[1] [2] [3] THese things thus doon at Waterford, the king left Robert Fitzbarnard there with his houshold, and marched himselfe to Dublin through the countrie of Ossorie: and staieng somewhat by the waie in his iourneie, there came and resorted vnto him out of euerie place there the great men & princes, as namelie Machelan Ophelan prince of Ossorie, Mache Talewie, [...]thwe|lie Gillemeholoch, Ochadese, O Carell of Urie [...] & Ororike of Meth: all which yeelded & submitted them selues to the king in their owne persons, & became his vassals, & swore fealtie. But Rothorike the mo|narch came no néerer than to the riuer side of the (1) Shenin, which diuideth Connagh from Meth, & there Hugh de Lacie and William Fitzaldeline by the kings commandement met him, who desiring peace submitted himselfe, swore allegiance, became tri|butarie, and did put in (as all others did) hostages and pledges for the kéeping of the same. Thus was all Ireland sauing Ulster brought in subiection, and euerie particular prince in his proper person did yéeld and submit himselfe, sauing onelie Rothorike, the then monarch of all Ireland; and yet by him and in his submission all the residue of the whole land be|came the kings subiects, and submitted themselues. For indéed there was no one nor other within that land, who was of anie name or countenance, but that he did present himselfe before the kings maies|tie, and yéelded vnto him subiection and due obedi|ence.
[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] And then was fulfilled the old and vulgar pro|phesie Prophesies o [...] Merlin and Molin [...] filled. of S. Molin; Before him all the princes shall fall downe, and vnder a dissembled submission shall obteine fauor and grace. Likewise the prophesie of Merlin; All the birds of that Iland shall flée to his light, and the greater birds shall be taken & brought into captiuitie, and their wings shall be burned. Al|so the old prophesie of Merlin Ambrose; Fiue porti|ons shall be brought into one, & the sixt shall breake and ouerthrow the walles of Ireland. That which Ambrose nameth heere the sixt, Celidonius nameth the fift, as appeareth in his booke of prophesies. Now when the feast of Christmasse did approch and draw neere, manie and the most part of the princes of that land resorted and made repaire vnto Dublin, to sée the kings court: and when they saw the great abun|dance of vittels, and the noble seruices, as also the eating of cranes, which they much lothed, being not before accustomed therevnto, they much w [...]ndered and maruelled thereat: but in the end they being by the kings commandement set downe, did also there eat and drinke among them. At this time there were certeine soldiors, being bowmen, [...]assed at Fin|glas, and they hewed and cut downe the trees which grew about the churchyard, which had beene there planted of old time by certeine good and holie men: and all these soldiors suddenlie fell sicke of the pesti|lence and died all: as is more at large declared in our topographie.
(1) The Shenin is the cheefest and most famous riuer in that land, and dooth in a manner inuiron and inclose all Connagh, & diuideth it from the pro|uinces of Mounster and Meth: his head and spring is in the hill named Therne, which bordereth vpon O Connor Slegos countrie, not farre from the riuer [page 23] of the Banne in Ulster, and in length is supposed to be about a hundred and twentie English nules. It is increased with sundrie brooks, and diuerse riuers run into the same; the cheefest whereof is that which riseth and commeth out of the logh or lake Foile. In it are mante loghs or lakes of great quantitie or big|nesse, which are maruelouslie replenished and stored with abundance of fish: the chéefest of which are the logh Rie, and the logh Derigid. It is nauigable a|boue thrée score miles, and vpon it standeth the most famous citie of Limerike. There is onlie one bridge ouer it, builded of late yeares at Alone, by the right honorable sir Henrie Sidneie knight, then lord de|putie of the realme.