Miles de Gogan wan at this time great honour.

f. 45.

Adelmois sent for into England.

Hue Delasi.

Desmond given by the King.

Dermot McCartey was prince of Desmond.j

After that Miles de Cogane, that under Aldelmuse son was keeper and constable of Dublinge, with forty knights, of which Ralf, Robert FitzSteveney's son, was set a master over them under Miles, and two 100 other on horseback, and three 100 bowmen, passed the water of Shannen, and went into Connogh, where Englishmen was never before comen. Then the men of Connogh were ware of their coming; they drew them into earth-houses many, and all the victuals that they might with them, and all that they might not take with them they put in churches, towns, and houses, and set them all a-fire, in despite of the Englishmen. And, in hope that God should take repentance of them, they took the roods and images that was hallowed, and cast* before them into the fields.

The Englishmen went till they came to Tunen, and there they tarried eight days in bare blott lands; and when they might no man find, nor nothing whereby they might live, they turned again to Shannen. There they found against them O'Connochore, in a wood, with three great hosts. The Englishmen boldly smote upon them, and slew of them full many, and so passed and came to Dublinge, all sound but three men that in that fight were left.

Soon thereafter, Aldelme's son was sent into England, that no good in Ireland did but one, that by procuring of him an holy baghell, and of great virtue, that men called Baghell Jh'u, it was brought from Ardemaghe to Dublinge, and is yet at the Church of the Trinity. And came into Ireland Heu de Lacy, seneschal of all the land, and Robert de Pouer with him; which Hue came afore with King H. 2., and then had the government of the realm, as appeared, at the said King's departure out of the realm. Constable of Waterford, Miles de Cogane, and Robert Stevensone, went into Ireland, but they came soon again, and Philip de Brusse with them, and the King gave them free all the land of Dessemond. Robert and Miles had the south country, that is, from Lessemore all about Corke 8 cantreds. The King had the city of Cork with the next cantred; and Philip de Bruce, the King gave him all the country of Limrick, save the city and the next cantred.

These three feffeyd† together, and came over into Ireland in one fellowship, and landed at Waterford, and from thence they went to Corke, all harmless. They were fairly received of the city, and of the knight that was keeper of the city, that hight Richard of Londone, when they had wrought the peace. Dermot McCarty was Prince of Dessemond at this time, and many others of the country was of much power. Robert and Miles divided between them the 8 cantreds next unto the city,

*"keste," MS., here and elsewhere.
Sic.

"The " omitted?

Cantred, what it is.

A counsel of evil people proveth according.

f. 46.

A treason wrought by the Irish.

and fell by lot to Robert there on the east side, four to Miles on the west side, for the land was the keeping of the city, and the keeping of the city came unto them both. The rent and the truage of the other four and 20 cantreds, as it would fall, even to divide between them; and a cantred is to signify a hundred town-land.

When this was done, they went with Philip to Limricke. Robert had with him 30 knights and three score squires; Miles 20 knights and fifty squires; Philip 20 knights and forty squires; and footmen with every of them full many. They came to the city, and then was the water of Shannen between them. Robert and Miles bade Philip to go over and assail the town, or, if he had rather, rear a castle upon the same water afore the town. Philip thought he was a knight manfully and hardy in himself; nevertheless, through feeble counsel of them that with him were, he chose and had rather to leave the country, and to turn harmless to his own, than to tarry amongst so many foemen, and in so far lands in so great peril to abide; and no wonder was that voyage missed, that so many lewd men, thieves, and manslaughters of the march of Wales, and they tofore all others he had chosen and driven to his fellowship.

**

Not long thereafter Meredus Robert-son, a young_knight manful, not without much weeping and sorrow of many knights, died in the city of Corke.

That while was hold at Rome the Council of Latrane, that men so much speaketh of, under the Pope Alexander the Third; and was, within three year, three eclipses of the sun.

When Robert Stevenson and Miles de Cogane was five years in Dessemond in good peace together, Miles and his othene† Ralf Robart-son, that a little before his daughter i-married, went to the country of Lessemore to hold a parliament with them of Waterford, and, as they sat in the fields abiding after, then McTyrye, that thither was with them i-come, and with whom they should that night be harboured, unwittingly smote upon them behind, and they both, with 5 other knights there, were slain with spears, and other few that were with them haply scope. Through that thing all the country was destroyed, that Dermot McCarte and all the high men of the country forth with McTyrey against their truth drew them all from the Englishmen, and turned upon Robert Stev[e]nson, that oft times was in a hard case before, and never rested till Raymond came to him and holpe him for to win the country as their heritage; for Robert never might not peace have as he had before, as the Northern men loved fight. Also the Souther[n], falseness they trusted to strength.

The aid of Remond made peace.

Ric. de Cogan came to Ireland.

Mr. Gerald came, and wrate part of the Conquest.

Herwy of Mont

Morthei entered to religion.

Hue de Lasei's commendation.

Ric. of the Pecke.

When Raymond heard that Robert was so narrow beled in the town of Corke, with his foemen all about i-set, he put him to ship in the haven of Waterford with 20 knights and squires, and bowmen well three 100. They left the land all on the right hand, and went about by the sea. Forth he came to Corke, to give help to his friends and discomfort to his foemen. After many chances, many of their foemen they slew, and out of the country they drew.* The most part came to peace ;t and so the great tempest of that weather happened in little while was stablished.

Not long thereafter came into Ireland Richard de Cogane, Miles's brother, with much company from the King sent. In the beginning of March came Philip de Barry, a man slight and manful, with much people and fair, for to help Robert and Raymond both, and for to castle his land of Olithane, which Robert had given him. And in the same sort came Master Gerald, that was Philip de Barry his brother, and Robert's nephew, a full good clerk, and came after with King John. He was a man that all the conquest knew, the statutes of them, and the wonder of Ireland; and of the kinds of people from the beginning full duly he sought, and oft griped, and made books thereof with great travail five year that he was there. About that time Harvy of Mountmorthey yielded him monk at Christ's Church in Canterbury, to which he had given his territories to farm of all his lands by Watterforde and Wexforde. Would God he had changed his cowardousness and treachery as he did his clothes!

The while that this was thus in Dessemond, Hue de Lacye, as a man quiet was and manful, both in Leynester and other places much nobly castled, and that in many places there § other failed before him, and fain was about to set in their lands they that with strength and unrightly were out droven, both English and Irish, so that in little while was good peace, that men tilled their lands; they were well stored of corn. They drew to him slily with worship doing and stedfast forward making the highest of the land folk from place to place build their lands with castles, and in a little while were so good places made, he made the men of Ireland so rich that some of the people of Ireland trowed that he would hold against the King of England and his own truth. They thought that he would have had himself crowned king of the land.

As this was much spoken of in Ireland, two knights from the King was sent, the one hight John, the constable of Chester, the other Richard of the Pecke, for to receive the

f. 47. Kyldare changed for land in Leyxe.

Hue returned out of England.

A strange tale of a wolf.

A question resolved by a wolf; the

cause of the conquest.

A prophecy of a wolf.

keeping of Ireland, and that Hue should go into England to the King. But ere ever he went, by counsel of them all, they builded in that summer many castles in Leynester, for that much was well castled, and then they reared a castle to Raymond in Ferdrid Onolane; another to Geffray his brother; the third in Omorthey to Walter de Redelleford at Kilcae; the fourth to John de Harford at Tylloghe in Felenithe; and other many.

Meyler had that time Kildare of the Earl's gift; and the country about that he took of him for exchange, and gave him the country of Lexe, as in exchange of it, for it was smart land, woods, and marsh; and set him there as a man full of great experience.

When this was done, in the summer Hue went over into England. Against the winter, the King tock of him secureness* and sent him soon again Keeper of Ireland, as he would. Hue builded many castles; one to Mayler at Thaghe Mechoe, and then he gave him his niece to wife; another there nigh, in Obeye, to Robert de Bygaz; and other many both in Leynester and in Mythe, that long it were to rehearse by name.

About that time befel a wondrous adventures in a wood in Mythe of a priest that went by the way, and as he came through that wood there came a man against him, and bade him for God's sake and love that he should turn with him for to shrive his wife that lay sick there. The priest turned with him, and when he came somewhat nigh he heard groaning and wailing as though it were of a woman. And when he came right there, then was it a wolf that lay there groaning. The priest saw that, and was well sore afraid, and turned him away. The man and the wolf both spake unto him, and bade him that he should not be afraid, and that he should turn to her to hear her confession. The priest took heart to him, and blessed him, and went and sat besides her. And the wolf spake to him, and confessed her to the priest, and when they had that done the priest remembered himself that such a[n] evil shapen thing should have such grace for to speak. But yet through God's will he might have such grace showed unto him, and in-sight of other thing[s]. He sat down, and asked the wolf of the out-comen men called the Englishmen that into the land were comen, how it should behap of them. The wolf answered and said, that for the sin of the people of the land, Almighty God was angry with them, and sent that people for to bring them into thraldom, and so they should continue until the same people had repented their sins, and then they should have power for to be delivered of their thraldom and wretched life.

* "sekernes," MS.

The King's unnatural wars ended with his sons.

Laurens, the bishop, died. After him was Bishop

Commen.

f. 48.

Ireland giv[en] to
John, the King's

son.

Not long after the young King Henry, the old King Henry's son and his brother Geffray, the Earl of Britane, with many high men of this side of the sea, and the other on the other side, the third time against their father began to arise, and he against both his sons. As though it were the wrath of God, they both died, the one about Midsummer at Marssele, and that was the young King; and the Earl soon after died at Parisse. And thus the King's wars ended against his

sons.

*

Under this Larans, Archbishop of Dublinge,—that at the Council of Latrone, and, as he said, there he purchased against the King for love of his land folk, whereof the King had great ortrow upon him, whereof he letted him of his passage into Ireland,-the 18 day of December died at Oye in Normandy, a good and holy man, and that God Almighty showed many miracles for him; that he was sick three days ere he there came, and when he saw Our Lady Church of that town, he said this verse of the Sauter, as a prophecy, through the Holy Ghost, "Hæc requies mea in seculum seculi," &c.; and is thus much to signify in English:--"This is my rest, world without end; here I will tarry, for I it hath chosed."

After him was a bishop of Dublinge John Comen, a man of England born, and in England chose of the clergy of Dublinge by acquaintance † and procurement of the King by one accord chosen of the public at the city of Wellet thereafter holden, and he succoured many a good clerk and many a rightful man, and by his death much right lacked the state of Holy Church in Ireland.

The King Henry, as he before thought, gave the land of Ireland to his young son John, and when he gave it§ him, he sent unto the Archbishop of Dubling over the sea to ordain things against his son's coming. And soon after that Hue de Lacy was sent into England. And then came one Philip into Ireland, which was in Westchester. He was made Procurator of the land, with forty knights. He was a good courteous knight, and a good giver of his meat, but no other good he did none, but from country to country and with strength took both high and low degree. He pursued gold and silver enough. I understood that he never did no good therewith, nor never man should be the better, but he gathered many cattle ¶ therewith, and delivered them to poor and rich, and the poor was made up therewith; and so well is ** him that good[s] and cattle gathereth so.