without a murmur. After this we hear little more of Raymond le Gros in public life.

He retired to his

estates in Wexford where he resided quietly till his death, which took place in 1182.

E BURGO, the new governor, was from the first disliked by the colonists: for he wished for peace and discouraged outrage on the natives; whereas war was what the colonists most desired, as it brought them plunder and sure increase of territory. Among all his officers not one was so discontented as Sir John de Courcy. He was a man of gigantic size and strength, brave and daring; and he now resolved to attempt the conquest of Ulster, which the king had granted to him five years before (page 136). So gathering round him a small band of 320 knights and archers, who with their attendants made an army of about 1000 men, he set out from Dublin for Ulster. Passing northwards with

all speed, he arrived on the morning of A.D. 1177 the fourth day-the 2nd of February—at Downpatrick, then the capital of Ulidia or Eastern Ulster. As there were no walls, the townspeople knew nothing of the expedition till they were startled at dawn by the martial sound of bugles and

the clattering of cavalry in the streets. The adventurers were half starved as they entered the town; and they fell upon everything they could lay hands on they ate and drank, plundered, killed, and destroyed, till half the town was in ruins.

At the end of a week Mac Dunlevy prince of Ulidia came with a large undisciplined army to attack him. De Courcy, nothing daunted, went out to meet them, and chose a favourable position to withstand the assault. The Irish rushed on with tumultuous bravery, but they were not able to break the disciplined ranks of the enemy; and after a furious fight they were repulsed with great loss.

Still the Ulstermen continued to offer the most determined resistance. The valiant De Courcy battled bravely through all his difficulties, and three several times in the same year, 1177, he defeated in battle the people of the surrounding districts. But as time went

on he met with many reverses, and he had quite enough to do to hold his ground. In the following year he was defeated near Newry with a loss of 450 men; and again he was intercepted in one of his terrible raids, and routed by the Dalaradian chief Cumee O'Flynn. He escaped from this battlefield with only eleven companions; and having lost their horses, they fled on foot for two days and two nights closely pursued, without food or sleep, till they reached a place of safety. But in several other battles he was victorious. adventurers arrived to join him from time to time; and, as opportunities offered, he built many castles in vantage points all over the province; so that as years went by he strengthened his position in Ulster.

Other

While these events were taking place in the northern province, the country in and around the English settlement in Leinster still continued to be very much disturbed; and the king determined to send over his son prince John, hoping that his presence would restore tranquillity. The prince, then nineteen A.D. 1185 years of age, landed at Waterford with a splendid retinue and a large body of cavalry. He had the title of Lord of Ireland; and his secretary and tutor was a Welsh priest named Gerald Barry, now better known as Giraldus Cambrensis, or Gerald of Wales, who afterwards wrote in Latin a description of Ireland and a history of the Anglo-Norman invasion. But Prince John soon raised the whole country in revolt by his foolish and vicious conduct; and he even turned the old colonists against him by contemptuous treatment. The Irish chiefs crowded to him in Waterford, both to pay him respect and to acknowledge him as their lord; but his insolent young associates-close-shaven dandies-ridiculed their dress

and manners, and insulted them by plucking their beards, which they wore long according to the custom of the country.

Incensed by this treatment the proud Irish nobles withdrew to their homes, brooding mischief. The settlements were attacked at all points; and the most active of the assailants was the valiant Donall O'Brien of Thomond. A great number of the new strongholds were taken, and many of the bravest of the Anglo-Norman chiefs were slain. The colonists were driven to take refuge in the towns; and almost the whole of prince John's army perished in the numerous conflicts.

When the country had been for some time in this state of turmoil, King Henry came to hear how matters stood, and at once recalled the prince, after a stay of about eight months, appointing De Courcy viceroy. The prince, both before and after his return, threw the whole blame of the disturbance on Hugh de Lacy. This De Lacy, though not the greatest warrior, was the wisest and best governor of all the barons who served King Henry in Ireland; he built strong castles all over Meath, and greatly increased his power and influ· ence with the Irish by marrying a daughter of the old King Roderick O'Conor; so that he was accused by the prince of conspiring to make himself king of Ireland.

But he never lived to clear himself. One A.D. 1186 day while with a few attendants he was inspecting his new castle at Durrow, a young Irishman suddenly drew forth a battle-axe from under his cloak, and with one blow struck off the great baron's head: after which he made his escape. This was done to avenge De Lacy's seizure of lands, and his desecration of St. Columbkille's venerated

L

monastery of Durrow, which he had pulled down to get materials for his Castle.

Trim Castle, originally built by De! Lacy'; but afterwards rebuilt.
From "Cromwell's Tours." Petrie.

But to return to De Courcy. During his viceroyalty he invaded Connaught, plundering, burning, and slaying, after his usual fashion, much like the Danes of old: but before he had advanced far into the province, he was confronted by the two kings of Connaught and Thomond-Conor Mainmoy and Donall O'Brien-with their united armies. Not venturing to give battle to this formidable force, he retreated northwards, his only anxiety now being to save himself and his army from destruction. But when he had arrived at Ballysadare, on the coast of Sligo, the prince of Tirconnell came marching down on him in front, while his pursuers were pressing on close behind. Setting fire to Ballysadare, he fled south-east; but as he was crossing the Curlieu Hills he was overtaken by Conor