298 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



The poem tells how the Prior of Kilmainham, arriving at Harfleur at 

 the head of a contingent of fifteen hundred men, was allotted the 

 post of honour and of danger by King Henry, who directed him to 

 repel the attack which the French Monarch, assisted by tlie Eur- 

 gundians, was expected to deliver with the object of raising the 

 siege : — 



And then the Pryor of Kilmaynan 



Was come wyth yn the mowthe of Sayn. 



At Harflete he londed evyn, 



With XY. Hundryd fyughtyng men, 



Well a-rayde of warre wyse, 



As the cuntraye hathe the gysse. 



Paste he hyed unto the sege, 



And was well-come unto our lege. 



Then was sayde the Praynysche Kynge 



And the Burgaynys caste hyr entrynge 



In thenorthe syde of our oste, 



Por the cause there was playne moste. 



The priour with his XY. hundred men 



Our kyng assygnyd a yenne, 



To logge hym in that syde 



Por to kepe the wayes wyde 



By the Poreste of Lyones stoute 



To kepe the Praynysche men owte. 



He loggyd hym with owte that woode, 



And made wacche and ordynaunce goode 



Withowte our oste iij legys large, 



So for to logge hyt was hys charge. 



The knyght thenne there-to sent, 



And manfully thedyr wente. 



Yf the Praynysche men ofte wolde there that way 



The fryste frunt he thought to fray. 



Moche worschyppe wanne he there. 



And soo he hadde done ellyswhere. 



And moche worschyppe there he wan 



I wolde you telle but alle I ne can.""' 



Prior Butler had a martial successor in the next reign in the 

 person of Prior Thomas PitzGerald, a grandson of the Earl of Kil- 



1 " Historical Collections of a Citizen of London in tlie Fifteenth Century" : 

 Camden Society's Publications, Third Series, pp. 12, 13. 



