290 IRELAND. 
time but fmall in Ireland. However this might be, the 
council decreed that they (hould all be immediately libe¬ 
rated and lent to their native country, which they confi- 
dered the mod effectual means of averting the divine anger, 
and procuring the expullion of the Britifh adventurers. 
The extraordinary fuccefs of Strongbow began to ex¬ 
cite the jealoufy of king Henry ; who, fearing that he 
might render himfelf’ totally independent on the crown of 
Britain, ilfued his royal ediift, ftribtly forbidding any 
Englilh veil'd from palling into Ireland with men, arms, 
or provilions; and commanding all his l'ubjeds at that 
time refident in Ireland, of whatever rank or degree, to 
return to their country before the enfuing feaft of Eafter, 
on. pain of forfeiting their lands, and being declared trai¬ 
tors. By this peremptory edift, the adventurers were 
plunged into the greatell diftrefs. They now found them- 
ielves cut off from all fupplies in the mid»t of their en¬ 
raged enemies, and in danger of being forfaken by thofe 
who had attached themfelves to them duiing their fuc¬ 
cefs. Raymond was dil'patched with a molt lubmiflive 
meflage to the offended monarch ; but, before he received 
any favourable anfwer, every thing was thrown into con- 
fufion by the death of Becket, fo that the king had nei¬ 
ther leifure nor inclination to attend to the alfairs of Ire¬ 
land. About the fame time the death of Dermod, their 
great ally, feemed almoft to give a linilhing ftroke to the 
Englilh affairs. An univerfal defection took place among 
their afl'ociates; and, before they had time to concert any 
proper meafures, Hefculph, who had formerly efcaped 
from Dublin, appeared before that city with a formidable 
body of troops armed after the Danilh manner. A furi¬ 
ous attack enfued ; which at laft ended in the defeat and 
captivity of Hefculph, who was immediately put to death. 
This danger, however, was foon followed by one Hill 
greater. Roderic had formed a powerful confederacy 
with many of the Irilh chieftains, and the kings of the 
northern illes, in order to extirpate the Englilh totally 
from the illand. The harbour of Dublin was blocked up 
by a fleet of thirty Ihips from the northern illes ; while 
the confederated Irilh took their ftations in fuch a man¬ 
ner as to furround the city, and totally cut oft' all fup¬ 
plies of provilions. In two months time the E.nglilh 
were reduced to great ftraits. On the firft alarm, Richard 
had fent for alfiftance to Fitz-Stephen; who having weak¬ 
ened his own force, in order to ierve the earl, the people 
of Wexford had rifen and befteged Fitz-Stephen in his 
fort called Carrig, near that city. A mellenger now ar¬ 
rived, informing Strongbow that his friend was in the 
utmoft danger, and muft fall into the hands of his enemies 
if not aflifted within three days; upon which a council of 
war was called, in order to deliberate on the meafures 
necefTary to be purfued in this del'perate emergency. It 
was foon refolved to enter into a treaty with Roderic 
upon any terms that were not totally fervile or opprefllve. 
Laurence archbrlhop of Dublin was appointed to carry 
the terms; which were, that Richard propofed to acknow¬ 
ledge Roderic as his fovereign, and to hold the province 
of Leinfter as his vaflal, provided he would raife the liege. 
The prelate foon returned with an anfwer, probably of 
his own framing; namely, that Dublin, Waterford, Wex¬ 
ford, and all the forts poffeffed by the Britilh, Ihould be 
immediately given up; and that the earl and his alfociates 
Ihould depart with all their forces by a certain day, leav¬ 
ing every part of the illand free from their ufurpations, 
and abfolutely renouncing all their pretended claims. On 
thefe conditions they were to be fpared ; but the leaft re¬ 
luctance or delay would determine the befiegers to florin 
the city. 
Thefe terms, ■ though they contained nothing infolent 
or unreafonable, confidering the prefent fltuation of the 
Englilh, were yet intolerable to our indigent adventurers. 
After fome time fpent in iilence, Milo de Cogan, fud- 
denly ftarting up, declared his refolution to die bravely 
rather than fubmit to the mercy of barbarians. The fpi- 
rit of defperate valour was inflantly caught by the whole 
aflembly; and it was refolved to ritk their whole fortune 
on one defperate effort, by fallying out againlt the enemy, 
and to make their attack upon that quarter where Rode¬ 
ric himfelf commanded. Accordingly, having perfuaded 
a body of the townl'men to take part in this defperate 
enterprife, they marched out asfainft their enemies,' who 
expected nothing lefs than fuch a fudden attack. The 
befiegers were fecure and carelefs, without difcipline or 
order; in confequence of which, they were unable to Bri¬ 
tain the furious alfault of the Englilh. A terrible daugh¬ 
ter enfued, and the Irilh inflantly fled in the greatell: 
confuflon ; their monarch himfelf efcaping only by mix¬ 
ing half-naked with the crowd. The other chieftains 
who were not attacked caught the panic, and broke up 
their camps with precipitation; while the viblors returned 
from the purfuit to plunder, and among other advantages 
gained as much provifion as was fufficient to fupport them 
for a whole year. 
Strongbow, being thus relieved from liis diflrefs, pro¬ 
ceeded immediately to Wexford in order to relieve Fitz- 
Stephen. That brave officer, having detached a great 
part of his men to aflift in the defence of Dublin, with 
his very flender g'arrifon repulfed every attempt of the 
aflailants, who then had recourfe to the molt execrable 
perfidy. They allured the commander in a parley that 
Roderic had taken Dublin by ftorm, put the garrifon to 
the fword, and was in full march to execute fimilar ven¬ 
geance on the defenders of Carrig; promifing at the fame 
time that, if Fitz-Stephen would confide in their protection, 
they would find Ihips to convey him and his companions 
to Wales before the arrival of the exafperated conqueror. 
The truth of thefe allertions being folemnly attefted by- 
two bifliops in their pontifical robes, who laid their hands 
while they pronounced the oath on the crofs, the hoft, 
and the adored relics of faints ; Fitz-Stephen alfented to 
their propofals, but was inflantly thrown into chains, 
while his followers were inhumanly tortured to fuch a 
degree, that molt of them expired under the violence of 
their fufferings. 
Strongbow, meanwhile, continued to advance; and 
was on his way attacked by the Irilh, whom lie once more 
defeated. On his arrival at Wexford, he found it burnt 
to the ground ; the enemy having retired with Fitz-Ste¬ 
phen and the reft of the prifoners to Holy Illand, in 
the middle of the harbour,- whence they fent a deputa¬ 
tion, threatening to put all the prifoners to death if the 
leaft attempt was made to moleft them in their fltuation. 
The earl then proceeded to Waterford, and thence to Ferns; 
where he for lome time exercifed regal authority, reward¬ 
ing his friends and punilhing his enemies. A more im¬ 
portant objebt, however, foon engaged his attention. The 
king of England, having fettled his affairs at home, now de¬ 
termined to conquer Ireland for himfelf. A fummons was 
inflantly dil’patched to earl Richard, exprefiing the greatell 
refentmentathisprefumption anddifobedience,and requir¬ 
ing his immediate prelence in England. The earl found 
himfelf under the necelfity of obeying; and, having made 
the bell difpofitions for the fecurity of his Irilh polieffions 
that the time would permit, embarked for England, and 
met the king at Newnham near Gloucefter. Henry at 
firft affebled great difpleafure ; but foon allowed himfelf 
to be pacified by a furrender of the city of Dublin, and a 
large territory adjacent, together with all the maritime 
towns and forts acquired by Strongbow ; while on his 
part he confented that the earl Ihould have all his other 
poffefliors granted in perpetuity, to be held of the king 
and his heirs. The other adventurers made their peace 
in a fimilar manner; while the Irilh chieftains, inftead of 
uniting in the defence of their country, only thought 
how to make the moll of the approaching invafion, or at 
leaft how to avert the threatened evils from their own 
particular diftrifts. They faw the power of their own 
fovereign on the point of total diflolution ; and they faw 
it with indifference, if not with an envious and malig¬ 
nant fatisfaiftion. Some were even ready to anticipate 
their 
