[1] [2] THe earle then seeing himselfe to be now in great distresse, and in a narrow streict, taketh aduise with his fréends and councel|lors what were best to be doone. At length, as vnto his last refuge, he sendeth his letters to Rei|mond being yet in Wales, to this effect.
As soone as you haue read these our letters, make all the hast you can to come awaie, and bring with you all the helpe and force that you can make: and then according to your owne will and desire, you shall assuredlie and immediatlie vpon your comming haue and marrie my sister Basilia.Reimond; as soone as he had readthese letters, he was forthwith in hast to be gone, and thought it long yer he could be gone; not onlie in re|spect of the faire ladie, whom he had long wooed, lo|ued, and desired; but also that he might helpe and suc|cour his lord and maister in this distresse and neces|sitie. Wherefore he maketh preparation accordinglie, and by means of friendship and otherwise, he had gotten thirtie lustie yoong gentlemen of his owne coosins and kindred, and one hundred horssemen; as also thrée hundred footmen and bowmen of the best and chosen men in all Wales: all which were in a readinesse to go with him. And as soone as the ship|ping for them was readie, and the wind seruing, he and his coosin Meilerius, with all the said companie tooke the seas, and shortlie after arriued in twentie barks vnto (1) Waterford.
[1] At the verie same time the townesmen of Wa|terford, being in a verie great rage and furie against the Englishmen there, were fullie minded and deter|mined to haue killed them all wheresoeuer they could find them. But when they saw these barks comming in with their flags, hanging to their top masts, which to them were vnknowne, they were astonied at their so sudden comming, and their deuises were dashed. Reimond foorthwith entered the towne with all his companie; and when all things were quieted and ap|peased, he & the earle went from thense vnto Wex|ford, with all their force and strength, leauing behind one (2) Precell or Purcell his lieutenant at Water|ford. But he verie shortlie minding to follow after the earle, tooke a boat, and as he passed ouer the riuer of the Sure, the maister of the boat and his compa|nie which were townesmen of Waterford, slue this Purcell, and those few whom he had then attending vpon him. Which murther when they had thus doone, they returned to the citie, and there without all pitie or mercie, spared neither man, nor woman, nor child; but slue as manie as they could find in the streets, houses, or anie other places. Howbeit the citie it selfe was safelie kept by such as were then in Reinolds tower, who draue the traitors out of the citie, as also in the end compelled them to yéeld and submit them|selues, and to intreat for peace, which they hardlie ob|teined, both with an euill credit and harder condi|tions.
[1] [2] But Reimond still mindfull of the promise made vnto him, and he languishing vntill the same were performed, would not depart from out of Wexford, vntill messengers were sent to (3) Dublin to fetch and bring his louer Basilia to (4) Wexford to be ma|ried vnto him. Which being doone, and he maried, they spent all that daie and night in feastings & pastimes. And as they were in their most iollitie, newes was brought vnto them, how that Rothorike prince of Connagh had destroied, wasted, & spoiled all Meth, and was entred into the borders of Dublin. Where|vpon [page 35] Reimond on the next morrow, setting apart and giuing ouer all wedding pastimes, mustereth all his souldiors, and without anie delaiengs mar|cheth towards the enimies. But Rothorike who had before tried his valiantnesse, and experimented his force, hearing of his comming, and not minding to trie or abide the same, retireth backe, and getteth him to his owne home and countrie. Then Reimond re|couereth againe all those countries, and foorthwith causeth all the forts and castels then before pulled downe and defaced, to be now reedified and repared, as also the castels of Trim, and of Dunlences in Meth, of which Hugh Tirell was before the cone|stable, and for want of rescue and helpe compelled to leaue and forsake them. And thus by the means of Reimond, all things being recouered and restored to their former and pristine estate, the whole land for feare of him continued a good time in peace and rest.
(1) There is great varietie in such bookes and ex|amples as I haue, and which I doo follow in this point: some writing that Reimond did not land at Waterford, but at Wexford; and the tumult there being appeased, he went from thense vnto Water|ford, and brought the earle vnto Wexford. Some write againe (as is aforesaid) that he landed at Wa|terford, and not at Wexford: but hauing saluted the earle, appeased the tumult, and set all things in or|der, he conducted the earle and the whole armie ouer land vnto Wexford. Although there be some vari|ance in the exemplars, yet concerning the substance of the historie it is not materiall.
(2) There is also a varietie in the exemplars of this name; some write Fricellus, and some write Pricellus, and some Pircellus, or Purcell; it is like to be Purcell, for they of that name were seruitors in this conquest, and for their good seruice they were rewarded with lands and territories, and who are yet remaining about or néere the citie, and in the countie of Waterford.
(3) It is certeine that this Basilia abode at Du|blin, but whether she were there married or at Wex|ford it is doubted. Some hold opinion, that Reimond after that he had met and also saluted the erle, they foorthwith hearing the countries in Leinster, and es|peciallie about Dublin to be in an vprore, marched thither straitwaie without anie staie. And there Rei|mond as a lustie soldior in his armor married the la|die Basilia, and they issued with aduantage vpon the enimie. But the writer of best credit saith that the marriage was at Wexford.