In 1183 the unfortunate Irish monarch, Roderic, had retired to the Abbey of Cong, and left such empty titles as he possessed to his son, Connor.  De Lacy and De Courcy had occupied themselves alternately in plundering and destroying the religious houses which had so long existed, and in founding new monasteries with a portion of their ill-gotten gains.  It would appear that De Lacy built so far on his popularity with the Anglo-Normans, as to have aspired to the sovereignty of Ireland,—­an aspiration which his master soon discovered, and speedily punished.  He was supplanted by Philip of Worcester, who excelled all his predecessors in rapacity and cruelty.  Not satisfied with the miseries inflicted on Ulster by De Courcy, he levied contributions there by force of arms.  One of his companions, Hugh Tyrrell, who “remained at Armagh, with his Englishmen, during six days and nights, in the middle of Lent,” signalized himself by carrying off the property of the clergy of Armagh.  Amongst other things, he possessed himself of a brewing-pan, which he was obliged to abandon on his way, he met so many calamities, which were naturally attributed to his sacrilegious conduct.[312]

John was now preparing for his visit to Ireland, and his singularly unfelicitous attempt at royalty.  It would appear that the Prince wished to decline the honour and the expedition; for, as he was on the eve of his departure, Eraclius, Patriarch of Jerusalem, arrived in England, to enjoin the fulfilment of the King’s vow to undertake a crusade to Palestine.  As Henry had got out of his difficulties, he declined to fulfil his solemn engagement, and refused permission to his son, John, who threw himself at his father’s feet, and implored leave to be his substitute.  Eraclius then poured forth his indignation upon Henry, with all the energetic freedom of the age.  He informed him that God would punish his impieties—­that he was worse than any Saracen; and hinted that he might have inherited his wickedness from his grandmother, the Countess of Anjou, who was reported to be a witch, and of whom it was said that she had flown through the window during the most solemn part of Mass, though four squires attempted to hold her.

John sailed from Milford Haven on the evening of Easter Wednesday, 1185.  He landed with his troops at Waterford, at noon, on the following day.  His retinue is described as of unusual splendour, and, no doubt, was specially appointed to impress the “barbarous” Irish.  Gerald Barry, the famous Cambrensis, who had arrived in Ireland some little time before, was appointed his tutor, in conjunction with Ranulf de Glanville.  The bitter prejudice of the former against Ireland and the Irish is a matter of history, as well as the indefatigable zeal of the latter in pursuit of his own interests at the expense of justice.