AD. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1204. 



because he was his sonne in lawe, for John de Curcy had 

 taken to wife AfFrica the daughter of Godredus, which 

 founded the abbey of S. Mary de jugo domini, and was 

 there buried. 



In the yeere 1205. John de Curcy & Reginald king of 



the islands invading Ulster with a hundreth ships at the 



port which is called Stranfeord did negligently besiege the 



castle of Rath : but Walter de Lacy comming upon them 



with his armie, put them to flight, & from that time 



Curcy never recovered his land. In the yere 12 10. 



Engus the son of Sumerled & his 3. sonnes were slaine. 



King John At the same time John king of England conducted a 



passed into ^^^x, of 500. ships into Irland, and subdued it unto 



coo^ ^I himselfe : and sending a certaine earle named Fulco, unto 



the isle of Man, his souldiers almost utterly wasted it in 



the space of 15. dayes, and having taken pledges they 



returned home into their owne countrey. King Reginald 



and his nobles were at this time absent from Man. 



In the yere 12 17. deceased Nicolas bishop of the 

 islands, and was buried in Ulster, in the house of Benchor, 

 whom Reginald succeeded. 



I thinke it not amisse to report somevv^hat more 

 concerning the tv^o foresaid brethren Reginaldus 

 and Olavus. 



REginald gave unto his brother Olavus, the island 

 called Lodhus or Lewes, which is saide to be larger 

 then the rest of the islands, but almost destitute of 

 inhabitants, because it is so ful of mountaines & quarreis, 

 being almost no where fit for tillage. Howbeit the 

 inhabitants thereof do live for the most part upon hunting 

 and fishing. Olavus therefore went to take possession of 

 this Island, and dwelt therein leading a poore life : and 

 when he saw that it would by no meanes suffice for the 

 sustentation of himselfe & his folowers, hee went boldly 

 unto his brother Reginald, who as then remained in the 

 islands, & spake on this wise unto him. My brother 

 (said he) and my lord and king, you know that the 



34 



