I f. 26.

The battle between the King and his

sons.

A prophecy.

Description of
King H. 2.

This while the King was in much strife well two years, against his three sons and their allies, both in England and in Normandy and Garinge, and so was pained* with travail in weapon[s], and waked night and day, that no man might do more, but fort his wars few of his men might be trusted. The knights that he chose his body to keep, in whose hands his life and death lay on, for the most part every night went to his sons privily, so that when the King ofttimes asked after them they were not found. Nevertheless, the battle that was so great doubted in the beginning had so good ending that for the wrong that his sons did to him so unkindly, it seemed it were better for him to trust to fight with the power of God than by earthly power; and thought in all places the upper hand was his. And as it seemed first that this was for the wreaks of Saint Thomas's death, that unhap had him befel, also it seemed thereafter, when he had done and asketh mercy of holy church, and peace made with the holy martyr, with tears and repentance of heart, all his time, through God's help, they turned to gladness.

For after the much wrath and treason that he had hold all this two years, at the last was the battle set at length between the two hosts. There were the King's sons discomfit through Rauffe de Glaniell, that was master of the King's host. Then was taken the King of Scotland, and the Earl of Chester and the Earl of Leicester, and so fell great men both of England and beyond the sea, and all the travel that the King had, the charges and the costs, all this two years, came to a good end, and the sons to the father's peace came, and made false ways, as it was thereafter well shewed indeed. Of this untruth spake Marlen in his prophecy, and said, "The sons should rise against the father for his guilts, and the rather guilt shall be chosen of the guilts that after should come to peace, the sons shall arise upon the father, and for to wreak § his felony against the wrong, the harms shall swear them together in the manner of blood, the blood shall arise and wine, hopely shall his pinshinge be tyll that Scotteland the ponane of his pilgrimmage be wept."||

This King Henry was a man somewhat round headed and round grey eyes, roughly looking, and red in wrath, red visaged, bearing great spech,¶ necked somewhat low on the shoulders, thick breasted, tall armed, and a fleshy body, and more of kind than of gluttony, great wombed, for he was in likeness to a prince. Meat and drink he could come without it a long while; and for to subdue that greatness he

The King's care of
Ireland.

f. 27.

The orders taken in
Ireland sent to the
Pope.

put himself to full much travail that when he had let his
body have any rest either by day, either by night, for
winter and summer, he would rise ever more in the dawning.
First he would hear service of holy church, then after hunting
or hawking most part all the day, for them two games he
most delighted; and few times he would ride any ambling
horse, but trotting horses he loved best, and all was for tra-
vail of his body the more. After all his travail all the day,
when he let his body have a little rest to sit unto his meat,
and awhile he would eat, and anon after supper he would
stand and walk, and so he would drive forth the most part
of the night, so that all the Court oft was grieved thereof.
The man that he had once knowledge of him and of his
doing, if he were worth love he would love him. The man
that he once hated he would him never love. When any
unhaps him befell, no man should know, for he would be
like merry when he had any venture as when he would
hear none.
He would be bold and meek; to them that
were under him he was hard among them, and princely
large among unknown, and abhorred lewd pride, and fantasies
he hated, and would bring them under foot.

*

Though the King were well long in great mind and great anguish through his sons, as aforesaid is told, nevertheless among all other needs he did not forget Ireland. He bade to bring him the letters that were made in the Council of Cassell of the unclean life and the horrible sins that the people of Ireland lived in, otherwise that Christian men ought to live; and the letters, all unsealed as they were, he sent by his messengers to the Court of Rome to the Pope Alexander that then was Pope. And there he did the purchase that by authority of the Pope, and by his Council, was to him granted the lordship of the land, and the landfolk, that Christian men should be, and all clean was out of right rule of Christendom and right belief, to bring into right the law of holy church, in the manner of England; that privilege forth with another that rather was purchased of the Pope, a dream that was before.† Alexander he sent over into England by Nycol Prior of Wallingeford and William Aldelme's son; and was a Council of all the clergy of Ireland gathered together at Waterford. There were the privileges shewed solemnously and i-read before them, and granted by consentment of all the Commons. The form of the privileges as they were indited in the Court of Rome in Latin might not comely be set in English, and therefore I it leave, but the most strength is this:

When the Pope Adrian it heard openly the sinful and evil life that the people of Ireland led, worse than wild beasts,

A ring in token sent as a possession of Ireland.

A feigned friendship by marriage made.

f. 28.

Reymond's journey to Lymrycke, where was worthy acts done.

and out of constitutions of holy church and right belief, he required the King that he would into Ireland go for to redress and spread the terms of holy church for to withstand and to let the men of sinful lives, to amend the lewder* lives, and set them for to receive religion of Christendom, so that it were worship to God and health to their souls. And the folk of the land worshiply should take him and worship him as their Lord, save rights of holy church, and to Saint Peter and the holy mother church of Rome of every house a penny rent a year in Ireland as in England. This privilege was purchased of the Pope Adrian, and a clerk it purchased that hight John of Salesbery. And the Pope by this same clerk sent to the King a gold ring in name of chief of the land. The Pope Alexander next after him confirmed that same gift, and every other of them that after would prey† from God Almighty, he besought the Devil all them that in any time there again would come.

Of the King and of his sons, and of the purchase that the King did, is now told shortly. Now we will turn again to our knights' gestes in Ireland. The land of Ireland was in good peace under Raymond's keeping. But Harve of Mount Morthey, that ever had envy to Raymond, and saw that his help and his worship waxed ever more and more, for he durst not show openly the felony that was in his heart, he bethought that he would feignedly make him semblant of much love,besought full earnestly that he must alliance have to their kindred, and namely that he must have to wife a gentlewoman that was Morich FizGerald's daughter; that after this maid was granted him, he married her, and that the kindred should faster be bound together, by procuring of Raymond and of the Earl, gave Hely, that was his sister, to William FitzGerald, Moriche his eldest son. The Earl sent after Moriche, that went then into Wales, and at his coming he gave him the halffendell of O'Felane and the castle of Wicklow, and that other halfendell he gave Meyler.

The time that the peace was, and the land in good state, it befel that O'Bren, the King of Thoman, against his truth and against the King's peace, began to withdraw him from the King, and would not obey the King nor them that was under the King in the land. Raymond thought much unworthiness of that, and in a little while gathered together his host, so that they had a 100 knights and 20 three 100 other horsemen and four 100 bowmen, and about Hallow tide§ went towards Limrick. When they were there they had great let of the water of Shanen, that was betwixt them and the city, so that

The foremost that ventured the river.

they might not over go. The younglings, that well covets themselves to advance, their manhood to show, and also thinking to get over, were sorry at the end that they might not over into the city that was to them so nigh, for the water was so deep and so straight between them, and so stony by the ground, as the gravel stones were running upon the water's brink.

A young knight among them, newly dubbed, fair and manfully, Raymond['s] nephew, that hight Dawy Walshe, through great courage that he had over all others to win the foremost praise, pressed himself to so horrible peril of death. He smote his horse with the spurs, and overthrew himself a-down in the water, that was so deep and so stony. The horse was so big and so strong, that he came up soon above the water with him. He led the horse sidling against the stream a-squint, and went over on the other side, and cried to his men, and said that he found a ford; but there was never a man that followed him but a knight, that hight Geffray Yudas. Dawe turned again by that way, and he came over whole and sound. But the knight, through the straightness* that he took the water, was turned and his horse, and was drowned before them all.

When Meyler that there was with Raymond this saw, he had great envy that such harms should be told of any other and not of him. Upon his horse he went, and to the water he go, and hardy, without† fair passage, over to the other side. The citizens saw him coming so alone. They came against him, for to keep him downward at his coming out of the water, for to make him turn again, either to undo him. Right in the water the knight was manfully and‡ boldly put him up between the peril, that one half the wood running water so grissily, on other half his foemen, that with stones and staves they lay on him both at the water and upon the walls of the town, that right upon the water stood. He put his shield and his head with the helme against the dents, and hard[i]ly held him amid all them that was against him, without any help.

Full terrible was the cry on every side, and Raymond, that was at the last of the host, as a leading man and a prince of all the host, heard the cry, and wist not what it meant. He came anon hastily through all the host till he came to the water, and when he saw his nephew on that other side go narrow driven to, he had great anguish in his heart, and sharp and bitterly began to cry to his followers, "Men, that so manfully be of right kind, and in so fell|| anguish that never

Reymond ventured the river first.

The city of Lymrycke wyn.

f. 29.

A question of hardiness.

Tuesday is to heathen men allowed.

What Reymond and Meyler was.

The case of Remond in the wars.

was afraid, as said is, come forth! The way is open before us, and the ford now is ready, and let us go through with hardiness, and follow the hardy knight that so strong is be-lead; and let we him never so nigh before our eyes be shent." With that word, Raymond was the first that went into the water, and all the host after ventured, and in the help of God's grace went over all quit but one knight that hight Guy, and two footmen, there was slain before them in the city; and they brake in after, and wan the city, and slew full many of the citizens. They found there so much gold and silver and other riches, that for that and for the mastery that God sent them they told little of the peril and of the losses that they had there.

Now a-read ye, who was the hardiest of these three knights; whether he that without any man before him put him into the water and in jeopardy for to teach all other the way; either he that after ensample of him, and the horrible death as hape that were drowned before their eyes, passed the water; or he that set so hardily his body to make among so many foemen; and he that after them both, so hardily and so boldly, with all the host, put him in so great peril?

Thist was the time that Limerick was won, and on a Wednesday, and Waterford wan on a Thursday, and Dublinge also; but, as it befell, by cause and by adventure, and not without skill, for the Tuesday be heathen men's days. In the old world was set to a God that day, clyped Mars, and was i-hold God of battle, and on that day they found that whoso battle sought, he should speed better than other days.

Now I will you tell of those two stalworth knights, Raymond and Mayller, which they were. Raymond was a man more broader of body some deal than,§ much yellow hair and crispy, grey eyne and deep, some deal high and broad, well i-hewed, glad semblant, and a clear man, of a much mirth, and of great proveyance, nothing delicious of meat neither of clothe; heat and cold all like well he might suffer; a man of much travail and thraldom in wrath; as ready he was to serve other as he was ever as to be served of them. When the host was led, he was so busy about to keep the host that he let sleep all that night, and wandered about till the spring of the day, and scryed for to look that no harm should betide them. For he would ever first be ready if it need were, and shortly, to seat his men in battle. And in this manner he was a man fierce and meek, quiet and purveying; and though¶ he were swiftest,** hardy, and well taught in weapon[s]; of quali