Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 All Meth and Leinster were speedilie got togi|ther, The persuasi|on of Oma|laghlilen. resorting vnto Omalaghlilen the author of this practise, who lightlie leapt to horsse, and commending their forward redinesse in so naturall a quarell, said:

My lords and fréends, this case neither admitteth de|laie, nor requireth policie; hart and hast is all in all. Whilest the matter is fresh and greene, and that some of our enimies lie still and sléepe, some lament, some cursse, some are togither in councell, and all the whole number dismaied: let vs preuent their furie, dis|member their force, cut off their flight, seize vpon their places of refuge and succour. It is no victorie to plucke their feathers, but to breake their necks; not to chase them in, but to rowse them out; to weed them, not to rake them; not to tread them downe, but to root them vp. This lesson the tyrant himselfe did teach me. I once demanded of him as it were in a parable, by what good husbandrie the land might be rid of certeine rauening foules that annoied it. He aduised vs to watch where they bred, and to fire their nests about their eares. Go we then vpon these cor|uorants which shrowd themselues in our possessions, and let vs so destroie them, that neither nest nor root, neither séed nor stalke, neither branch nor stumpe shall remaine of this vngratious generation.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 Thus in effect haue the Irish writers reported of Turgesius a Norwegian, whether he did reigne be|fore the supposed time of Gurmond, or whether that he came thither as lieutenant to him: which if it shuld be true, no doubt the same Gurmond was some king of the Danes, or Norwegians, and not of the Affricans (as some of our countrimen name him.) Which error is soone committed, in taking one hea|thenish Gurmond. nation for another, as those men haue doone that haue named the Hungarians (when they did inuade Gallia before they were christians) Sara|cens. And so likewise might that author (whosoeuer he was) whome Geffreie of Monmouth followeth, finding Gurmond written to be a king of the mis|creants, mistake the Norwegians for Affricans, be|cause EEBO page image 57 both those nations were infidels: and therfore sith happilie the Affricans in the daies when that au|thor liued, bare all the brute aboue other heathenish nations then, as the Turks doo now, he named them Affricans. Howsoeuer it was, certeine it is that the Danes or Norwegians made sundrie inuasions into Ireland, and that at seuerall times. But for Turgesius, whether he were an absolute king, or but a lieutenant of some armie, vnder some other king named Gurmound, or peraduenture Gormo, (as such names are soon corrupted) I cannot affirme, bicause that no certeine time is set downe in the chronicles which are written of those nations, where|by they may be so reconciled togither, as sufficeth to warrant anie likelie coniecture in this behalfe.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 But if I should saie (with the readers licence) what I thinke, this Gurmound whatsoeuer he was, made no such conquest of Ireland, nor of this our Ile of Britaine (as by some writers is supposed) but yet might he peraduenture land in Wales, and either in fauor of the Saxons then enimies to the Britons, or in hatred of the christian name persecute by cruell wars the British nation, and vse such crueltie as the heathenish nations then were accustomed to practise against the christians in all places where they came, and chanced to haue the vpper hand. The chiefest cause that mooueth me to doubt thereof, is for that I find not in anie of our approoued ancient English writers, as Beda, Malmesburie, Huntington, Houe|den, or such like, anie plaine mention made of him; whereby I may be throughlie induced to credit that which I find in Geffrie Monmouth and others recor|ded of him, except his name be mistaken, and so thereby some error crept in, which I am not able to resolue.