Foiled in this attempt, Strongbow hastened to Waterford, took boat there, and flew to meet the king, whom he encountered near Gloucester with a large army.  Henry’s greeting was a wrathful one.  His anger and jealousy had been thoroughly aroused.  Not unwarrantably.  But for his promptness his head-strong subjects—­several of them it must be remembered of his own dominant blood—­would have been perfectly capable of attempting to carve out a kingdom for themselves at his very gates.  Happily Strongbow had found the task too large for his unaided energies, and, as we have seen, had barely escaped annihilation.  He was ready, therefore, to accept any terms which his sovereign chose to impose.  His submission appears to have disarmed the king.  He allowed himself to be pacified, and after a while they returned to Ireland together.  Henry II. landed at Waterford in the month of October, 1171.

[Illustration:  SOUTH WINDOW OF ST. CAIMIN’S CHURCH, INISMAIN.]

XI.

HENRY II.  IN IRELAND.

This was practically the end of the struggle.  The king had four thousand men-at-arms at his back, of whom no less than four hundred were knights.  In addition his ships contained vast stores of provisions, a variety of war devices never before seen in Ireland, artizans for building bridges and making roads—­a whole war train, in short.  Such a display of force was felt to be irresistible.  The chieftains one after the other came in and made their submission.  Dermot McCarthy, lord of Desmond and Cork, was the first to do homage, followed by Donald O’Brien, Prince of Thomond; while another Donald, chieftain of Ossory, rapidly followed suit.  The men of Wexford appeared, leading their prisoner with them by a chain, and presenting him as an offering to his master, who, first rating him soundly for his unauthorized proceedings, ordered him to be chained to another prisoner and shut up in Reginald’s tower.  Later, soothed by his own triumph, or touched, as Giraldus tells us, with compassion for a brave man, he, at the intercession of some of his courtiers, forgave and restored him to his possessions, reserving, however, the town of Wexford for himself.

From Wexford Henry marched to Dublin, having first visited Tipperary and Waterford.  The Danes at once submitted and swore allegiance; so also did O’Carrol of Argial, O’Rorke of Brefny, and all the minor chieftains of Leinster; Roderick O’Connor still stood at bay behind the Shannon, and the north also remained aloof and hostile, but air the other chieftains, great and small, professed themselves willing to become tributaries of the king of England.