Three cries by the
Irish.

Holywode of Tartayn's word.

Darsey's answer.

Naggell, Baron of the Nowan, a valiant man.

A man of Doublinge.

Young Geralt's overmuch hardiness.

f. 112. All the English carriag [es] taken, with certain gentlemen taken. 9,000 men slain.

The day of the battle of Cnocketwo was 1504.

swine to a trough, which make[s] them more rash and foolish than wise and valiant. Remember all that we have doth rest upon this day's service, and also the honour of our Prince; and remember how we are in a country unknown to the most number of us, and far from our towns and castles.'

The Earl did not well finish those words, when they heard three great cries that disturbed his oration.* A company of stalworthy gentlemen being in the forefront of the English battle, amongst all was Holywod of Tartaine,* which seldom heard the like. "What meaneth this cry?" said he; "do they think that we are crows, that we will flee with crying?" and sware, "By the holy Saint Nicholas, that blisse in Tertayne, they shall find us men ere we depart." With that the Irish galoglas came on, to whom the English archers sent them such a shower of arrows that their weapon and their hands were put fast together. MackSwine, captain of the Irish galoglasse, came foremost, and asked where was Great Darsey? Darsey answered that he was at hand, which he should well understand. With that McSwine strack Darsey such a blow upon the helmet that he put Darsey upon his knees. With that Nangell, Baron of the Nowan, being a lusty gentleman that, day, gave McSwine such payment that he was satisfied ever after.

They fought terrible and bold a while. The Irish fled; amongst whom there came a horseman running amongst the English, and asked who had the Earl of Kildare and the rest of the Lords of the English Pale prisoners? With that one Skquyvors, a soldier out of Dublinge, strack him with a gun with both his hands, and so beat out his brains. The young Gerotte this time being left for relief, seeing the battle joining, could not stand still to wait his time as he was appointed by the Earl his father, but set on with the foremost in such sort that no man alive could do better with his own hands than he did that day, for manhood of a man; but by reason of his lustiness not tarrying in the place appointed, all the English carriag[es] was taken away by the Irish horsemen, and a few of the English gentlemen take[n] prisoners. That was on that

side of the battle.

When the battle was done, and a great number of the Irish slain, as it was reported nine thousand, the Lord of Gormanston said to the Earl, "We have done one good work, and if we do the other we shall do well." Being asked what he meant, said he "We hath for the most number killed our enemies, and if we do the like with all the Irishmen that we have with us, it were a good deed."

This battle was fought the 19. day of August 1504, at Knocketwoe, which is from Galwe five miles. The hill is not high, but a great plain. The greatest of the Irish was Richard

* Interlined.

The Baron of Delven kept promise.

The Earl's saying to the Baron of Delven.

What the Earl bestowed of wine.

One Bremyngham of Ballidougan slain in one battle, and his son slain in another.

The authority of the Boytlers.

Earl of Worcester, Lieutenant in Ireland.

f. 113.

Desmond's sayings of the Queen.

Bourke, father to Oyllocke ne Keyan (?). McWilliam Eytragh, that is also of the Bourkes, this time was with the Earl. The O'Brens was with McWilliam. The Baron of Delven, a little before the joining of the battle, took his horse with the spurs, and threw a small spear amongst the Irish, and slew by chance one of the Bourkes, and turned. The Earl said to him that he kept promise well, and well did and stalworthly, saving that after his throw he retired back. After they went to Galwaye, where as the Irish gathered again, and said they would give to the Earl another field, but they durst not fight a battle never after with the English Pale. The Earl bestowed 30 tun of wine amongst the army.

There was a sore fight after between McWilliam East and McWilliam of the West, by reason at that field aforesaid they held not together, but he of the East had the worst.

Also there hath been many slaughters done by the Earl of Dessemond upon the Earl of Wormonde; amongst all one was where as Bremyngham of Baldougan was slain in Mounster. After, the Earl of Kyldare, going upon A'Brene, was set on in a moor and a pass called Monebrare, where the Earl lost many gentlemen of the English Pale; amongst all Bremyngham of Baldougan was slain, son to the foresaid Bremyngham; where as young Gerote did very well that day. The Earl of Kyldare was made Knight of the Garter after the field of Cnocktwo.*

39. H. 6. Before this, as appeareth in Hale's Chronicle, that James Buttler was Earl of Wormone and of Wiltshire, and Jasper Earl of Pembrocke had gathered a great company of Welshmen and Irishmen, thinking to have taken the Earl of Marche, so commonly called, and now after the death of his father called Duke of York, which, perceiving this, gathered a great company of people together, and determined to set upon them on Candlemas Day in the morning, at which time appeared unto him three suns, and suddenly joined all three in one. By reason of which he courageously and fiercely did set on his enemies, and so discomfit them; for which cause he gave the sun in his conyssans.† At which time the Earl of Pembro[ke] and Wiltshire fled.

John Typtofte, Earl of Worcester, being Lord Lieutenant in Ireland, the Queen, King Edward's wife, did hear say and credently was informed that the Earl of Warvicke and the Earl of Desmound was greatly offended and also was grieved with the marriage of the Queen, and said openly that better it were for the King to follow his friends' counsel, which went about to prepare for him a convenient and a meet marriage, not inconvenient for his estate, rather than to marry a traitor's

*Inserted by another hand.

† Sic? It seems to have been " quenyssans" originally, but it is altered as

above.

TheQueen offended.

A letter signed by the Queen with the King's signet.

Desmond beheaded. See Halle's Chronicle in 9 E. 4. f. 23.

The Earl of Desmond's sons beheaded pitifully.

The innocent's lamentable complaint.

The innocents' blood shed.

The Earl of Worcester beheaded.

The King's licence to Desmond, 9 E. 4.

wife, which thing at length said they were assured should come to an evil end and a success. The Queen, offended with these sayings, often did move the King thereof, which little he did regard, considering it was spoken for very love they bare to their assured friend and prince.

When that the Queen did so perceive that the King did make no more account thereof, she sought all the means she could to bring the Earl of Desmound to confusion. She feigned a letter which the King should have sent to the Earl of Worcester, being in Ireland, and she, resting with the King in his bed a night, did rise before day, and conveyed his Privy Signet, which was in the King's purse* and did assign the letter withall, and after went to bed; within which letter was the Earl of Desmound should have been apprehended and taken, and his head struck off in examplet of other which rebelliously would talk of the Queen as he did; which fact was done accordingly, and so executed at Dublinge, then being called thereunto for a Parliament for the foresaid cause.

Immediate after the Earl of Worcester went to Drogheda, where as was two of the Earl of Desmond his sons at learning. The eldest, scarce at the age of 13 years, there was beheaded. The youngest brother, being like case to be executed, having a bill of felony§ upon his neck, said to the persecutor|| these words, "Mine own good gentle and beloved fellow, whatsoever else ye do with me, hurt not nor grieve not this sore that is upon my neck, for it troubleth me and grieveth me very much; therefore take keep thereof." And with that this innocent's head was strucken off, for which cause those that stood by, did much lament. At which time there was such a shower of rain and wind as Heaven and Earth had contended together, that the like was not seen of a long time before, which was thought by those that there was that God was offended with shedding those innocents' blood.

After that the King did hear thereof, being much offended therewith, did send for the Earl of Worcester, and for that and other thing[s] did cause the said Earl to be executed. And after, as it was said, that the King granted the Earl[s] of Desmound should never be enforced to come to no Parliament to Dubling more, nor no where else in Ireland, using themselves dutifully to God and to their Prince.

In Hall's Chronicles, the ninth year of King E. 4, thus appeareth,¶ that this Lord John Tiptofte, Earl of Worcester, Lieutenant of King Edward in Ireland, exercising more extreme cruelty as the fame went than princely pity or chari

table compassion, and in especial of two innocents, being sons to the Earl of Desmond, was either for treason to him laid, or malice again[st] him conceived, attainted and beheaded.

*Sir Roland Ustace, Knight, some time Treasurer and Lord Chancellor, and lastly Lord Deputy of Ireland, found[ed] St. Francis' Abbey beside Kylkullen Bridge. Edw[ard], a year before his death, honour[ed] his younger son Rich [ard], the infant Duke of York, with the title of Lieutenant over the land of Ireland.

John Earl of Lincoln, son to John De la Poll, Duke of Suffolk, Lord Deputy.

Gerald Earl of Kildar, Lord Deputy, 1483.

After that King Richard the third was slain worthily by King H. 7., there was a priest called Sir Richard Symone in the second year of H. 7., that worthy Solomon. This priest had elected a scholar called Lambart Symenell, one of a gentle nature and pregnant wit, to be the organt of his feigned enterprise, and to be the rightful inheritor to the Crown of England, and so thereof to make him King of England, and to make himself to be some great bishop and potestate; for that craftily feigned King E. 4's two sons was away fled, and thought to feign this scholar to be one. This crafty and subtle priest brought up his scholar with princely behaviour and manners, literature, declaring to this child, what lineage he was of and progeny; in so learning him he might so inform the people, that they should the rather conceive the tale to be true.

Soon after he caused to be blown abroad that Edward the young Earl of Warwick was broken abroad out of the Tower, which both was of one years and one stature; and then he changed the child's name, and called him Edward, after the name of the young Earl of Warwick. And he with this child sailed into Ireland, and there he declared this same to certain of the nobility there, which did both credit the matter and favoured the cause; in so much that Lord Thomas Geraldinge,§ Chancellor of Ireland, much furthered this matter, and published this same throughout all the realm. And so they called him King, then being in Crichurch; and for that the throng of the people was such that he could not be seen, the child was borne in, and upon Great Darsey of Platan's neck, that every man might see him; and so sent their letters secretly into England, and also to Flanders to Lady Margaret, sister to the King Edward, late wife to Charles Duke of Borgoyne, to further his purpose with all her might and power. This Lady Margaret was very well beloved in her country. The contents of that letter she did observe with all diligence to the uttermost of her ability.

The L. of Howthe sent word to the King.

Certain lords of England went away.

Thomas Geraltin captain of the Irish

men.

f. 115. The L. of Howthe did certify the King all this.

The field fought, and Martin Swor and others slain.

Sir Nicholas, Lord of Houth, perceiving all this but a mad dance, sent over to the King, and advertised him of all of these matters from the beginning to the ending, who was the doers and maintainers of the whole matters in Ireland and Flanders.

After the King called his Council, and there thought good to give a general pardon to all those that would receive this same without any condition or exception. And after the young Earl of Warwick was brought to Paul's Church through London, where as every man might see him that thought he was run away," and that they might perceive the fondness of those of Ireland to move war against the King without any just matter.

The Earl of Lincoln, son to John Delapoll, being a wise man, as it was reported, secretly conveyed him to Flanders, and the Lord Lovelde landed there certain days before him; so they there concluded to go into Ireland, that the honour might be the more to this young King supposed, with one Martin Swarde,† a good captain, out of Germany, and two thousand soldiers expert in the wars. And there in Dublinge in Ireland they proclaimed this child King of England, being borne and sitting upon Darsey's shoulders to be seen of all men, for that Darsey was then the highest. After they had gathered so much Irishmen as would take their parts, with one Thomas Geraldine‡ was their leader, and for the most part naked, they took shipping, and landed at the Pyll of Fonder in England for a fit purpose; which doings, as is aforesaid, was certified the King by the Lord of Houth in Ireland.

The King, hearing those men's landing, concluded to encounter with them incontinent, lest that in long tarrying might enlarge their power and to increase, being but a few in the beginning, which was a great cause of mistrust. To be short, both the armies came within a little to Stocke, and the morrow after joined and fought very valiant on both sides, for those Allmayns were very good and apt soldiers, so were their captain Martin Swarthe; his like was not in both the armies to all purposes. The Irishmen did as well as any naked men could do, and at length they were slain, about four thousand and more. Their captains was the Earl of Lincoln, Lord Loveld, Broghton, Martin Swarthe, and Lord Thomas Gerald; and many of the King's side was killed and hurt. This feigned King and crafty priest his master was taken alive. This priest was commanded to perpetual prison, and this innocent child became falconer to the King after. This field was fought the 16. of June 1489.

rene a waye," MS.

+ "Swart" in margin (by Carew).
"who," omitted?