Leinster, who inquired "if the king,
in his great threatening, had added, 'if it so please God'?" The
reporter answered in the negative. "Then," said he, "seeing this king
putteth his trust only in man, and not in God, I fear not his coming."
When Dermod Mac Murrough was driven in disgrace from Ireland, he fled at
once to Bristol. There he learned that Henry was still in Aquitaine, and
thither, with a perseverance worthy of a better cause, he followed the
English king. Henry was only too happy to listen to his complaints, and
forward his views; but he was too much occupied with his personal
affairs to attempt the conquest of a kingdom. Letters-patent were
incomparably more convenient than men-at-arms, and with letters-patent
the renegade was fain to be content. Dermod only asked help to recover
the kingdom from which he had been expelled for his crimes; Henry
pretended no more than to give the assistance asked, and for all reward
only wished that Dermod should pay a vassal's homage to the English
king. Henry may have known that his client was a villain, or he may not.
Henry may have intended to annex Ireland to the British dominions (if he
could), or he may merely have hoped for some temporary advantage from
the new connexion. Whatever he knew or whatever he hoped, he received
Dermod "into the bosom of his grace and benevolence," and he did but
distantly insinuate his desires by proclaiming him his "faithful and
liege subject." The royal letter ran thus:--"Henry, King of England,
Duke of Normandy and Aquitaine, and Earl of Anjou, to all his liegemen,
English, Norman, Welsh, and Scotch, and to all the nation under his
dominion, sends greeting. As soon as the present letter shall come to
your hands, know that Dermod, Prince of Leinster, has been received into
the bosom of our grace and benevolence: wherefore, whosoever, within the
ample extent of our territories, shall be willing to lend aid towards
this prince as our faithful and liege subject, let such person know that
we do hereby grant to him for said purpose our licence and favour."

In this document there is not even the most remote reference to the Bull
of Adrian, conferring the island of Ireland on Henry, although this Bull
had been obtained some time before. In whatever light we may view this
omission, it is certainly inexplicable.

For some time Dermod failed in his efforts to obtain assistance. After
some fruitless negotiations with the needy and lawless advent