Giraldus Cambrensis, The Conquest of Ireland

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as�the�author�of�the�present�work.115
About�this�time�Hervey�de�Montmaurice�retired�to�Canterbury,�and�became�a�monk�in�the�abbey�of
the� Holy� Trinity� there,� to� which� he� gave� in� frank-almoin� all� the� churches� on� his� lands� lying� between
Waterford� and� Wexford.� Would� to� God� that� with� the� monastic� garb� his� mind� had� become� pious,� and� he
had�laid�aside�his�malicious�temper�as�well�as�his�military�habits.
Chapter�XIX:�How�Hugh�de�Lacy�built�castles�in�Ireland.
While� these� events� were� happening� in� Desmond,� Hugh� de� Lacy,� like� a� wise� and� prudent� man,� was
building�strong�castles116�throughout�Leinster�and�Meath.�Among�others,�he�erected�a�castle�at�Leighlin,�on
the� banks� of� the� noble� river� Barrow,� on� the� side� of� Ossory,� towards� Odrone,� selecting� for� its� site� a� spot
naturally�of�great�strength.117�Before�this,�Robert�Poer�had�the�custody�of�the�place,�but�he�gave�it�up�by
the�king�s�command.�This�Robert�Poer�and�Fitz-Aldelm�were�pretty�men�to�be�made�lords-marchers,�and
sent�into�a�country�where�men�of�mark�were�needed.
�Quales�ex�humili�magna�ad�fastigia�rerum
Extollit,�quoties�voluit�fortuna�jocari.�
��Tis�fortune�s�freak,�when�men�of�low�estate
114
�Robert�de�Barri,�a�brother�of�this�Philip�de�Barri�and�of�our�Giraldus,�came�over�to�Ireland�with�the�first�expedition�under
Fitz-Stephen.� (See� B.� i.� c.� 3)� Hooker,� however,� represents� this� Philip� de� Barri� as� the� founder� of� the� Irish� family� of� that� name.
Perhaps�Robert�died�without�issue,�or�returned�to�Wales.�Philip�had�a�son�named�Robert,�as�we�are�informed�in�c.�20�of�this�book.
He� had� also� a� younger� son� named� Philip,� who� was� brought� up� to� the� church� by� his� uncle� Giraldus,� and� succeeded� him� in� his
archdeaconry�and�prebend,�resigned�in�his�favour.
115
�This�was�our�author,�Giraldus,�who�appears�to�have�spent�about�a�year�in�this,�his�first,�visit�to�Ireland.�He�very�seldom
furnishes�any�dates;�but�his�History�is�written�in�a�regular�sequence,�and�by�a�calculation�made�from�other�occurrences,�it�would
appear� that� he� went� over� with� his� brother� Philip� in� 1182� or� 1183.� In� 1181� he� was� at� the� court� of� Henry� I.� in� Normandy,� and
returned�to�Ireland�in�attendance�on�prince�John�in�1185.
116
� Every� one� knows� that� this� castellation� was� the� usual� policy� of� the� Normans� in� all� their� conquests.� Thus,� their� own
Normandy,�England,�Wales,�and�Ireland�were�successively�bridled;�not�to�speak�of�Apulia,�Sicily,�and�their�other�acquisitions�in
the�South�of�Europe.
117
�The�castle�of�Leighlin,�or�the�Black�Castle,�stood�upon�the�bank�of�the�river�Barrow,�at�Leighlin�Bridge,�about�a�mile
from�the�cathedral�town�of�the�same�name.
The Conquest of Ireland 65
She�raises�from�the�dust,�and�ranks�them�with�the�great."
The�two�were�soldiers�who�delighted�rather
�----jacuisse�thoro,�tenuisse�puellam,
Threiciam�digitis�increpuisse�lyram,
Quam�clypeos�humeris,�et�acut��cuspidis�hastam,
Et�galeam�pressa�sustinuisse�coma.�118
It�is�indeed�to�be�wondered�that�so�sagacious�a�prince�should�have�sent�such�paltry�cowards�to�take
the� charge� of� these� far-distant� marches,� merely� because� they� were� hangers-on� about� his� court.� Hugh� de
Lacy,� a� very� different� sort� of� person,� made� it� his� first� care� to� restore� peace� and� order,� reinstating� the
peasants�who,�after�they�had�submitted�to�the�conquerors,�were�violently�expelled�from�their�districts,�in
the� deserted� lands,� which� from� barren� wastes� now� became� cultivated� and� stocked� with� herds� of� cattle.
Having� thus� restored� confidence� by� his� mild� administration� and� firm� adherence� to� treaties,� his� next� care
was�to�enforce�submission�and�obedience�to�the�laws�on�the�inhabitants�of�corporate�towns,�thus�gradually
bringing�them�into�subordination.�By�these�means,�where�his�predecessors�had�spread�ruin�and�confusion,
he�restored�order;�and�where�they�had�sown�toil�and�trouble,�he�reaped�the�happiest�fruits.
In�short,�he�had�in�a�little�time�restored�tranquillity�over�so�vast�an�extent�of�country,�so�munificently
provided�for�his�own�partisans�out�of�the�possessions�of�his�fallen�enemies,�and�such�was�the�liberality�and
courtesy�with�which�he�won�the�hearts�of�the�Irish�people�and�drew�around�him�their�natural�leaders,�that�a
deep�suspicion�arose�that�his�policy�was�to�usurp�all�power�and�dominion,�and,�throwing�off�his�allegiance,
to�be�crowned�as�king�of�Ireland.
Chapter�XX:�A�description�of�Hugh�de�Lacy. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]