he following morning, that
Roderic had advanced almost to Dublin; and the mantle and tunic of the
nuptial feast were speedily exchanged for helmet and coat-of-mail.[299]
Unfortunately Roderic's army was already disbanded. The English soon
repaired the injuries which had been done to their fortresses; and once
more the Irish cause was lost, even in the moment of victory, for want
of combination and a leader.

Henry now considered it time to produce the Papal Bulls, A.D. 1175. He
therefore despatched the Prior of Wallingford and William FitzAldelm to
Waterford, where a synod of the clergy was assembled to hear these
important documents. The English monarch had contrived to impress the
Holy See with wonderful ideas of his sanctity, by his penitential
expiations of his share in the murder of St. Thomas a Becket. It was
therefore easy for him to procure a confirmation of Adrian's Bull from
the then reigning Pontiff, Alexander III. The Pope also wrote to
Christian, the Legate, to the Irish archbishops, and to the King. Our
historians have not informed us what was the result of this meeting. Had
the Papal donation appeared a matter of national importance, there can
be little doubt that it would have excited more attention.

Raymond now led an army to Limerick, to revenge himself on Donnell
O'Brien, for his defeat at Thurles. He succeeded in his enterprise.
Several engagements followed, in which the Anglo-Normans were always
victorious. Roderic now sent ambassadors to Henry II. The persons chosen
were Catholicus, Archbishop of Tuam; Concors, Abbot of St. Brendan's, in
Clonfert; and St. Laurence O'Toole, styled quaintly, in the old Saxon
manner, "Master Laurence." The King and Council received them at
Windsor. The result of their conference was, that Roderic consented to
pay homage to Henry, by giving him a hide from every tenth head of
cattle; Henry, on his part, bound himself to secure the sovereignty of
Ireland to Roderic, excepting only Dublin, Meath, Leinster, Waterford,
and Dungarvan. In fact, the English King managed to have the best share,
made a favour of resigning what he never possessed, and of not keeping
what he could never have held. This council took place on the octave of
the feast of St. Michael, A.D. 1175. By this treaty Henry was simply
acknowledged as a superior feudal sovereign; and had Ireland been
governed with ordinary justice, the arrangement might have been
advantageous to both countries.

Roderic wa