed, he would win by good words and gentle spée|ches. In time of peace he was more readie to yeeld and obeie, than to rule and beare swaie. Out of the campe he was more like to a souldior companion than a capteine or ruler: but in the campe and in the warres he caried with him the state and counte|nance of a valiant capteine. Of himselfe he would not aduenture anie thing, but being aduised and set on, he refused no attempts: for of himselfe he would not rashlie aduenture, or presumptuouslie take anie thing in hand. In the fight and battell he was a most assured token and signe to the whole companie, ei|ther to stand valiantlie to the fight, or for policie to retire. In all chances of warre he was still one and the same maner of man, being neither dismaid with aduersitie, nor puffed vp with prosperitie.