The King came to Doublinge where the King of Ossorye yield[ed].

The King of Conaght yielded to the King's officers (?), Hue Delesey, William Aldelmoissone.

All Ireland came to the King, saving Ulstere.

A prophecy.

A great feast.

A death came upon those that did cut trees in the churchyard of Finglas.

tell it not to many, but it seemed to be so. The King of Ulster came not to the King H. 2.*

When the King had this done, he left at Waterford Robert de Barnardson, with much people, and by Ossory went the way towards Dublinge. In that voyage the King of Ossory came to him, and yielded himself unto the King; and when he had tarried a while at Dublinge, thither came all the best men of Leynester of the Irish Pale, and besought peace, and yielded them to the King. Rore O'Conchore, the King of Connoght, came against the King's messengers at the water of Shannen, that is to wit, Hew de Lasse and William Aldelmysseson. There he yielded him to the King, and the King of Mythe also, so that there was no great men in Ireland but came unto the King's own body or sent messengers to become his subjects, and yielded them to him, save only them of Ulester. Then was fulfilled a prophecy that Marlen sayeth, "Before him shall kneel down the princes, and shall obey his fastus, and live in peace." They shallt understand Marlen's sayings in other places :-"To this light the fowls of the island should together flee, and the most of them with their wings burnt should have been overthrown in thraldom; the first part of them should be brought unto one, and the sight shall overcome the strongest places of Ireland."

When the mid-winter came, many of the highest came to the King's court to the feast, and much wonder they had of the noble service that they had there, and of the much plenty of meat and drink and of boards i-set and fair cloths upon,§ the highest service of the pantry and buttry, and rich vessels of gold and silver. They saw there many manners of meat; they saw of the fashion of England, which they never saw before. After that the feast was highly and fair kept, every man went with gladness into his own home.

In that time were bowmen harboured at Fynglas, and went unto the churchyard, and hewed down trees that saints by old time had there set. There came sudden death upon them every one.

The land was in good peace by the King's time, and the peace was well kept. The King heard very well that the people was of an unclean life, and again returned among them and assembled much people, and appointed them a place where they should come, and he assembled all the clergy at Casshell, and there he inquired and heard openly the filthiness of the people in which they led their lives; and what way they set it written is under the Bishop's seal of Lesmore; and that was of a Legate of the Court of Rome, and highest of dignity over all them that there were; and the statutes of

f. 20.

The order for religion and institutions to be observed.

Marriage.

Children.

Tithes.

Land of the church to be free.

Manslaughter.

The testament of the dead.

holy church with it, men hath in the name of holy church them hold in England, he let there set ;t which statutes were there showed, and the words expounded, though they were there expressed; they thought of it no harm at that time.

In the year of our Lord a thousand 172, the fourth year of the King of England whose name was Harry, when he winned Ireland, Christian Bishopt of Lesmore and Legate of the Court of Rome, Donogher Archbishop of Cassell, Larans Archbishop of Dublinge, Cathell Archbishop of Connoght, which led bishops, abbots, priors, and many other prelates of holy church in Ireland, and through the same King's commandment came together into the land of Cassell, and for the state of holy church, to bring it into better form, holden and kept the King's Council. To this Council these from the King sent a nobleman Ralf Abbot of Kyldewdes, Ralf Archdeacon of Landdaffe, Nycoll the priest, and other many of the King's clergy and his messengers. The statutes of constitutions of that Council been there written, and by the King's authority stablished.

The first is that the Christian men in Ireland should love their kinswomen and their husbands which they should hold together well without their spous[e]s, and lawfully spouse other women, and wedlock lawful keep; and that their children should be promised at the church door of the priest's hands, and receive Christendom.

The third, that every man should pay his tithes to his parish church of corn and of all other things that prof[i]teth to the owner.

The fourth, that all the land of holy church and possessions of all earthly asking be quit, and, namely, that no King nor other man neither their sons should not in no church lands enter, nor ask by strength, nor by hardiness take away anything that is the church lands.

The fifth, that of manslaughter, that lewd men doth when they are in their rage, goeth about one to kill another for envy, the clerks that be his kinsmen, neither young nor old, should yield there to anything, but as they be guiltless of the death's doing. Also be they harmless of the payment.

The sixth, that when a man is sick, he shall make his testament openly before his priest and his neighbours, and after his death his debts and servants to be paid upon his goods. And if he have a wife and children, his goods shall be divided in three parts, the one part to his wife, and the other part to his children, and the third to his testament. And if he hath no children by wedlock, the goods shall be

*Or" then."
† Sic.

"bisshopes," MS.

Tidings brought to the King out of England.

H. the King's son conspired with

others against the King.

f. 21.

divided betwixt him and his wife, as much to the one as to the other.

The 7th, when that men or other women dieth that he should be waked, and the service of holy church be done over their burying worshipfully.

The 8th, that all men and women worship holy church and oft resort thereto, and all services to be governed after the manner that it is in England.

In all these things as the King came into Ireland he found many faults in the land, and much heresy and horrible sins, that men ought not to speak of, that through the grace of God, and by the King's proweyance and his might were amended, in better order brought. The primate of Armagh was not at this Council, neither might not come, for he was an old man and a feeble. But he sent after to Dublinge, and granted all the things aforesaid.

The King's proveyansse* in this time could not come: the weather was so strange and the wind so terrible and unstable, that in all the winter no ship could come over into Ireland. The King went into Waterford, and tarried there a while, and full much desirous he was to hear news out of England. And the Kings that he found in Ireland he drew to him sleghly for coste,† and the best, as Raymond and Myles de Cogane, William Marsciall, and others, for to make his part the stronger and the Earl's part the feebler.

After the mid-Lent came ships into Ireland, that brought tidings and letters both out of England and out of France and Normandy, and out of other lands; for into Normandy was come two Cardinals from the Pope Alexander sent, that one hight Albard, and that other Theodine, tidingst for to inquire of the holy martyr's death, Saint Thomas. They were rightful men, as I understand, and to that lawfully chosen. Nevertheless they were Romans, and such followeth oft covetise. But if the King had not come to them, the rather the kingdom of England and all the lands that he was lord of should be interdicted; and, as I find ofttimes, good adventures come many times of sloth, but misadventures cometh never alone without tidings either warning come before them. It was more peril, for the King's son Henry, the eldest, which he so feigned was to be crowned King of England, and other twain of his brethren, that through foolishness of youth there followeth many people, and they had counsel both of England and beyond the sea, and were sworn together to enter upon the King, and to bring his lands to their own use while he was in Ireland; and well was that provided between them, and concluded, ere he into Ireland went.

* Sic.

† "tedinges," MS., both here and above.
"coũetus," MS.

The custody of Ireland was given to Hue de Lasey, and left in Dubling; to whom this time Methe was given in fee.

The King went to
England out of
Ireland.

A Valse woman's complaint.

A prophecy of a red hand.

A strange Walshe stone called

When the King had heard this, he was in a great anguish. Sorry he was at the beginning that he guiltless was of the holy man's death, and sore he was afraid that his land should be shent or destroyed through that lewd deed of his sons; and sorry he was for thought that the land of Ireland so soon must depart which he had brought to peace, and would stabuld* it, and set the castles and towns of it well the next summer that was to come of all the land; and of all this he was in many thoughts, and thought with himself, and thereafter with his men.

After many redes and thoughts, he sent some of his men into England before him, and thereafter he devised how he might securely keep Ireland in peace. He left at the city of Dublinge, Hwe De Lacy, and the country with him, to keep with 20 knights; Robert Stewenson and Moriche FitzGerald, with other 20, at Wexford; Humfrey de Bone, Robert Barnardson, and Hwe Gondvell, with forty knights, at Wexford; William Aldelmesson and Philip de Bruce, with 20 knights. And upon the morrow after Easter day early, he took shipping at Wexford, and landed at Saint Dawes. Soon after noon, when he went a-land, he came with great devotion to the Church, as a pilgrimage a-foot, with an offering in his hand. Came the chenants of the Church against him to the White Gate, and with fair procession, with much reverence before him, and with much worship, they received him.

As the procession went before him, came a Walshe woman, and kneeled before him, and made much moan in her language, complaining on the Bishop of that place. He stood and heard her complaint of an other man's mouth that told him what she said, and then went forth, and did her no right, and anon she smote her hands together, and bitterly began to cry before them. All was in Walshe language. "A-wrack us to-day, Laglanore; a-wrack our kindred and our folk upon this man." They that understood her speech put her away, and bade her cry not; and she cried the more in the same manner, and she hoped and trusted in an old prophecy that Marlen said, by reason the King did not answer her; "The King of England that shall win Ireland shall be wounded in Ireland, of a man with a red hand, and as he cometh again by South Wales he shall die upon Laghlanor." That was the name of a stone that lay over a stream by north the churchyard of Saint Dawes instead of a bridge. The stone was of marble, well, fair, and smooth of man's going, and had ten foot long and 6 foot broad, and a foot thick. And this Laglanor is a Walshe word, as much to say as a speaking stone. And it was told that sometime as men bare a dead body over that stone, and he began to speak, and with the speech he went throughout

* Sic.

† Sic.; qu. "canons ?"

the stone; and yet the sign is upon the stone, and yet unto this day no dead body is carried over that stone.

The King came unto that stone, and bethought him of the prophecy. He stood at the stone end, and grimly looked, and a while after boldly went over a good pace; and when he was over he turned again to the stone, and wickedly said thus: "Who shall henceforward believe Marlen, the liar?" A man stood there beside that did testify this, which heard the words of the King. Soon after the prophet's stone answered the King, and said: "Thou art not that King that shall Ireland conquest, nor Marlen spake not of thee."

Thus the King went into the church of Saint Dawes, and worshiply sat and heard his mass of a priest that was found fasting as God would. After mass he sat to dinner, and after dinner he went to Hamford, the which was 40 mile from thence. He went hastily into England, and out of England into Normandy, and came before the Cardinals with much business and instance there, after much dalliance and many words, and excused himself by oaths of the holy martyr's death, that he was not guilty of his killing, and that he was not in the country by the time of his killing. Nevertheless he undertook such penance as holy church willed him to take.

The Cardinals he sent again with much worship, and anon he went to the March, and there he spake with the King of France there, through business of high men, and specially of Philip the Earl of Flanders, that from Saint James was right then come. The peace was made betwixt the two Kings of the wrath that was between them for the foresaid martyr's death. All the harm that with the sons with their allies thought to do was forgotten until the next year following after.

As the land of Ireland was in good peace under them that were left to keep the land, it befell that a day of Parliament was appointed at a certain place which was taken between Hue De Lace, whom the King had given power to keep the land of Ireland with trust,† and the King of Mythe. When the Parliament should be, upon the morrow, a knight, whose name was Moriche FitzGerald,‡ now called Robert Greffen by name, thought in his sleep that he saw a much flock of wild swine running upon Hue and Moriche, and a boar among them, big and greasy over all others, came towards them, and with his tusks would have strucken them, and slew them, if there had not many come between them and slew the boar and holpe them both.

Upon the morrow, they went to the place where as the parliament was set, at a place that men called Rorke's Hill.

* "this," MS.

† Or "truth."

The word "is" is inserted here between the lines.