10.14. The oration of Reimond for the deliuerie of the prisoners taken. Chap. 14.

The oration of Reimond for the deliuerie of the prisoners taken. Chap. 14.

REimond being verie desirous that the captiues taken might be deliuered, laboreth by all the waies he could how to compasse the same, & in presence of Herueie maketh these spéeches, and vseth these persuasions to all his companie. Yée my noble and valiant companions and souldiers, for increase of whose honour, vertue and fortune séeme to contend; let vs now consider what is best to be doone with these our prisoners and captiues. For my part I doo not thinke it good, nor yet allow that anie fauour or courtesie should be at all shewed to the enimie. But vnderstand you, these are no enimies now, but men; no rebels, but such as be banquished and cleane ouerthrowen, and in stand|ing in defense of their countrie, [...] euill fortune and a worse destinie they are subdued. Their aduentures were honest and their attempts commendable, and therefore they are not to be reputed for théeues, facti|ous persons, traitors, nor yet murtherers. They are now brought to that distresse and case, that rather mercie for examples sake is to be shewed, than cruel|tie to the increasing of their miserie is to be mini|stred. Suerlie our ancestors in times past (although in déed it be verie hard to be doone) were woont in times of good successe and prosperitie, to temperat their loose minds and vnrulie affections with some one incommoditie or other. Wherfore let mercie and pitie, which in a man is most commendable, worke so in vs, that we who haue ouercome others, may also now subdue our owne minds, and conquer our owne affections: for modestie, moderation, and dis|cretion are woont to staie hastie motions, and to stop rash deuises. O how commendable and honorable is it to a noble man, that in his greatest triumph and glorie, he counteth it for a sufficient reuenge, that he can reuenge and be wreaked?

Iulius Cesar, whose conquests were such, his vic|tories so great, and his triumphs so manie, that the whole world was noised therewith; he had not so ma|nie fréends who reioised for the same, but he had ma|nie more enimies who maligned and enuied at him, not onelie in slanderous words and euill reports; but manie also secretlie conspired, deuised, and practised his death and destruction: and yet he was so full of pitie, mercie, and compassion, that he neuer com|manded nor willed anie to be put to death for the same, sauing onelie one Domitius, whome he had of meere clemencie for his lewdnesse before pardoned, for his wickednesse released, and for his trecherie ac|quited. And thus as his pitie did much increase his honour, so did it nothing hinder his victories. O how beastlie then and impious is that crueltie, wherin vi|ctorie is not ioined with pitie? For it is the part of a right noble and a valiant man, to count them eni|mies which do [...] wage the battell, contend and fight for the victorie; but such as be conquered, taken priso|ners, and kept in bonds and captiuitie, to take and repute them for men, that hereby fortitude and force may diminish the battell and end the quarrell, as also humanitie may increase loue & make peace. It is therefore a great commendation and more praise|worthie to a noble man in mercie to be bountious, than in victorie to be cruell; for the one lieth onelie in the course of fortune, but the other in vertue: and as it had béene a great increase of our victorie, and an augmentation of honour, if our enimies had béene slaine in the field and ouerthrowen in the battell: so they being now taken and saued, and as it were men returned from rebels to the common societie and fel|lowship of men; if we should now kill them, it will be to our great shame, dishonor, and reproch for euer. And for somuch as by the killing and destroieng of them we shall be neuer the néerer to haue the coun|trie, nor neuer sooner to be the lords of the land; and yet the ransoming of them verie good for the mainte|nance of the souldiers, the good fame of vs, and the aduancement of our honour: we must néeds thinke it better to ransome them than to kill them. For as it is requisit and meet, that a souldier in the field figh|ting in armes, should then thirst for the bloud of his enimies, trie the force of his sword, and valiantlie stand to his tackle for victorie: so when the fight is ended, the wars are ceassed, & the armor laid downe, and all fiercenes of hostilitie set apart; then in a no|ble man must humanitie take place, pitie must be shewed, and courtesie must be extended.

10.15. The oration or speech which Herueie made. Chap. 15.

The oration or speech which Herueie made. Chap. 15.

WHen Reimond had ended his speech, & the whole companie being in a muttering, and as it were men well pleased and verie well allowing his mind and opinion: then Herueie stood vp and spake to them all in this ma|ner. Reimond hath verie exquisetlie discoursed with vs of pitie and mercie, and in set speeches vttering his eloquence, hath shewed his mind and declared his opinion; persuading and inducing vs to beléeue, that a strange land were to be conquered sooner by mercie and fond pitie than by sword and fire. But I praie you, can there be a worsse waie than so to thinke? Did Iulius Cesar or Alexander of Macedo|nie by such means or in such order conquer the whole world? Did the nations from out of all places run to submit themselues vnder their yoke and empire, in respect of their pitie & mercie, & not rather compel|led so to doo for feare & perforce? For people, whiles they are yet proud and rebellious, they are (all pitie and mercie set apart) by all manner of waies and means to be subdued: but when they are once brought into subiection and bondage, and redie to serue and obeie, then they are with all courtesie to be intreated and dealt withall: so that the state of the gouern|ment may be in safetie and out of danger. Herein and in this point must pitie be vsed, but in the other seueritie or rather crueltie is more necessarie: here clemencie is to be shewed, but in the other rigour without fauour is to be exhibited and vsed. Reimond persuadeth that mercie is to be extended, as vpon a people alreadie subdued and subiected; or as though the enimies were so few and of so small a number, as against whome no valiant seruice nor chiualrie can be exploited, and yet they redie to ioine with vs: whereby our force may be increased, and our power augmented. But alas! Doo not we sée how that the whole nation and people of Ireland are wholie bent, and not without cause altogither conspired against vs?

Suerlie me thinketh Reimond is contrarie vnto himselfe; for why, his comming hither was not to di|spute of pitie, nor to reason of mercie; but to conquer the nation and to subdue the people. O what an ex|ample of impious pitie were it then, to neglect our owne safetie, and to haue remorse and compassion vpon others distresses? Moreouer, we haue here in the fields, and in armour more enimies than friends, we are in the middle of perils and dangers, our enimies being round about vs in euerie place: and shall we thinke this to be nothing, but that we must be also in the like distresse and danger among EEBO page image 14 our selues. Round about vs our enimies are infinit, and within our selues some there be which practise our destruction. And if it should happen that our cap|tiues and prisoners should escape and breake loose out of their bonds, which are but verie weake and slender, no doubt they will foorth with take our owne armours and weapons against vs. Well well, the mouse is in the cupbord, the fire is in the lap, and the serpent is in the bosome; the enimie is at hand rea|die to oppresse his aduersarie, and the gest is in place with small courtesie to requit his host. And I praie you dooth not Reimond execute that in his facts and dooings, which he denieth in his words? Are not his spéeches contrarie to his deeds? Let him answer me to this. If our enimies when they come in good araie and well appointed to giue the onset, and to wage the battell against vs, if they should happen to haue the victorie and the ouerhand ouer vs, would they deale in pitie & mercie? Would they grant vs our liues? Would they put vs to ransome? Tush what néed ma|nie words when the déeds are apparant? Our victorie is to be so vsed, that the destruction of these few may be a terror to manie; wherby all others and this wild and rebellious nation may take an example, and be|ware how they meddle and incounter with vs. Of two things we are to make choise of one; for either we must valiantlie and couragiouslie stand to per|forme what we haue taken in hand; and all fond pi|tie set aside, boldlie and stoutlie to ouerthrow and vanquish this rebellious and stubborne peop [...]e: or (if we shall after the mind and opinion of Reimond al|togither be pitifull and full of mercie) we must hoise vp our sailes and returne home, leauing both the countrie and our patrimonie to this miserable and wretched people. Herueies opinion was best liked, and the whole companie allowed his iudgement, wherevpon the captiues (as men condemned) were brought to the rockes, and after their lims were bro|ben, they were cast headlong into the seas, and so drowned.

10.16. The comming ouer of Richard Strang|bow earle of Chepstow into Ireland, and of the taking of the citie of Waterford. Chap. 16.

The comming ouer of Richard Strang|bow earle of Chepstow into Ireland, and of the taking of the citie of Waterford. Chap. 16.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 IN this meane time Richard the earle, hauing prouided and made all things in rea|dinesse fit for so great an enterprise, tooke his iournie, and came through Wales to S. Dauids: and still as he went he tooke vp all the best chosen and piked men that he could get. And hauing all things in place and in a readinesse méet and ne|cessarie for such a voiage, he went to Milford hauen, and hauing a good wind tooke shipping and came to Waterford, in the kalends of September on the vi|gill of saint Bartholomew, and had with him about two hundred gentlemen of good seruice, and a thou|sand others. Then was fulfilled Celidons prophesie, Prephesies of Celidon and Merlin fulfilled. which was; that A little firebrand shall go before a great fire; and as the sparkels inkindle the small wood, so shall the same set the great wood a fire. Like|wise was fulfilled the saieng of Merlin; A great fore|runner of a greater follower shall come, and he shall tread downe the heads of Desmond and Leinster, and the waies before opened & made readie he shall inlarge. Reimond being aduertised of the earles ar|riuall, went the next morrow vnto him with great ioy, hauing with him in his companie fortie gentle|men of seruice. And on the morrow vpon saint Bar|tholomews daie, being tuesdaie, they displaied their banners, and in good arraie they marched to the wals of the citie, being fullie bent and determined to giue the assault: the citizens & such others as had escaped at Dundorogh manfullie defending themselues, and giuing them two repulses. Reimond who by the consent and assent of the whole armie was chosen and made generall of the field, and tribune of the host, hauing espied a little house of timber standing halfe vpon posts without the wals, called his men togither, and incouraged them to giue a new assault at that (1) place. And hauing hewed downe the posts wherevpon the house stood, the same fell downe togi|ther with a peece of the towne wall; and then a waie being thus opened, they entred into the citie, and kil|led the people in the streets without pitie or mercie, leauing them lieng in great heaps; and thus with bloodie hands they obteined a bloodie victorie. In the tower called (2) Reinolds tower they tooke two mur|therers prisoners, whom they vnarmed and killed; al|so they tooke there Reinold, and Machlathilen Ophe|lan prince of the Decies: but these were saued by meanes of the comming and suite of Mac Morogh, who was also come thither with Maurice Fitzgerald and Robert Fitzstephans. And when they had set the citie and all other their things in good order, Mac Morogh gaue his daughter Eua, whom he had then brought thither with him, to be maried to the earle according to the first pact and couenant; and then the mariage solemnized and all things set in order, they displaid their baners & marched towards Dublin.

(1) In the verie place of the assault is now builded a strong fort and blockehouse, which is verie well fur|nished and appointed with ordinance and shot. It is in the verie east angle or point of the walles of the citie: and within on the south side the walles dooth it appeere how the same was burned by the English|men at this their entrie.

(2) The Reinolds tower is a little tower in the wall of the old citie, and is next or verie neere adioi|ning to a late monasterie or friers there: it is a verie slender thing, and not worthie of any report; sauing that the author dooth alledge it as a fort in those daies vsed for a defense.