Northern Europe - The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques And Discoveries Of The English Nation - Volume 1 - Collected By Richard Hakluyt
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Olauus sonne of Godredus Crouan beganne his reigne and
reigned fourtie yeeres.
He was a peaceable man being in league with all the
Kings of Scotland and Irland in his time. He took to wife Affrica the
daughter of Fergusius of Galway, of whom he begat Godredus. Of his
concubines he begat Regnaldus, Lagmannus, and Haraldus, and many daughters,
whereof one married vnto Sumerledus king of Herergaidel, [Footnote:
Argyll.] which afterward occasioned the ouerthrow of the whole kingdome of
the Islands. He begat foure sonnes by her, namely Dulgallus, Raignaldus,
Engus and Olauus.
In the yeere 1134. Olaaus gaue vnto Yuo the Abbat of Furnes a portion of
his owne ground in Man to build an Abbey in the place which is called
Russin. [Footnote: Rushen] Also hee inriched with reuenues and indued with
priuiledges al places of religion within his islands.
In the yere 1142. Godredus the son of Olauus sailed vnto the K. of Norway
called Hinge, and doing his homage vnto him he remained with him, & was by
him honorably enterteined. The same vere the 3. sonnes of Harald brother
vnto Olauus, who were brought vp at the citie of Dublin, gathering together
a great multitude of people, and all the fugitiues and vagabonds of the
kingdome resorted vnto Man, and demaunded of the said king the one halfe of
al the kingdome of the Islands. Which thing when the king heard, being
desirous to pacifie them, he answered that he would consult about that
matter. And a day and place being appointed, where the consultation should
bee kept, in the meane time those miscreants conspired together, about the
murthering of the King. And when the day appointed was come, both companies
assembled themselues vnto the hauen towne called Ramsa, and they sate in
order, the king with his nobilitie on the one side, and they with their
confederates on the other side. Howbeit Regnaldus who had an intention to
slay the king, stoode a-side in the midst of the house talking with one of
the Princes of the lande. And being called to come vnto the king he turned
himselfe about as if hee would haue saluted him, and lifting vp his
glittering axe, he chopt the kings head quite off at a blow. [Sidenote:
1143.] Nowe hauing committed this outragious villanie, within a short space
they diuided the Island betweene themselues, and gathering an armie
together sailed vnto Galway, intending to subdue that also, howbeit the
people of Galway assembled themselues, and with great furie encountred with
them. Then they immediately turning their backs with great confusion fled
vnto Man. And as touching all the Galwedians which inhabited in the said
Island, some of them they slue, and the residue they banished.
In the yeere 1143. Godredus sonne of Olauus returning out of Norway was
created king of Man, who in reuenge of his fathers death, put out the eyes
of two of Haralds sonnes and slue the thirde.
In the yeere 1144. Godredus began his reigne, and hee reigned thirtie
yeeres. In the thirde yeere of his reigne the citizens of Dublin sent for
him and created him king of Dublin, against whom Murecardus king of Irland
made warre, and encamping himselfe at the citie called Coridelis, he sent
his brother Osibel with 3000. horsemen vnto Dublin, who was slaine by
Godred and the Dubliners, the rest of his company being put to flight.
These things being thus finished, Godredus returned vnto Man, and began to
exercise tyrannie, disinheriting certaine of his nobles, of whome one
called Thorfinus the sonne of Oter, being mightier then the rest, went vnto
Sumerledus, and named Dubgal the sonne of Sumerledus, king of the Islands,
and subdued many of the said Islands on his behalfe. Whereof when Godred
had intelligence by one Paulus, prouiding a Nauie, hee went to meete
Sumerledus comming against him with 80. ships: [Sidenote: 1156.] and in the
yeere 1156. vpon the night of the feast of Epiphanie, there was a
Sea-battell fought, and many being slaine on both parts, the day folowing
they were pacified, and diuided the kingdome of the Islands among
themselues, and it continued two kingdomes from that day vnto this present
time. And this was the cause of the ruine of the monarchie of the Islands,
from which time the sonnes of Sumerled inioyed the one halfe thereof.
In the yeere 1158. Sumerled came vnto Man with 53. ships, putting Godred to
flight and wasting the Island: and Godred sailed vnto Norway to seeke for
aide against Sumerled. In the yere 1164. Sumerled gathered a fleete of 160.
ships together; and arriued at Rhinfrin, [Footnote: Renfrew] intending to
subdue all Scotland vnto himselfe: howbeit, by Gods iust iudgement being
ouercome by a few, together with his sonne, and an innumerable multitude of
people, he was slaine. The very same yere there was a battel fought at
Ramsa, betweene Reginald the brother of Godred, and the inhabitants of Man,
but by the stratageme of a certaine Earle the Mannians were put to flight.
Then began Reginald to vsurpe the kingly authoritie. Howbeit his brother
Godred, within foure dayes after comming out of Norway with a great power
of armed men, apprehended his brother Reginald, gelt him, and put out his
eyes. The same yeere deceased Malcolme the king of Scots and his brother
William succeeded in the kmgdome.
In the yeere 1166. two Comets appeared in the moneth of August before the
rising of the Sunne, one to the South and another to the North.
In the yeere 1171. Richard earle of Penbroke sailed into Irland, and
subdued Dublin with a great part of Irland.
In the yere 1176. Iohn Curcy conquered Vlster vnto himselfe. And at the
same time also Viuianus legate from the sea of Rome came into Man, & caused
king Godred to bee lawfully wedded vnto his wife Phingola, daughter of
Maclotlen son of Murkartac king of Irland, mother of Olauus, who was then
3.
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