ication (A.D. 1210), John
visited Ireland. It may be supposed his arrival could not excite much
pleasure in the hearts of his Irish subjects, though, no doubt, he
thought it a mark of disloyalty that he should not be welcomed with
acclamations. A quarter of a century had elapsed since he first set his
foot on Irish ground. He had grown grey in profligacy, but he had not
grown wiser or better with advancing years.

The year before his arrival, Dublin had been desolated by a pestilence,
and a number of people from Bristol had taken advantage of the decrease
in the population to establish themselves there. On the Easter Monday
after their arrival, when they had assembled to amuse themselves in
Cullen's Wood, the O'Byrnes and O'Tooles rushed down upon them from the
Wicklow Mountains, and took a terrible vengeance for the many wrongs
they had suffered, by a massacre of some three hundred men. The citizens
of Bristol sent over new colonists; but the anniversary of the day was
long known as Black Monday.

The English King obtained money for his travelling expenses by extortion
from the unfortunate Jews. He landed at Crook, near Waterford, on the
20th June, 1210. His army was commanded by the Earl of Salisbury, son to
Henry I., by "Fair Rosamond," of tragic memory. De Braose fled to
England when he heard of the King's movements. Here he endeavoured to
make peace with his master, but failing to do so, he carefully avoided
putting himself in his power, and took refuge in France. His wife was
not so fortunate. After John's return to England, Matilda and her son
were seized by his command, and imprisoned at Corfe Castle, in the isle
of Pembroke. Here they were shut up in a room, with a sheaf of wheat and
a piece of raw bacon for their only provision. When the prison door was
opened on the eleventh day, they were both found dead.

De Lacy also fled before the King's visit; John took Carrickfergus
Castle from his people, and stationed a garrison of his own there.
Several Irish princes paid homage to him; amongst others we find the
names of Cathal Crovderg and Hugh O'Neill. The Norman lords were also
obliged to swear fealty, and transcripts of their oaths were placed in
the Irish Exchequer. Arrangements were also made for the military
support of the colony, and certain troops were to be furnished with
forty days' ration by all who held lands by "knight's service." The
Irish princes who lived in the southern and western parts of Irel