12.24. The description of Hugh de Lacie. Chap. 24.
EEBO page image 47The description of Hugh de Lacie. Chap. 24.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 IF you will know what manner of man Hugh de Lacie was, you shall vnderstand his eies were blacke and déepe, and his nose some|what flat, and the right side of his face from the chin vpwards by a mischance was shrewdlie skalled: his necke was short, and his bodie hairie, as also not fleshie but sinewish and strong compact; his stature was but small, and his proportion deformed, but in conditions he was verie sober, trustie, and modest. He was verie carefull in his owne priuat matters, but in causes of gouernment and in all pu|blike affaires he was most vigilant and carefull. And albeit he were a verie good souldier, and one of great experience in martiall affaires; yet in his sun|drie aduentures wherin he was sometimes rash and verie hastie, he sped not alwaies best nor had the best successe. After the death of his wife he was somewhat lose of life, being much giuen to women, of whom he made no great choise: he was verie gréedie and co|uetous of wealth and possessions, but ouermuch am|bitions of honour and reputation. At this time in Leinster florished Robert Fitzhenrie brother vnto (1) Meilerius, who in his youthfull yeares was verie lustie like the flower of the garden, which when the winter draweth and is cold, dooth vade and wither a|waie. Likewise (2) Alexander and Giraldus the two sonnes of Maurice. And albeit Girald were a man but of meane stature, yet verie wise, sober, and ho|nest. Also Roger le Powre conestable of Leighlin, Hugh de Lacie, and William le Powre seneschall of Waterford, Robert Barrie the yoonger sonne of Philip Barrie, and both the Reimonds were of best fame and credit in these daies. About this time befell and happened the two strange woonders at Fother in Meth, whereof we haue spoken in our topogra|phie; namelie, of the woman violentlie and perforce abused in a mill by a souldier, and of the otes there stolen and caried awaie.
(1) Nesta the daughter of the great Rhesus had thrée husbands, by the first named Henrie she had a sonne, who being named after his name, was na|med Fitzhenrie, who was father to Henrie, Robert, and this Meilerius.
(2) This same Nesta had to hir third husband one Gerald of Windsore, and by him had issue hir fourth son named Maurice, who was father to William Gerald and this Alexander. This Gerald was a va|liant and a noble gentleman, and who had wars a|gainst [...]hesus the father of this Nesta, and kept the towne and castell of Penbroke against him and all his force: but in the end after a peace concluded be|twéene them, he maried this ladie, and had worthie issue by hir.
12.25. How Hugh de Lacie vpon a vaine sus|picion was sent for into England, and of his returne againe from thense. Chap. 25.
How Hugh de Lacie vpon a vaine sus|picion was sent for into England, and of his returne againe from thense. Chap. 25.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 THe suspicion conceiued of Hugh de La|cie dailie increased more & more, and as is before said came to the kings eares, who as princes in such causes was verie gelous, and could not like thereof, and therefore foorthwith [...]nt for Hugh de Lacie by Iohn co [...]estable of Che|ster and Richard Pet, whome he appointed to tarrie and serus in his place, & to be the gouernors or lords iustices of the land. But before he should depart and go awaie, it was agréed by a common consent, that there should diuerse castels and sundrie forts be buil|ded in Leinster: for Meth was alredie méetlie well and indifferentlie fortified & incastelled. First there|fore they builded two castels in Fotheret of Ono|lan, the one for (1) Reimond, and the other for Grif|fith his brother: the third was at (2) Tresseldermont néere to Moroghs countrie for Walter of Ridens|ford: the fourth for Iohn (3) Clauill vpon the riuer of Barrow not far from Leighlin: the fist at Collach for Iohn Herford. And as for Kildare, which with the countrie adioining was before by the earle in his life time giuen to Meilerius, was taken from him; & in exchange the countrie of (4) Ler was giuen to him, which was a wild and sauage countrie, full of woods, passes, and bogs, and in the middle of the eni|mies, as also from anie succour or rescue: howbeit not vnfit for this such a champion of Mars and so worthie a souldier.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 These things being thus doone in the summer time, Hugh de Lacie tooke his passage ouer to England, and made his spéedie repaire to the kings presence, where he so wiselie and dutifullie behaued himselfe, that the king not onelie was resolued of his truth and fidelitie, but also putting especiall confidence in him, he sent him backe againe. And calling home the foresaid Iohn de conestable and Richard Pet, made him his generall and deputie of the land, and tooke assurance of him for his truth in this behalfe: how|beit he ioined in commission with him one Robert of Salisburie, who should in the kings behalfe be a councellor and a trustie assistant vnto him in all his dooings. Now Hugh de Lacie being returned backe againe into Ireland, and there settled and placed, thinketh vpon his first deuises, how to fortifie the countrie and to kéepe it in good order. And the more castels he builded, and the more Englishmen he did bestow and place therein, the sooner and better did he thinke to bring the same to passe and effect. Among manie castels therfore which he builded, he made one at Tachmeho in Ler, which he gaue to Meilerius, as also gaue him his néece to wife; also one castell néere to Abowie which he gaue to Robert Bigaret, and not farre from thense an other castell which he deliue|red to Thomas Fleming. And not farre from thense he builded one other castell at the Norach on the ri|uer of the Barrow, which Robert Fitzrichard had: besides in Meth he builded the castels of Dunach and of Kilaire, as also Adam Fuceport and Gilbert Migents castels, and manie others, which were now too long to be particularlie repeted and recited.
And about this time was that strange talke and communication in a wood in Meth, betwéene a [...]arke be|twéene a priest and a wool [...]. préest and a woolfe, whereof we haue spoken in our topographie: which thing though it may séeme verie strange & most incredible, yet the same is not to be discredited. For as S. Ierome saith, you shall find in scripture manie strange things, & which to a mans iudgement shall séeme to be nothing true at all: and yet neuertheles they are most true. For nature can|not preuaile nor doo anie thing against the Lord of nature: neither ought anie creature to contemne or scorne, but rather with great reuerence and honour to consider the workes of God his creator. Not long after this king Henrie the yoonger, the son of king Henrie the elder, being sedu [...]ed & caried (the more was the pitie) by le [...] and naughtie counsels, rebel|led the second time aga [...] [...] father, and had got|ten vnto him the most part of t [...] best noble men in all Poitiers, & the lus [...]est gentlemen in all France: besides his brother. Geffre [...] the earle of Britainie the chiefe author and cause of this rebellion, and ma|nie others of his confe [...]ates. But in the end, by EEBO page image 48 Gods iust iudgement and vengeance for his vnna|turall ingratitude against his father, who though he were a verie valiant and a lustie gentleman, yet a|gainst death nothing can helpe, and so died about Iune at Marels to the great sorrow of manie. And verie shortlie after also the foresaid Geffreie, a noble and a valiant gentleman, & who for his worthinesse and prowesse might haue béene the sonne of Ulysses or Achilles, who now reuolting the third time from his father, and rebelling against him, was by Gods iust iudgement about the kalends of August taken out of his life, and so died.
(1) Nesta the daughter of the great Rhesus prince of Wales had thrée husbands, the third of them was Gerald of Windsore, and these had to their first sonne William Fitzgerald the father vn|to this Reimond, and Griffith.
(2) Tresseldermont is a castell about a fiue miles from Catherlough, & somtimes a verie faire towne and walled round about, and bordering néere to the baronie of Odrone. The English writers doo saie that this castell was not builded in this Tresselder|mont, but at Kilken, a castell about thrée miles from this, and both now belonging to the earle of Kildare. But the Latine bookes, which are of eldest writing and credit, and whom I doo herein follow, doo write it by expresse words, Tresseldermont.
(3) This castell of Clauill not far from Leighlin, is supposed to be that which is now called Carlough or Catherlough: howbeit the common fame of the countrie dooth attribute this castell of Carlough to [...]ua the earls wife, and the ladie and heire of Lein|ster, and that she should build the same. But there ap|peereth no such things of hir doings, for by the course of the historie it is plaine, that the castels builded in Leinster were doone by the Englishmen onelie, and for their defense and safetie.
(4) The countrie of Lex is parcell of Leinster, & lieth in the marches and extreame confines of the same by the west: it is verie strong and fast, being full of woods and bogs, and therefore a safe tecepta|cle for rebels and outlawes. It is within the diocesse of Leighlin, and before now of late no shire ground, but inhabited by the Mores, who were alwaies re|bels and traitors. But in hope to reforme the same it was made a countie of it selfe, by an act of parle|ment in the third and fourth yeares of Philip and Marie, and named the Queenes countie.
12.26. The death of Laurence archbishop of Dublin, and of Iohn Comin made arch|bishop in his place. Chap. 26.
The death of Laurence archbishop of Dublin, and of Iohn Comin made arch|bishop in his place. Chap. 26.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 IN this meane time Laurence archbi|shop of Dublin died at the castell of An|giers in Normandie, about the kalends of December 1180. He was a (1) iust and a good man, but somwhat in displeasure with the king, who had him in suspicion bicause he was at the coun|cell of (2) Laterane, and there inueighed much a|gainst the king of England and his honour; & for that cause in his returne homewards through Norman|die was staied, and in the end there died, where he was buried in the high church of our ladie. After him Iohn Comin an Englishman borne, and a monke in the abbeie of Euenham was by the kings means elected orderlie by the clergie of Dublin archbishop, and afterwards confirmed by pope Lucius at Ui|terbe, where he was also made a cardinall. A man he was verie well learned and eloquent, and verie zealous in causes of the church, wherein he would haue doone verie much good, If shal he had not beene too worldlie, & haue sought to haue pleased worldlie princes, and to haue beene in the kings fauour.
(1) This one thing is and was a common obser|uation in the Romish church, that if anie one had re|ceiued the charact thereof, that although he were ne|uer so rebellious, nor so great a traitor against his prince; yet the same was to be interpreted to be in defense of the holie church, and such a one was coun|ted a godlie and a holie man, though by the scrip|tures he who resisteth his prince is said to resist God himselfe.
(2) The councell of Laterane is said to be one of the greatest synods or generall councels that hath bin, it was kept at Rome vnder pope Innocent the third An. 1204. Manie decrées were there made for the aduancing of the Romish antichrist: but yet the councell could not be brought to his full perfection by reason of the ciuill wars in Italie. But among o|ther decrées this was concluded, that all controuer|sies betwéene kings and princes, the correction ther|of should apperteine to the pope: as also no man should be counted emperour, except the pope had ad|mitted him and crowned him.