SYLVESTER GIRAL|dus Cambrensis, his second booke of the vaticinall historie of the Conquest of Ireland.
The Proheme of the author.
_WE haue thus farre continued our historie, in as perfect and full order as we could, hauing omitted nothing worthie the memorie, as farre as the matter seemed to re|quire: but being occupied and busied with the generall and necessarie causes in religion, although we had not sufficient leasure and time to follow and prosecute this our enterprise and matter begun, yet did not we thinke it meet to giue the same ouer, and to leaue it helfe! vndoone. We haue there|fore, and yet doo continue the historie but breefelie, not in anie high or eloquent stile; but in a common phrase and plaine speeches, giuing rather thereby an occasion to our posteritie for them to set foorth this historie, than to doo it our selues. For indeed our leasure is verie small, and such as it is, it is turned to troubles and vnquietnesse, our loue and zeale into hatred, our ioy into sorrow, and our rest to molestations.
For now flourish not the honest exercises of studies, but the busie policies of warres: now the good studies of the mind are contemned, and the lusts of the bodie imbraced: now we haue no leasure to serue the Muses, but to be hammering with weapons: quiet minds are not now at leasure, but glistering weapons and armors are in euerie mans hands. Wherefore let not the reader looke now at our hands for anie good order, elo|quence, or pleasantnesse in this our writing: for place must be giuen of necessitie vnto time. And as the same is now verie troublesome, so can the same bring foorth but trouble|some matters. In these troubled times, and wanting conuenient leasure and quietnesse, I haue trauelled with the more paines to absolue and end this my worke: not after the maner of a student, but as a traueller; whose nature and condition is, that when he dooth set foorth on his iournie verie slacklie and slowlie, then dooth he make the more hast, and trauell the more speedilie. How soeuer it shall please God to deale with vs in the ser|uices now in hand, I haue as diligentlie as I can compiled this my historie as also my topographie, leauing the same as a monument of our will, to remaine to our countrie and posteritie for euer.
THE SECOND BOOKE of the Conquest of Ireland.
12.1. The earle is sent backe againe into Ire|land, and is made generall of the land, and Reimond is ioined in com|mission with him. Chap. 1.
The earle is sent backe againe into Ire|land, and is made generall of the land, and Reimond is ioined in com|mission with him. Chap. 1.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 _ERle Richard, be|ing now returned into Ireland, the people there being aduertised of the great trubles which were beyond the seas, they being a people constant on|lie in inconstancie, firme in wauering and faithfull in vn|truths; these (I say) and all the princes of that land, the earle at his com|ming found to be reuolted and to become rebels. For the recouerie and suppressing of whom, the earle then wholie bestirred himselfe; and at length hauing spent and consumed all his treasure, which he had brought ouer with him, his soldiors who were vnder the guiding of Herueie being then constable, lacked their wages and were vnpaid: and by reason of the emulation betwéaene Herueie and Reimond, the ser|uice and exploits to be doon against the Irishrie was verie slacke and slender; and by that meanes they wanted such preies and spoiles of neat and cattell as they were w [...]nt to haue for their vittels. The souldiors in this distresse, wanting both monie for their wages and vittels for their food, assembled themselues and went vnto the earle, vnto whome with one voice they exclamed and said; that vnlesse he would make and appoint Reimond to be their capteine againe, they would without all doubt for|sake him, and would either returne home againe, or (that which is worse) would go and serue vnder the enimies.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 In this distresse was Reimond appointed the cap|teine, & forthwith hauing mustered his souldiers, he made a rode or iourneie into Ophalia vpon the re|bels there, where he tooke great preies, and were well recouered as well in horsse as in armor. From thense they marched to Lismore, where when they had spoi|led both the towne and countrie, they returned with great booties, taking the waie vnto Waterford by the sea side: and being come to the sea shores, where they found thirteene botes latelie come from Wa|terford, as also others of other places; all these they laded with their pretes, minding to haue passed by water vnto Waterford. But tarieng there for a wind, the men of Corke, who had heard of their doo|ings, and being but sixtéene miles from them, doo pre|pare two and thirtie barks of their owne towne, and doo well man and furnish them, being wholie deter|mined to set vpon Reimond, and if they can to giue him the ouerthrow; which they did: betwéene whom was a cruell fight, the one part giuing a fierce onset with stones and spaths, & the other defending them|selues with bowes and weapons. In the end the men of Corke were ouercome, and their capteine named Gilbert Mac Turger was there slaine by a lustie yoong gentleman named Philip Welsh. And then Adam Herford, who was the generall or admerall of that nauie, being well increased and laden with great preies, sailed with great triumph to the citie of Waterford.
But Reimond himselfe was not present at this fight vpon the water, and yet hearing thereof, he came in all hast and marched towards them, taking his waie by the sea side, hauing in his companie twentie gentlemen, and thréescore horssemen. And by the waie in his iourneie he met with Dermond Mac Artie prince of Desmond, who was comming with a great band of men to helpe and rescue the men of Corke where they fought togither: but in the end Mac Artie had the worse side, and was ouer|throwne; and then Reimond hauing preied and taken about foure thousand head of neat, he marched and came to Waterford. About this time also as they marched homewards, certeine Irishmen in those parties lieng skulking & lurking in the woods, when the preies and cattell passed by, they issued out, tooke and carried awaie certeine of the cattell in|to the woods, wherevpon the crie was vp, and came us farre as Waterford. Wherevpon the souldiers and most part of the garison issued out, among whom Meilerius was the best and most forward. For he being come to the woods, and hauing in his compa|nie then onelie one souldier, put spur to the horsse, and aduentured in the woods, following the Irish|men (by the abetting of the souldier who was with him) euen to the furthest & thickest part of the woods: where he was so farre entered, that he was in dan|ger of the enimie: and the souldier being not able to retire was there taken, killed and hewed in péeces. Meilerius then séeing himselfe to be inuironed round about with the enimies, and he in the like pe|rill as the other was, bicause he alone against a thou|sand was neither able to rescue his man, nor helpe himselfe, but in danger to be taken as was the o|ther, like a valiant gentleman draweth his sword, and with a lustie courage, euen in despite of their téeth maketh waie through them. And such as set vp|on him he spared not, but cut off an arme of this man, a hand of that man, a head of one, and a shoul|der of another, & he escaped throughout them with|out anie harme or hurt to his owne bodie, sauing that he brought two darts in his shield, and thrée in his horsse.