10.36. The tempestuous and stormie winter. Chap. 36.

The tempestuous and stormie winter. Chap. 36.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 THeseas, which a long time had beene calme, began now to swell, and to be full of continuall storms and tempests, which were so raging, and so great, that in all that winter there ariued scarselie anie one ship or barke from anie place into that land: neither was there a|nie news heard from out of anie countrie during that winter. Whervpon men began to be afraid, and thinke verelie that God in his anger would punish EEBO page image 24 them, and be reuenged for their wicked & sinfull life, and therefore had sent this plague vpon them. At this time in Southwales by reason of the extreme and continuall tempests, the sea sides and shores, which had manie yeares beene couered with great sand ridges, were now washed and carried awaie with the seas, and then there appeared the former fast and firme earth, and therin a great number of trees standing which did in times past grow there: and by reason they had béene so long couered, & as it were buried vnder the sands, they stood as trunked and polled trées, and were as blacke as is the Ebenie. A maruelous alteration, that the place sometimes co|uered with seas, and a waie for ships to passe, is now become a soile of ground and drie land. But some suppose that this was so at the first; and that those trées were there growing before or shortlie after the floud of Noah. The king remained at Wexford, still longing to heare news from beyond the seas: and thus lieng solitarie he practised by all the means and sleights he could, how he might flocke and pro|cure vnto him Reimond, Miles Cogan, William Makerell; & other of the best gentlemen; that he be|ing assured of them to be firme of his side, he might be the stronger, and the earle the weaker.

10.37. The conspiracie made against the king by his sonnes, and the ambassage of the le|gat from the pope vnto him. Chap. 37.

The conspiracie made against the king by his sonnes, and the ambassage of the le|gat from the pope vnto him. Chap. 37.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 AFter Midlent the wind being easterlie, there came and arriued into Ireland certeine ships, as well from out of England, as also from out of Aquitaine in France, which brought him verie ill & bad newes. For there were come into Normandie from pope Alexander the third two cardinals in an ambassage, the one of them being named Albertus, and the other Theodinus, to make inquirie of the death of Thomas archbishop of Canturburie. They were thought and taken to be iust and good men, and therefore were chosen of trust and of purpose for this matter: but yet for all that they were Romans, and who were fullie determined to haue interdicted, not onelie England, but also all the whole dominions subiect vnto the king, if he him|selfe had not the sooner come and met with them. Be|sides this, there was woorse newes told him, and a woorse mishap befell vnto him (for commonlie good lucke commeth alone, but ill haps come by heapes and by huddels) which was, that his eldest sonne whom he loued so déerlie, and whom he had crowned king, as also his two yoonger sonnes, with the consent and helpe of sundrie noble men, as well in England as beyond the seas, had confederated themselues, and conspired against the king in his absence. Which newes and secret conspiracie when he heard and vn|derstood, he was in a maruellous perplexitie, and for verie anguish and greefe of mind did sweat. First it gréeued him that he should be suspected and infamed of the crime whereof he was giltlesse. Also he feared of the great troubles which would grow and insue hereby to his kingdome, & all other his dominions. Yea, and it gréeued him verie much, that he being minded and determined the next summer then fol|lowing to settle Ireland in some good staie, and to fortifie the same with holds and castels, he should now be compelled and driuen to leaue the same vn|doone. Wherefore sending some before him into Eng|land, as well to aduertise his comming homewards, as also of the safetie he had taken for Ireland, he be|thought himselfe, as also tooke good aduise and coun|sell, what was best to be doone in these his weightis causes.

10.38. The king returneth homewards through Westwales, and of the speaking stone at saint Dauids. Chap. 38.

The king returneth homewards through Westwales, and of the speaking stone at saint Dauids. Chap. 38.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 THe king being minded and determined to returne into England, set his realme of Ireland in good order, and left Hugh de Lacie (vnto whom he had giuen in f [...]e the countrie of Meth) with twentie gentlemen, & Fitz stephans & Maurice Fitzgerald with twentie other gentlemen, to be wardens and conestables of Dub|lin. Likewise he left Humfreie de Bohune, Robert Fitzbarnard, and Hugh de Gundeu [...]le, with twen|tie gentlemen, to kéepe and gouerne Waterford. Al|so he left William Fitzaldelme, Philip of Hastings, and Philip de Bruse, to be gouernors and rulers of Wexford: they hauing also twentie gentlemen of seruice appointed vnto them. And on the mondaie in the Easter wéeke, earlie in the morning at the sunne rising, he tooke shipping without the barre of Wex|ford; and the wind being westerlie and blowing a good gale, he had a verie good passage, and arriued a|bout the noonetide of the same daie vnto the ba [...]e of saint Dauids: where he being set on land, he went on foot with a staffe in his hand in pilgrimage, and in great deuotion vnto the church of saint Dauids; whom the cleargie in procession met at the gate cal|led the white gate, and with great honour receiued him. And as they were going verie orderlie and so|lemnlie in procession, there came vnto him a Welsh or a Camber woman; and falling downe at his feet, she made a great complaint against the bishop of that place: which being by an interpretor declared vnto the king, albeit he vnderstood it well, yet he gaue hir no answer.

She thinking that hir sute was not regarded, did wring hir fists, and cried out with a lowd voice; Re|uenge vs this day O Lechlanar, Reuenge vs I say, our kindred, and our nation, from this man. And be|ing willed by the people of that countrie, who vnder|stood hir speach, to hold hir peace, as also did thrust hir out of the companie; she cried the more, trusting and alluding to a certeine blind prophesie of Merlin, which was; that The king of England the conqueror A prophesie of Merlin. of Ireland, should be wounded in Ireland by a man with a red hand, and in his returning homewards through Southwales should die vpon Lechlanar. This (1) Lechlanar was the name of a certeine great stone which laie ouer a brooke, which fléeteth or run|neth on the north side of the churchyard, and was a bridge ouer the same: and by reason of the often and continuall going of the people ouer it, it was verie smooth and slipperie. In length it was of ten foot, in breadth six foot, and in thicknesse one foot. And this word Lechlanar, in the Camber or Welsh [...]oong, is to saie, The speaking stone. For it was an old blind A speaking stone. saieng among the people in that countrie, that on a time there was a dead corps caried ouer that stone to be buried, and the said stone spake, and foorthwith brake and claue asunder in the middle, and which cli [...] so remaineth vnto this daie. And there vpon the peo|ple of that countrie, of a verie vaine and barbarous superstition, haue not since, nor yet will carie anie more dead bodies ouer the same.

The king being come to this stone, and hearing of this prophesie, paused and staied a little while; and then vpon a sudden, verie [...] he went ouer it: which doone, he looked backe vpon the stone, and spake somewhat sharpelie, saieng: Who is he that will be|leeue that lieng Merlin anie more? A man of that place standing thereby, and séeing what had happe|ned, he to excuse Merlin, said with a lowd voice; Thou EEBO page image 25 art not he that shall conquer Ireland, neither dooth Merlin meane it of thée. The king then went into the cathedrall church which was dedicated to saint An|drew and to saint Dauid: and hauing made his prai|ers, and heard diuine seruice, he went to supper, and rode after to Hauerford west to bed, which is about twelue miles from thense.

(1) The writer hereof (of verie purpose) in the yeare 1575, went to the foresaid place to sée the said stone, but there was no such to be found; and the place where the said stone was said to lie, is now an ar|ched bridge, vnder which fléeteth the brooke aforesaid, which brooke dooth not diuide the churchyard from the church, but the churchyard [...] church from the bishops and prebèndaries houses, which houses in times past were verie faire and good hospitalitie kept therein. But as the most part of honses are fallen down and altogither ruinons, so the hospitalitie is also there|with decaied. And for the veritie of the foresaid stone, there is no certeintie affirmed, but a report is remaining amongst the common people of such a stone to haue béene there in times past.