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.
12.2. The ouerthrow giuen by the Irish|men against the souldiers which came from Dublin; and what the Osto|men were, of whom mention is made here and elsewhere. Chap. 2.
EEBO page image 34The ouerthrow giuen by the Irish|men against the souldiers which came from Dublin; and what the Osto|men were, of whom mention is made here and elsewhere. Chap. 2.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 WHen these things were thus done, & the souldiers well refreshed by the booties and preies taken vpon the water and the land, Reimond being aduertised that his father William Fitzgerald was dead, he tooke shipping and passed ouer into Wales, there to take seisen, and to enter into the land descended vnto him. And in his absence Heruie was againe made lieutenant of the armie: who in the absence of Reimond, thinking to doo some seruice and notable exploit, bringeth the earle vnto Cashill; and for their better strength and further helpe, sent his commandement vnto Dub|lin, that the souldiers there should come and méet them; who according came foorth: and in the iourneie they passed thorough Ossorie, where on a certeine night they lodged themselues. Donald then prince of Limerike, a man verie wise in his nation, hauing vnderstanding by his priuie espials of their cõming, suddenlie and vnwares verie earlie in the morning with a great force and companie stale vpon them, and slue of them foure gentlemen which were cap|teins, and foure hundred (1) Ostomen in this sore dis|comfiture.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 The earle as soone as he heard hereof, with great sorrow & heauinesse returned vnto Waterford. By means of this mishap, the Irishmen in euerie place tooke such a heart and comfort, that the whole nation with one consent and agréement rose vp against the Englishmen, and the earle as it were a man besie|ged, kept himselfe within the wals and citie of Wa|terford, and from whence he mooued not. But Rotho|rike Oconor prince of Connagh, comming and pas|sing ouer the riuer of Shenin, thinking now to reco|uer all Meth, inuadeth the same with sword and fire, and spoileth, burneth, and destroieth the same, & all the whole countrie euen to the hard walles of Dublin, leauing no castell standing or vndestroied.
(1) These Ostomen were not Irishmen, but yet of long continuance in Ireland. Some saie they came first out of Norwaie, and were called Osto|men, that is to saie Easterlings, or Easterne men, bicause that countrie lieth East in respect of Eng|land and Ireland. Some thinke they were Saxons and Normans; but whatsoeuer they were, they were merchants and vsed the trade of merchandize, and in peaceable maner they came into Ireland; and there being landed they found such fauour with the Irish|rie, that they licenced them to build hauen townes wherein they might dwell & vse their traffike. These men builded the ancientest and most part of the ci|ties and towns vpon or néere the sea side within that land; as namelie Dublin, Waterford, Corke, Lime|rike, and others. And albeit they in processe of time grew to be mightie and strong, and for their safetie did build townes and castels: yet they durst not to dwell among the Irish people, but still continued and kept themselues within their owne townes and forts, and thereof they are and were called since townesmen. And of them were these, being the inhabitants of Dublin, which came to méet the earle, and were thus slaine.