12.18. How Iohn de Courcie inuadeth Vlster. Chap. 18.

How Iohn de Courcie inuadeth Vlster. Chap. 18.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 IOhn Courcie, who (as is before said) was ioined in commission with William Fitzaldelme, when he saw the course and maner of his dealings, who as he was co|uetous, and did nothing but for monie; so was he ti|merous, and did all things in craft and deceit: as also that the enimie feared him not, and the good subiect loued him not. And considering also that the souldi|ers and garrison at Dublin, by means of their cap|teins couetousnesse were vnpaid of their wages, and by reason of his slouth and sluggishnesse the vittels wared scant, & none went & scouted anie more abrode as they were woont to get anie booties or preies, he secretlie dealeth with some of them, and by his wife conference, and wittie persuasions, allureth and i [...]|seth vnto him euen such as were the valiantest, ho|nestest, and chosen men of them all: who were con|tent and verie glad to accompanie and follow him. And hauing so gotten into his companie two and twentie gentlemen, and about three hundred others, he boldlie entreth and inuadeth into the prouince of Ulster, a countrie which hitherto had not tried the force and strength of the English nation. And then was fulfilled the prophesie of Merlin Celodine (as is A prophesie of Merlin fulfilled. said, howbeit I will not so affirme it) A white knight sitting vpon a white horse, bearing birds in his shield, shall be the first which with force of armes shall enter and inuade [...]ster.

This Iohn Courcie was somewhat of a browne colour, but therewith somewhat whitish, and at that time he rode vpon a white horsse, as also did beare in his shield [...]ree painted (1) birds. After that he had passed three daies iourneie through the countrie of Uriell, he came the fourth daie (being the kalends of Februarie) to the citie of (2) Downe, without anie resistance of the inhabitants thereof: he being an e|nimie and a ghest vnlooked for. And (3) Odonell then the ruler of that countrie, being astonied and a|mazed at their so sudden comming, fled awaie. The souldiers which before their comming from Dublin were halfe pined with famine, and hunger starued, hauing now recouered great booties and preies of neat and cattels, were full and well refreshed.

At this verie present time, there was come thi|ther out of Scotland a legat from Rome named Uiuianus, & he tooke great pains to intreat & make a peace betwéene Odonell & Iohn de Courcie, vsing all the persuasions that he could, affirming that if he would depart and go awaie, there should be a yeare|lie tribute paid to the king of England: but all his words auailed nothing. Odonell séeing that words could little auaile, assembleth all the forces of the countrie: and within eight daies hauing gotten a|bout ten thousand souldiors, with force inuadeth, & with great courage commeth to enter & breake in|to the citie of Downe. For in Ireland, as it is com|monlie also in all other lands, they which inhabit in the north, are more warlike and cruell than anie o|thers in other parts. Iohn Courcie séeing the course and bent of the enimies, who not onelie vpon a hope and confidence of their great multitude against so few enimies; but also their valiant and couragious minds, who were fullie determined to inuade the ci|tie: thought it better with his small companie (which though they were but few in respect of their aduersa|ries, yet they were souldiors valiant, coragious, and of good seruice) to issue out and aduenture the fight with them, than to be pinned & shut vp in a begger|lie ward made with turffes in a corner of the citie, and there for want of vittels to be famished. Where|fore he issued out and ioined the battell with them, where the fight was hot, the bowes a farre off on the one side, and the darts on the other side: then lance against lance, and the bill against the spar, and the sword against the skeine: who buckled so lustilie the one against the other, that manie a man fell that daie to the dust. And in this terrible fight and buck|ling, he that had séene how valiantlie each man EEBO page image 43 shewed himselfe, and speciallie how Iohn Courcie most valiantlie with the stroke of his sword mang|led manie a man, killing some, but wounded and maimed manie, would and must néeds haue com|mended him for a right woorthie, noble, and right valiant warrior.

(1) He giueth thrée birds as this author saith, which by heralds are thus blasoned. Argent thrée griphs or geires gules crowned gold: this griph or geire is a kind of an eagle, but such as is rauenous, and fee|deth more vpon carren than vpon anie foule of his owne preieng: & for his cowardnesse carieth neither the name nor praise apperteining to the true eagle.

(2) Downe is a towne lieng in the Ards, which is in Ulster, a profitable and a fertile soile: it is the sée of the bishop of that diocesse, who beareth his name of the sad towne, being called the bishop of Downe.

(3) The Latine word is Dunlenus, which I doo find to be Englished Odonell, which is the name of a great familie or nation in the prouince of Ulster; but whether this Latine be trulie so interpreted, I re|fer it to the reader, or such as be expert in such Irish names.

12.19. The commendation of Roger Power, and the victorie of Iohn de Courcie, and of the prophesies of Celodine. Chap. 19.

The commendation of Roger Power, and the victorie of Iohn de Courcie, and of the prophesies of Celodine. Chap. 19.

IN this fight there was manie a woor|thie man, which valiantlie acquited himselfe: but if it might be said without offense, there was no one man who did more valiant acts than (1) Roger le Power, who albeit he were but a yoong man and beardlesse, yet he shewed himselfe a lustie, valiant, & couragious gentleman; & who grew into such good credit, that afterwards he had the go|uernment of the countrie about Leighlin, as also in Ossorie. This fight was verie long & doubtfull, each partie manfullie defending themselues, and none yeelding the one to the other. But as the com|mon prouerbe is, be the daie neuer so long, yet at the length it ringeth at euensong: so likewise this fierce, long, and cruell fight had his end, and the vic|torie fell to Iohn de Courcie, and a great multitude of the enimies were slaine in the field, as also vpon the woars of the seas as they were fléeing and run|ning awaie. Then was fulfilled the old prophesie of Celodine the Irish prophet, who forespeaking of A prophesie of Celodine fulfilled. this battell said, that there should be such a great bloudshed therein of the Irish people, that the eni|mies perceiuing them should wade vp to the knees in bloud. Which thing came so to passe; for the Eng|lishmen perceiuing them and killing them vpon the woars, the same were so soft, that with the weight of their bodies they sunke downe vp to the hard knées or twisels, and so the bloud fléeting and lieng vpon the woars, they were said to be therein vp to the knées.

The same man also (as is said) did write that a poore stranger, and one come out from other coun|tries, should with a small power come to the citie of Downe, and against the will of the gouernor thereof should take the same. Manie other things also he wrote of sundrie battels to be waged, and of the euents thereof, which were all fulfilled in Iohn de Courcie. This booke the said Iohn had, and he so esteemed the same, that still he had it about him, and in his hands; and did manie times, yea and for the most part direct his dooings by the same. It was al|so written in the same booke, that a yoong man with force and armes should breake and enter in through the wals of Waterford, and conquer the same with the great slaughter of th [...] townsmen: moreouer, that the same man should come to Wexford, & from thense to Dublin, where he should enter in without anie great resistance; & all these things (as is appa|rant) were fulfilled in earle Richard. Likewise he wrote in the same booke, that the citie of Limerike should be twise left and forsaken by the English|men: but the third time it should be kept, which thing came so to passe. For first (as is before writ|ten) Reimond had it and gaue it ouer: the second was, when the king had giuen the same to Philip de Bruse, for he being brought thither by Fitzstephans, and Miles Cogan, to take and enter into the same, and being come to the riuer side of Shenin for the same purpose, was there vtterlie discoraged to pro|céed anie further, and so without anie thing doone, leaueth the same as he found it, and came backe a|gaine; as hereafter in his place it shall be shewed. And thus (according to this vaticine) twise it was left, but the third time it shall be kept.

But this is to be implied and meant of Hamon de Ualognses the iusticiarie there appointed; in whose time the said citie being vnder his gouern|ment, was by treacherie and treason destroied, and so forsaken and left; but afterwards recouered by Meilerius: euer since which time it hath remained and béene kept in the possession of the Englishmen. Well then to the battels of Iohn de Courcie, first he had the victorie in two notable battels or fights at Dublin; the one in Februarie, and the other in Iu|lie: in which he hauing but a small companie of men, fought against fifteene hundred of his enimies, of whome he slue and ouerthrew a great number, and had the victorie. The third was at Ferlie about the taking of a preie, where by reason of the streict & narrow passes, he was too much and euerie eft|soones ouerset by the enimies, and so had the woorse; some of his men being killed, and some scattered and dispersed abroad in the woods and fields, so that he had scant eleuen persons left with him. And notwithstanding that he had thus lost his men and horsses, yet was he of such a valiant mind and cou|rage, that with those few which were left, he went through his enimies, and in spite of them all tra|uelled two daies and two nights on foot in their ar|mour without meat or drinke thirtie long miles, vn|till he was past danger, & so came safelie vnto his owne castell againe. The fourth battell was at Uriell, where manie of his men were killed and ma|nie fled. The fist was at the bridge of Yuor, after and vpon his comming from out of England, and yet therein he had the victorie and conquest. So in three battels he had the victorie, but in two he recei|ued both the losse and hurt; and yet in them did more annoie the enimie, than was hurted himselfe.

(1) The race & issue of the Powers hath euer since and yet dooth remaine in Ireland, who nothing dege|nerating from this their ancestor, haue for their part shewed themselues valiant and men of good ser|uice, for which they haue béene honorablie rewarded, and are now barons and peeres of the realme. Their habitation and dwelling is in the prouince or coun|tie of Waterford, and not far from the citie of Wa|terford.

12.20. The description of Iohn de Courcie. Chap. 20.

The description of Iohn de Courcie. Chap. 20.

THis Iohn de Courcie was white and pale of colour, but verie fierce and arro|gant, he was sinowous and a verie strong made man, verie tall and mightie, and of a singular audacitie: and being from his verie youth EEBO page image 44 bent to the wars proued a verie valiant souldior. He would be the first in the field and formost in the fight; and so ambitious and desirous he was of ho|nor, that were the enterprise neuer so perillous, and the seruice neuer so dangerous, yet he would giue the aduenture. And albeit he were the generall or capteine, yet setting the prioritie thereof apart, he would be as a common souldior, and serue in the place of a priuat seruitor; and manie times being more rash than wise, and more hastie than circum|spect, he had the woorst side and lost the victorie. And although in seruice he were thus forward, earnest, and vehement; yet in time of peace and rest he was verie sober, modest, and altogither giuen and dis|posed to serue God, and hauing the victorie of his enimies and good successe in his affaires, he would ascribe the honor vnto God, and be thankefull for the same. But as Tullius writeth, nature neuer made anie thing perfect and absolute in all points. And so it appeared in this man; for through his too much pin|ching and sparing, and by reason he was verie vn|certeine and vnconstant, his vertues (otherwise great, and deseruing great praises and commenda|tions) verie much imperished and blemished. He maried the daughter of Gotred king of Maime. And after that he had waged manie battels, and fought sundrie times with his enimies, he at length had the masterie and conquest ouer them: and then hauing brought the whole countrie to a good peace and rest, he builded sundrie and diuerse castels throughout Ulster, in such méete and conuenient places as he thought best. And by the way this one The thrée chiefe posts of Ireland w [...]thout issue lawfull. thing me thinketh is verie strange, that these thrée notable & the chiefest posts of Ireland, namelie Her|ueie, Reimond, and this Iohn de Courcie, by Gods secret (but not vniust iudgement) neuer had anie lawfull issue. I might also say the like of Meilerius, who as yet hath no lawfull issue by his wife. Thus much hauing bréeflie and by the waie spoken of the noble acts of Iohn de Courcie, and leauing the same vnto others to be more at large set forth and de|scribed, we will now returne againe to Dublin.