IRELAND. 
£83 
In England, Dermod’s elm rafter was unknown, and he 
was regarded as an injured prince driven from his throne 
by an iniquitous confederacy. The clergy received him 
as the benefactor of their order, and entertained him in 
the monartery of Auguftines with great hofpitality. Hav¬ 
ing learned that Henry was then in Aquitaine, he imme¬ 
diately went thither, and in an abj sft manner implored his 
affiftance, promising to acknowledge him as his liege lord, 
and to hold his dominions, which he was thus confident 
of regaining, in vaffalage to Henry and his heirs. 
Though nothing could be more flattering to the ambi¬ 
tion of the king of England than this fervile addrefs, yet 
the fituation of his own affairs rendered it impoffible for 
him at that time to reap from it any of the advantages 
with which it flattered him. He therefore difmiffed the 
ftranger with large prefents, and a letter of credence ad- 
clreffed to all his fubjefts, notifying his grace and pro¬ 
tection granted to the king of Leinfter; and declaring, 
that whofoever within his dominions fhould be difpofed 
to aid the unfortunate prince in the recovery of his king- 
, doui, might be affured of his free licence and royal favour. 
Dermod returned to England highly pleafed with the re¬ 
ception he had met with ; but, notwithftanding the king’s 
letter, none of the Englifh feemed to be difpofed to try 
their fortunes in Ireland. A month elapfed without any 
profpeft of fuccours, fo that Dermod began to defpair. 
At laft, however, he perfuaded, with great promifes, Rich¬ 
ard earl of Chepftow, or, as it was formerly called, Strigul, 
a nobleman of confiderable influence in Wales, but of 
broken fortune, to aflift him with a confiderable force to 
be tranfported the fucceeding fpring into Ireland. Over¬ 
joyed at this firft inftance of fuccefs, he advanced into 
South Wales, where, by the influence of the bilhop of St. 
David’s, he procured many other friends. Robert Fitz- 
Stephen, a brave and experienced officer, covenanted with 
him to engage in his fervice with all his followers, and 
Maurice Fitz-Gerald his maternal brother; while Der¬ 
mod, on his part, promifed to cede to thefe two leaders 
the entire dominion of the town of Wexford, with a large 
adjoining territory, as foon as by their affiftance he fhould 
be reinftated in his rights. 
The Irifh prince, having now accomplifhed his purpofe, 
fet fail for Ireland in the winter of 1169, and recovered a 
fmall part of his dominions even before the arrival of his 
new allies; but, being attacked with a fuperior force by 
his old enemies, Roderic and O’Ruarc, he found himfelf 
obliged to feign fubmiffion till the Englifh allies came to 
his affiftance. The expefted fuccours arrived in the 
month of May 1170, in a creek called the Bann , near the 
city of Wexford. Robert Fitz-Stephen commanded thirty 
knights, fixty men in armour,and three hundred archers. 
With thefe came Harvey of Montmorris, nephew to earl 
Richard. He brought with him no military force; but 
came folely with a view of dilcoveririg the nature of the 
country, and reporting it to his uncle. Maurice of Pen- 
dergaft commanded ten knights and two hundred archers; 
and thus the Englifh force which was to contend with 
the whole ftrength of Ireland, amounted to no more than 
fix hundred men. Trifling as this affiftance may feem, it 
neverthelefs changed the face of affairs almoft inltanta- 
neoufly. Numbers of Dermod’s fubjefts, who had aban¬ 
doned him in his diftrefs, now flocked to his ftandard. 
The firft operation undertaken by him, in conjunftion 
with his new allies, was the attack of Wexford. The 
garrifon of that town, compofed of Ofttnen and Iriffi, 
boldly marched out to meet their enemies; but, ftruck 
with the new- and unexpected fight of horfemen cafed in 
gliftening armour, and the excellent order, firmnefs, and 
filence, with which thefe troops advanced to the charge, 
they retired within their walls, having burned the fu- 
burbs and adjacent hamlets, to deprive the aflailants of 
fhelter. Notwithftanding this feeming intimidation of 
the garrifon, they oppofed Fitz-Stephen in a vigorous and 
well-condufted affault, with fuch courage, that he was 
repulfed with the lofs of eighteen men. That valiant 
leader, to give his men the foie alternative of death or con- 
queft, burned his veffels, and, after an infpiriting harangue, 
and the folemn ceremony of divine fervice, returned to 
the affault. Many of the inhabitants, efpecially the clergy, 
dreading the confequences of obftinate refiftance againit 
fuch determined refolution, perfuaded the garrifon to ca¬ 
pitulate. Their propofals being accepted, they fwore al¬ 
legiance to Dermod, entered into his fervice, and gave 
hoftages for their obedience. Fitz-Stephen and Fitz¬ 
Gerald were jointly inverted with the lordffiip of this city 
and its domain ; and Harvey of Montmorris was declared 
lord of two confiderable diftrifts on the coaft. After 
three or four weeks fpent in feaiting and rejoicing, a new 
expedition was undertaken againft the prince of Offorr 
(a diftrift of Leinfter), who had not only revolted from 
Dermod, but put out the eyes of one of his fons, and that 
with fuch cruelty, that the unhappy youth expired under 
the operation. The allied army was now increafed. to 
three thoufand men, who were oppofed by the prince of 
Oflory at the head of five thoufand, ftrongly entrenched 
among woods and moraffes. By the fuperior conduft 
of the Engliffi, however, the Iriffi were decoyed from 
their advantageous fituation, and thus were entirely de¬ 
feated. It is recorded, that, Dermod’s Iriffi troops hav¬ 
ing brought him two hundred human heads as trophies 
of Ins viftory, he leaped for joy, and, railing his bloody 
hands to heaven, fang aloud a hymn of thankfgiving over 
the mutilated remains of his foes. Recognizing among 
thefe ghaftly fpoils the head of an inveterate enemy, in a 
transport of rage he mangled the face like a ferocious 
beaft, biting off the nofe and lips with his teeth. The 
Engliffi were for keeping the field till they had totally re¬ 
duced their enemies; but Dermod, accuftomed only to 
ravage and plunder, contented himfelf with deftroying 
the country; and a fudden reverfe of fortune feemed 
ready to take place. The prince of Offory, though de¬ 
feated, ftill appeared in arms, and only waited for an op¬ 
portunity of again oppofing the enemy in the field. Mau¬ 
rice Pendergaft alfo joined him with liis whole troop, be¬ 
ing provoked by Dermod, who had refufed him leave to 
return to Wales. This defeftion, however, was in part 
fupplied by the arrival of Fitz-Gerald with ten knights, 
thirty horfemen, and one hundred archers. Pendergaft in 
a ffiort time repented of his new alliance, and retired into 
Wales; fo that the prince was obliged to make his fub¬ 
miffion to Dermod, which the latter with fome reluftance 
accepted. 
In the mean time, Roderic, having fettled all his other 
affairs, advanced againft the allies with a powerful army. 
Dermod was thrown into defpair ; but, encouraged by 
Fitz-Stephen, he encamped in a very ftrong fituation, 
where he was foon befieged by Roderic. The latter, 
however, dreading the valour of the Englifh, condefcend- 
ed to treat firft with them, and then with Dermod, in or¬ 
der to detach them from the interefts of each other; but, 
as this proceeded evidently from fear, his offers were re- 
jefted by both parties; upon which he began to prepare 
for battle: but, at the very time when the engagement 
fhould have commenced, either through the fuggeftions 
of his clergy, or of his own fears, Roderic entered into a 
new negociation ; which at laft terminated in a peace. 
The terms were, that Dermod fhould acknowledge, the 
fupremacy of Roderic, and pay him fuch fervice as the 
monarchs of Ireland had ufually received from inferior 
princes; and, as a fecurity for his faithful performance 
of this article, he delivered up his favourite fon as an hof- 
tage to Roderic; but, in order to eftabliffi this accommo¬ 
dation on the firmed: bafis, the latter obliged himfelf to 
give his daughter in marriage to the young prince as foon 
as Leinfter fhould be reduced, and the peace of the illand 
effeftually reftored. By a fecret article, Dermod engaged 
to difmifs the Britiffi forces immediately after the iettle- 
ment of his own province, and in the mean time not to 
bring over any further reinforcements from England. 
Thus ended the firft Britifh expedition into Ireland ; the 
confequences 
