Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 4 Giraldus Cambrensis to make the matter whole (a Gods name) thinketh Turgesius to haue conque|red the land, as lieutenant or deputie vnder Gur|mundus. But this being granted, there ariseth a more manifest contradiction than the former: for he himselfe numbreth betwixt Laogirius king of Ire|land Laogirius. 430 that liued in the yéere foure hundred and thirtie, and Edlumding, whome Turgesius vanquished, 33 monarchs, whose reigns comprehended foure hun|dred yeares, so that Turgesius liued in the yeare af|ter the incarnation eight hundred and thirtie. Then it is too plaine that he could not haue anie dooings with Gurmundus, who ioined with the Saxons a|gainst Careticus, in the yeare fiue hundred foure score and six. This knot (saith our author) might be The doubt resolued. EEBO page image 56 vntwined with more facilitie thus. Gurmundus made much of that little he got, and wrote himselfe king, which title our histories doo allow him, because he made the waie plaine, inioied it a while, and set open the gate vnto his countrimen. Turgesius at|chiued the whole exploit, and brought it to perfection, and in these respects either of them may be called king and conqueror of Ireland.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 4 5 Turgesius therefore with his Norwegians the second time inuaded Ireland, susteined diuerse los|ses Turgesius what he did. and ouerthrowes: but in the end fortifieng him|selfe by the sea coasts, & receiuing thereby his fréends at his pleasure, waxed so strong that he subdued the whole Ile, still erecting castels and fortresses as he He buildeth fortresses. wan ground, so to maister the Irish that with such manner of strengths of wals and rampires had not as yet béene acquainted: for till those daies they knew no defense but woods, bogs, or strokes. Tur|gesius so brideled the Irish kings, and kept them in Turgesius reigned in Ireland thir|tie yeares. awe, that without interruption he reigned like a conqueror thirtie yeares. He cried hauocke & spoile where anie rich preie was to be had, sparing neither those of the laitie nor of the clergie, neither church nor chappell, abu [...]ing his victorie verie insolentlie. Oma|laghlilen king of Meth was in some trust with the Omalaghli|len king of Meth. tyrant. His onelie daughter Turgesius craued for his concubine. The father hauing a readie wit, and watching his time, began to breake with Turgesius in this wise: Sauing your fansie my lord (quoth he) there are diuerse ladies of bloud in this countrie mée|ter bedfellows for a king than that browne gristie: and therewith he began to reckon vp a number of his néeces and cousines, indowed (as he set them foorth) with such singular beautie, as they séemed ra|ther angels than mortall creatures. The tyrant as it were rauished, and doting in loue of those peereles péeces before he saw them, by reason of such excée|ding praises as he thus heard of them, doubted yet least Omalaghlilen extolled them to preserue his The policie of Omalaghli|len. daughter out of his hands: and the subtill father clo|ked his drift with modest behauior, lingering time to inflame the leachers follie, as he that wished anie thing more to be suspected, than that which he meant most earnestlie to bring to passe.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 At length, when Turgesius séemed to take his de|laieng thus of time somewhat displeasantlie, he vsed this or the like speech:

If I should saie (quoth he) that I gaue you my sole daughter with goodwill to be de|floured, your high wisdome would soone ghesse that I did but flatter you; and yet if ten daughters were déerer to me than your good pleasure and contentati|on, by whose bountifull goodnes both she, & I, and we all are supported, I were vnwoorthie that secret and nere fréendship wherin it liketh you to vse me. As for the wench, it will be in part honorable for hir to be re|quired to the bed of such a prince, sith quéenes haue not sticked to come from farre, and yeeld the vse of their bodies to noble conquerors, in hope by them to haue issue. And howsoeuer it be taken, time will weare it out, and redéeme it; but such a fréend as you are to me and mine, neither I nor mine shall liue to see. And verelie I meane not to hazard your displeasure, if it were for a greater matter than the value of twentie maidenheads; séeing fathers haue not sticked to giue vp their owne wiues to quench the lusts of their sons. Therefore am I thus agréed, name the daie and place, separat your selfe from the view of your court, conferre with those that haue a deintie insight, & skilfull eies in discerning beuties; I will send you my daughter, & with hir the choise of twelue or sixteene gentlewomen, the meanest of the which may be an empresse in comparison. When they are before you, make your game as you like, and then if my child please your fantasie best, she is not too good to be at your commandement: onelie my request is, that if anie other shall presume vpon your leauings, your maiestie will remember whose child she is.