had seen Jean de Courci wield his sword, lopping
off heads and arms, might well have commended the might of this
warrior."[304]

De Courcy arrived in Downpatrick in four days. The inhabitants were
taken by surprise; and the sound of his bugles at daybreak was the first
intimation they received of their danger. Cardinal Vivian, who had come
as Legate from Alexander III., had but just arrived at the spot. He did
his best to promote peace. But neither party would yield; and as the
demands of the Norman knights were perfectly unreasonable, Vivian
advised Dunlevy, the chieftain of Ulidia, to have recourse to arms. A
sharp conflict ensued, in which the English gained the victory,
principally through the personal bravery of their leader. This battle
was fought about the beginning of February; another engagement took
place on the 24th of June, in which the northerns were again
defeated.[305]

Cardinal Vivian now proceeded to Dublin, where he held a synod. The
principal enactment referred to the right of sanctuary. During the
Anglo-Norman wars, the Irish had secured their provisions in the
churches; and it is said that, in order to starve out the enemy, they
even refused to sell at any price. It was now decreed that sanctuary
might be violated to obtain food; but a fair price was to be paid for
whatever was taken. It is to be feared these conditions were seldom
complied with. The Abbey of St. Thomas the Martyr was founded in Dublin
about this time, by FitzAldelm, at the command of Henry II., one of his
many acts of reparation. The site was the place now called Thomas Court.
The Viceroy endowed it with a carnucate of land, in the presence of the
Legate and St. Laurence O'Toole. After the settlement of these affairs,
Cardinal Vivian passed over to Chester, on his way to Scotland.

One of Roderic O'Connor's sons, Murrough, having rebelled against him,
Miles de Cogan went to his assistance,--a direct and flagrant violation
of the treaty of Windsor. At Roscommon the English were joined by the
unnatural rebel, who guided them through the province. The King was in
Iar-Connaught, and the allies burned and plundered without mercy, as
they passed along to Trim. Here they remained three nights; but as the
people had fled with their cattle and other moveable property into the
fastnesses, they had not been able to procure any spoil on their march.
Roderic soon appeared to give them battle; but they were defeated
without considerable loss.