Page:A View of the State of Ireland - 1809.djvu/347

This page needs to be proofread.
OF IRELAND.
49

to the kingdome, sent an ambassadge to Ethodius king of Picts, pleading with him a league of friendship, utterly to expulse the Irish Scot: conditioning withall their assistance to chase the Romanes out of Brittaine, which was concluded, and by this confederacie, after many lamentable skirmishes, the Irish were betrayed, Eugenhis the King, Ethai his brother, and Ericus his nephew, and also the residue, such as could escape the enemies sword, fled thence, some into Norway, some into Ireland their first home.

Maximus[1] watching his time, despairing of the Brittish Kingdome, and espying the Picts tyred with continuall vvarres, turned his power upon them, and brought them to such an exigent, that they had no readier shift then to crave helpe from Ireland,[2] and so by degrees when some private persons, nourishers of the quarrell, were out-worne, the matter of malice was qualified, and theremnantof the Irish Scots, with their friends and off-spring called home to their dwelling, after their first banishment, 43. yeares expired.

From this time[3] forward the amity waxed steddy, and the Irish under Fergusius the second their King wan such credit, that finally the nation of Picts were afflicted by the Brittaines, then the Scots incroched

  1. An. Dom. 353.
  2. Io. Maior. li. 2. c. 3.
  3. An. Doin. 398.