Compare 1577 edition: 1 This Gormo was now a man far striken in age, and blind, hauing small ioie of anie worldlie plea|sures, otherwise than to heare of the welfare and pro|sperous proceedings of his sonnes. When therefore his wife quéene Thira had perfect aduertisement of hir sonnes death, and that neither she nor anie other durst breake the matter vnto hir husband, she deui|sed a shift how to signifie that vnto him by outward signes, which by word of mouth she was afraid to ex|presse, as thus. She caused moorning apparell to be made for hir husband, & putting off his roiall robes, The policie of Thira to sig|nifie to hir husband the death of their sonne Ca|nute. clad him therewith, and other things apperteining to moorners she also put about him, and prepared all such furniture and necessaries as were vsed for fune|rall exequies, witnessing the lamentable griefe con|ceiued for the losse of some friend, with that kind of moorning wéed and funerall ceremonies. Which when Gormo perceiued: Wo is me (saith he) you then signifie the death of my sonne Canute. Where|to she made answer, that he and not she did discouer the truth of that which was meant by those moorning garments; and with that spéech ministred cause of hir husbands death, whereby she became presentlie a widow, not openlie moorning for hir sonne, before she moorned likewise for hir husband: for he tooke such griefe for Canutes death, that immediatlie he died thorough sorow and dolor: so as Thira was thus driuen to lament, as well the death of hir sonne, as Gormo dieth of sorrow. of hir husband both at once. But now to the purpose of the Irish historie.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 Ye haue thus partlie heard what the Danish wri|ters doo record in their histories, touching the con|quests which their people made in Ireland; but whe|ther the same be meant of that which goeth before, or rather of that which followeth, touching the trade which the Norwegian merchants vsed thither; or whe|ther the Irish writers haue passed these iournies o|uer with silence, which the Danish writers in forme (as before is touched) doo make mention of, I cannot affirme. But like it is that as the Danes, or Nor|mans, whether you will call them, did inuade Ire|land as well as England, France, and Scotland, in those daies according to the report of their writers, and that by waie of open warre as well to conquer the countrie, as to take preies, prisoners, and booties, and not for trade of merchandize onelie: albeit that they might peraduenture so get entrie at the first, as by the Irish histories it should seeme they did shortlie after the slaughter of Turgesius. And afterwards when they saw themselues setled, and perceiued that they began to grow to be enuied of their Irish neighbours, who therevpon would not sticke to mo|lest them as occasions serued, they saw no better meane to assure themselues against their aduersa|ries, than to send vnto their countriemen, which in those daies roued abroad (as before I haue said) in euerie quarter of this our west ocean, waiting for oportunitie to aduance their conquests in each coun|trie where anie thing might be gotten. And so this maie agrée verie well with the Irish writers, whom as I doo not take vpon me to controll, but rather to report the storie as I find it by them written, I will procéed with the order which they follow. After the countrie was deliuered of the tyrannie wherewith it was oppressed by the same Turgesius & his people, Danes or Norwegians whether they were (for so Cambrensis estéemeth them) the Irish-deliuered of seruile bondage, fell to their old woonted vomit, in persecuting each other: and hauing latelie defaced their fortified townes and castels, as receptacles and couerts for the enimie, all sides laie more open to receiue harme.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 This being perceiued and thoroughlie considered, the princes that in the late rule of Turgesius had espied some towardnesse to wealth & ease, fell in hand to discourse the madnesse & follie of their ancestors, which saw not the vse of that which their enimies ab|used: they begun to loth their vnquiet trade of life, to wish either lesse discord, or more strength in each mans dominion; to cast the danger of naked coun|tries, readie to call in the enimies, as the strength of forts & castels was a meane to preserue them from losse. Faine would they haue prouided remedie in this case, if they had knowne how. The former sub|iection, though it seemed intollerable, yet they felt therein procéeding steps towards peace. The gaine that rose of merchandize, rest and suertie to the whole estate of the countrie. For the difference was great betwixt the indeuours of the two nations, Norwe|gians and Irish. The first knew the waie to thriue, might they get some commodious seats and soile. The other had commodities plentie, and cared not for them.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 This Gormo was nowe a man farre ſtriken in age, and blinde, hauyng ſmall ioy of anye worldly pleaſures otherwiſe, than to heate of the welfare & proſperous proceedings of his ſonnes. When therefore hys wife Queene Thira hadde perfect aduertiſemente of hir ſonnes deathe, and that neyther ſhe nor any other durſt breake the matter vnto hir huſbande, ſhe deuiſed a ſhifte how to ſignifie that to hym by outwarde ſignes, whyche by worde of mouth ſhe was afrayde to expreſſe,The policie of Thira to ſignifie to hir husband the death of theyr ſonne Canute. as thus, She cauſed moorning apparell to be made for hir huſbande, and putting off hys royall robes, cladde hym therewith, and other thyngs apperteyning to moorners, ſhe alſo put about hym, and prepared all ſuche furniture and neceſſaries as were vſed for funerall exe|quies, witneſſing the lamentable griefe concey|ued for the loſſe of ſome friende, with that kinde of mourning weede and funerall ceremonies. Whiche when Gurmo perceyued: Woe is mee (ſaith hee) you then ſignifie the death of my ſonne Canute. Wherevnto ſhee made aunſwere, that hee and not ſhee dyd diſcouer the trueth of that whiche was meante by thoſe moorning gar|mentes, and with that ſpeeche miniſtred cauſe of hir huſbandes deathe, whereby ſhee became preſently a Widdowe, not openly moorning for hir ſonne, before ſhee mourned like wiſe for hir huſbande: for hee tooke ſuche griefe for Ca|nutes deathe, that immediately he dyed through ſorowe and dolor,Gurmo dyeth of ſorowe. ſo as Thyra was thus [...]ri|uen to lamente, as well the deathe of hir ſonne, as of hir huſbande both at once: but nowe to the purpoſe of the Iriſh hiſtorie.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 Yee haue thus partly hearde what the Da|niſhe writers doe recorde in their hiſtories tou|chyng the Conqueſtes whych theyr people made in Irelande, but whether the ſame bee meante of that whyche goeth before, or rather of that whiche followeth, touchyng the trade whyche the Norwegian Merchauntes vſed [...] or whether the Iriſhe writers haue paſſed theſe iourneys ouer with ſilence whiche the Daniſhe writers in forme (as before is touched) doe make mention of, I cannot affirme: But lyke [...] is that as the Danes, or Normans, whether you will call them, dyd inuade Irelande as well as England, France, and Scotlande, in thoſe days, according to the reporte of theyr writers, and that by way of open warre, as well to conquere the countrey, as to take prayes, priſoners and booties, and not for trade of Merchandiſe, onely albeit that they myghte peraduenture ſo get en|trie at the firſte, as by the Iriſh hiſtories it ſhould ſeeme they dyd ſhortly after the ſlaughter of Turgeſius, and afterwards when they ſaw thẽ|ſelues ſetled, and perceyued that they beganne to growe to be enuyed of their Iriſhe neybors, who therevpon woulde not ſticke to moleſt them as occaſions ſerued, they ſaw no better meane to aſ|ſure themſelues againſt their aduerſaries, than to ſend vnto their coũtreymen, which in thoſe dayes roued abrode (as before I haue ſaid) in euery quar|ter of this our weſt Ocean, wayting for oportu|nitie to aduance their conqueſts in each countrey where any thing might be gottẽ: and ſo this may agree very well with the Iriſhe writers, whome as I do not take vppon me to controll, but rather to report the hiſtorie as I find it by them writtẽ, I will proceede with the order whiche they fol|lowe. After the countrey was deliuered of the ty|rannie wherewith it was oppreſſed by the ſame Turgeſius and his people Danes or Norwegiãs whether they were (for ſo Cambrenſis eſteemeth them) the Iriſhe deliuered of ſeruile bondage, fell to their old wonted vomit, in perſecuting each o|ther: and hauing lately defaced theyr fortifyed Townes and Caſtels, as receptacles & couertes for the enimie, all ſides lay more open to receyue harme.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 EEBO page image 19This beeing perceyued and throughly conſi|dered, the Princes that in y^e late rule of Turgeſi|us, had eſpied ſome towardneſſe to wealth & eaſe, fell in hand to diſcourſe the madneſſe and folly of their aunceſtors, whiche ſawe not the vſe of that which their enimies abuſed, they begunne to loth their vnquiet trade of life, to wiſh eyther leſſe diſ|cord, or more ſtrẽgth in each mans dominion, to caſt the danger of naked countreys, ready to call in the enimies, as the ſtrength of fortes and Ca|ſtels was a meane to preſerue them from loſſe. Fayne would they haue prouided remedie in this caſe, if they had knowne how.