10.39. The submission of king Henrie to the pope, and his reconciliation, as also the agreement betweene him and the French king. Chap. 39.

The submission of king Henrie to the pope, and his reconciliation, as also the agreement betweene him and the French king. Chap. 39.

THe king then tooke his iornie from Ha|uerford homewards along by the sea side, euen the same waie as before he came thi|ther; and foorthwith in all hast he taketh shipping, and sailed into Normandie: and immediat|lie vnderstanding where the popes legats were, he repaired vnto them, and presented himselfe in most humble maner before them. Where & before whome after sundrie altercations passed to and fro betwéene them, he purged himselfe by his oth, that he was gilt|lesse of the death of the archbishop Thomas: neuer|theles he was contented to doo the penance inioined him. For although he did not kill, nor yet know, nor consent to the murthering of him, yet he denied not but that the same was doone for his (1) sake. The am|bassadors & legats hauing thus ended with the king, with much honour returned backe, and homewards to Rome. And then the king trauelled and went to the marches of France, there to talke and haue con|ference with Lewes the French king, betweene whome then was discord and debate. But after sun|drie speeches past betweene them, at length by the meanes and intercession of sundrie good men, and especiallie of Philip earle of Flanders (who was but then returned from Compostella, where he had bene in pilgrimage vnto saint Iames) the same was en|ded; and the displeasure which he had conceiued about and for the death of the archbishop of Canturburie was clerelie released. And by these means, the great malice and secret conspiracies of his sonnes and their confederats was for this time suppressed and quailed, and so continued vntill the yeare following.

(1) They which doo write and intreat of the life and death of this archbishop, doo affirme that the king af|ter the death of this man, did send his ambassadors to pope Alexander at Rome, to purge himselfe of this fact. And notwithstanding that he tooke a corporall oth, that he neither did it nor caused it to be doone, nor yet gaue anie consent, or was priuie thereof, nor yet was giltie in anie respect, sauing that he confessed he did not so well fauour the bishop as he had doone in times past: yet could not his ambassadors be admit|ted to the presence and sight of the pope, vntill he had yéelded himselfe to his arbitrement and iudgement: which was that he should doo certeine penance, as al|so to performe certeine iniunctions which were as followeth. That the king at his proper costs and char|ges Iniunctions by the pope to the king of England. should kéepe and susteine two hundred souldiers for one whole yeare, to defend the holie land against the Turke. That he should permit, and that it should be lawfull to all his subiects as often as them listed to appeale to the sée of Rome. That none should be ac|counted thensefoorth to be lawfull king of England, vntill such time as he were confirmed by the Roman bishop. That he should restore to the church of Can|turburie all such goods and possessions as were taken and deteined from the same since the death of the archbishop. That he should suffer all such people as were fled or banished out of the realme for his sake, to returne home without delaie or let, and to inioy and haue againe all such goods and lands whatsoeuer they had before. Other things this Romish anti|christ did demand, and which the king was compelled to grant vnto before he could be released: whereby it dooth appeare how much they doo varie from the cal|ling of Christs apostles; and how that (contrarie to the rule of the gospell) their onelie indeuour was to make and haue princes and kingdoms subiect to their becke and tyrannie.

10.40. The vision which appeared vnto the king at his being at Cardiffe. Chap. 40.

The vision which appeared vnto the king at his being at Cardiffe. Chap. 40.

BUt before we doo proceed anie further, it were not amisse to declare what happened and befell vnto the king in his returning through Wales, after his comming from Ireland. In his iourneie he came to the towne of Cardiffe on the saturdaie in the Easter wéeke, and lodged there all that night. On the morrow being sundaie, and commonlie called little Easter daie or Low sundaie, he went somewhat earlie to the cha|pell of saint Perian, and there heard diuine seruice, but he staied there in his secret praiers behind all his companie, somewhat longer than he was woont to doo: at length he came out, and leaping to his horsse, there stood before him one hauing before him a stake, or a post pitched in the ground. He was of colour somewhat yellowish, his head rounded and a leane face, of stature somewhat high, and aged about fortie yeares; his apparell was white, being close & downe to the ground, he was girded about the middle, and bare footed. This man spake to the king in Dutch, sai|eng; God saue thée O king, and then said thus vnto him: Christ and his mother Marie, Iohn baptist, and Peter the apostle doo salute thée: and doo strictlie charge and command thee, that thou doo forbid, that hensefoorth throughout all thy kingdome and domi|ons, there be no faires nor markets kept in anie place vpon the sundaies: and that vpon those daies no maner or person doo anie bodilie worke, but one|lie to serue God, sauing such as be appointed to dresse the meat. If thou wilt thus doo, all that thou shalt take in hand shall prosper, and thy selfe shalt haue a happie life. The king then spake in French to the gentleman, who held his horsse by the bridle, and whose name was Philip Mertros, a man borne in those parts, and who told me this tale: Aske him whe|ther he dreame or not. Which when he had so doone, the man looking vpon the king said: Whether I dreame or not, marke well and remember what daie this is: for if thou doo not this, and speedilie amend thy wicked life, thou shalt before the yeare come a|bout heare such euill news of those things which thou EEBO page image 26 louest best, and thou shalt be so much vnquieted ther|with, that thou shalt not find anie ease or end vntill thy dieng daie. With this word the king put spur to the horsse and rode awaie towards the towne gate, which was at hand: but thinking vpon the words a|reigned his horsse and said; Call me yonder fellow againe. Wherevpon the foresaid gentleman as also one William, which two were onelie then atten|ding vpon him, first called and then sought him in the chappell, and finding him not there, sought him throughout the court, the towne, and in all the Ins, but could not find him. The king being verie sad and sorie that he had not throughlie talked with the man, went abroad himselfe to seeke him, but finding him not, called for his horsses and rode from thence by Rempinbridge to Newberie. And as this man had before threatned and said, it so came to passe before the yeare was ended: for his eldest sonne Henrie, and his two yoonger sonnes Richard earle of Aqui|taine, and Geffreie erle of Britaine, in the Lent fol|lowing forsooke and shroonke from him, and went to Lewes the French king. Whereof grew and insued vnto him such vexation and vnquietnesse, as he had neuer the like before, and which by one means and o|ther neuer left him vntill his dieng daie. And suerlie it was thought the same by Gods iust iudgement so befell vnto him: for as he had béene and was a diso|bedient sonne to his spirituall father, so his carnall sonnes should be disobedient and rebellious against their carnall father. Manie such forewarnings the king had by Gods mercie and goodnesse sent vnto him before his death, to the end he should repent and be conuerted, and not be condemned: which would to God that euerie prince and other man did not fro|wardlie and obstinatlie condemne, but rather with an humble and a penitent heart they would (as they ought to doo) receiue and imbrace the same! And therefore I haue and mind to write more at large in my booke, concerning the instruction and institu|tion of a christian prince.

10.41. The treason and killing of Ororike prince of Meth. Chap. 41.

The treason and killing of Ororike prince of Meth. Chap. 41.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 IN the meane time Ireland was in good rest and peace, vnder such as vnto whom the charge thereof was committed. And now on a time it happened, that the one eied O|rorike of Meth, being at Dublin, complained vnto Hugh de Lacie of certeine iniuries doone vnto him, praieng redresse: wherevpon the daie and a place of (1) parlée was betweene them appointed for the same. The night next before the daie of this parlée, a yoong gentleman named Griffith, the nephue of Ro|bert Fitzstephans, and Maurice Fitzgerald, being Griffiths dreame. the sonne to their eldest brother named William, dreamed in his sléepe that he saw a great heard of wild hogs to rush and run vpon Hugh de Lacie and his vncle Maurice; and that one of them being more horrible and greater than the rest, had with his tusks rent and killed them: if he had not with all his force and strength rescued them, and killed the bore. On the morrow according to appointment, they came to the place appointed for the parlée, which was a certeine hill called Ororikes hill: but before they came to the verie hill it selfe, they sent messen|gers the one to the other, requiring assurance and safetie: and hauing sworne on each part to kéepe faith and truth, they came to the place appointed and there met, but yet a small companie on either side. For it was agréed vpon on both parties, & by coue|nant excepted, that on each part they should bring but a few and the like number, and they to be all vn|armed; the swords on one side and the spars on the other side, and for all the residue of the people and companie to stand aloofe and a farre off. But Grif|fith, who came to the said parlee with his vncle Mau|rice, was verie pensife and much troubled, concer|ning the vision which he saw in his sleepe; and doub|ting of the worst, made choise of seuen of the best gentlemen of his kindred, whome he knew to be va|liant, and in whome he had a speciall trust and con|fidence. These he draweth to the one side of the hill, but as néere to the place of parlée as he could, [...]here euerie of them hauing his sword, spar and shield; lept and mounted vp to their horsses, and ranging the fields they made sundrie carreers and lustie tur|naments, vnder the pretense and colour of plesant|nes and [...]astime; but in verie déed to be in a readi|nesse if need should so require.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 Hugh de Lacie and Ororike this meane while were talking and discoursing of manie things, but con|cluded not of anie thing; neither did Ororike meane anie such thing. For hauing a traitorous mind, and watching his time when he might best powre out his venem, fained himselfe to go out and abroad to make water, and vnder that colour beckened vnto his men, with whome he had concluded and agreed before, that with all hast they should come awaie vnto him; and they foorthwith in all hast so did, and he also then with a pale, grim, and murtherous counte|nance, hauing his ax or spar vpon his shoulder, re|turned backe againe. Maurice Fitzgerald, which was before warned by his cousine Griffith and ad|uertised of his dreame, gaue good eie and watched the matter verie narowlie; and therefore all the par|lée time, he had his sword readie drawne about him: and espieng the traitor to be fullie bent and about to strike Hugh de Lacie, he cried out vnto him, wil|ling him to looke vnto himselfe, and to be at defense with himselfe; wherewith the traitor most violentlie strake vnto him, thinking verelie to haue murthered and dispatched him. But the interpretor of the par|lée stepping in betwéene, saued Hugh de Lacie; but he himselfe was wounded to death, and his arme cleane cut off.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 Then Maurice Fitzgerald with a lowd voice cried out to his companie, who with all hast came awaie; and then began a hot and a sharpe bickering of the English swords against the Irish spars. In which skirmishing Hugh de Lacie was twise felled to the ground, and had suerlie béene killed, if Maurice had not valiantlie rescued him. Likewise the Irishmen who were manie in number, they hauing espied the becking of the traitor, they came running in all hast out of the vallies with their weapons, thinking verelie to haue made a cleane dispatch and a full end of Hugh de Lacie and of Maurice Fitzgerald. But Griffith and his companions, still watching for that which indéed did happen, were at the first call of Mau|rice in a readinesse, and being on horssebacke they came awaie with all speed: which thing when the trai|tor saw, he gan to distrust, and thought to shift him|selfe awaie and so to escape. But as he was leaping to his horsse, Griffith was come, and with his staffe or lance strake downe and ran through both horsse and man: who being thus striken downe and kil|led, as also thrée other of his men, who brought him his horsse and were in this bickering, they cut off his head from the bodie, and sent it ouer into Eng|land to the king. The residue of the Irishmen fled foorthwith and ranne awaie, but being hardlie pur|sued euen to the verie woods, there was a great dis|comfiture and slaughter made of them. Rafe the sonne of Fitzstephans, being a lustie and a valiant EEBO page image 27 yoong gentleman did well acquite himselfe, and deserued great commendation for his good ser|uice.

(1) The maner of the Irishrie was euer, and yet is, that when so euer there is [...]e controuersie a|mongst them, they will oftentimes appoint places where to meet and assemble themselues for confe|rence; which commonlie is vpon some hill distant and farre from anie house, and this assemblie is cal|led among them a parlée or a parlement. And albeit the pretense héereof is of some quietnesse and re|dresse: yet experience teacheth that there is not a woorsse thing to be vsed among them. For lightlie and most commonlie there are most treacheries and treasons, most murthers and robberies, and all wic|kednesse imagined, deuised, and afterwards put in practise among them: and for the most part there is no parlée among them, whereof insueth not some mischéefe.

(2) This hill lieth in the prouince of Meth, about twentie miles from Dublin, and is now called the Taragh: some thinke this to be the middle part or nauill of that prouince; it is a verie pleasant and a fertile soile, and also for the most part cham|pion.