Rich. South.
After that Edward Bruce had atchiued such enterprises in other parts of Ireland, as in the last yéere yée haue heard, he went vnto Fenath, and to Skeres in Leinister, and there the lord chéefe iustice Edmund Butler rose against him, with the lord Iohn fitz Thomas, that was after erle of Kildare, sir Arnold Power, and diuerse other, with a great armie. But by reason of discord that chanced amongst them, they scaled their armie, and departed out of the field on the 26 daie of Februarie. Edward Bruce then burned the castell of Leis, and after returning into Vlnester, he besieged the castell of Knockfergus, and slue Thomas Mandeuile, and his brother Iohn, at a place called Down, as they came thither out of England. After this the foresaid Edward returned into Scotland.
A pitiful famine.
Tho. Wals.
Fabian.
A sore mortalitie of people.
In this season vittels were so scant and déere, and wheat and other graine brought to so high a price, that the poore people were constreined thorough famine to eat the flesh of horsses, dogs, and other vile beasts, which is woonderfull to beléeue, and yet for default there died a great multitude of people in diuers places of the land. Foure pence in bread of the courser sort would not suffice one man a daie. Wheat was sold at London for foure marks the quarter and aboue. Then after this dearth and scarsitie of vittels insued a great death and mortalitie of people, so that what by warre of the Scots, and what by this mortalitie and death, the people of the land were woonderfullie wasted and consumed. O pitifull depopulation!
Edward Bruce before the feast of Easter returned againe into Ireland, with the earle of Murrey and other noble men of Scotland, hauing with them a great armie, and besieged the castell of Knockfergus, and after they went to another castell where they tooke a baron prisoner: & there Edward Bruce laie for a season. Also Richard earle of Vlnester lay in saint Maries abbie by Dublin, where the maior and communaltie of the citie tooke him, and put him in prison within the castell of Dublin. They also slue his men, and spoiled the abbie. After this the foresaid Edward Bruce went to Limerike, after the feast of saint Matthew the apostle, and there soiourned till Easter was past.
Iohn fitz Thomas erle of Kildare.
Croxden.