Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition
The Miracles of Senan (Author: Charles Plummer)

chapter 3

{editor's section 7}

Another time Richard de Clare came in full force into Corcovaskin, and the land was harried by them, both clergy and laity, and he outraged the church of Senan. After this the Englishman went to his own fort and stronghold. And the company and community were sad and downcast that they should have been outraged within the sanctuary of Senan, and they made their complaint to God and Senan. And they besought God that the author of this design might be cut off, and the folk who had executed it utterly destroyed.

{editor's section 8}

Senan came that night to the sacrist, and the sacrist asked him where he was going. Senan said that he was going to avenge his outraging on de Clare, and he recited this stave:

    1. The King of heaven,
      the King of the host, has granted to me the author of every design,
      (and) the folk who plague my body in respect of my church,
      that their bodies should be plagued without mercy.
But the contest was no equal one,

p.15

for a blow from Senan's staff lighted on de Clare, which cut short his life; and he himself related to his household on the morrow that he had seen a clerk in the air coming to him out of the West in great wrath, , and he confused his mind and his memory, and made him all distraught. At the end of the third day following de Clare went on a hosting, and could not move hand or foot so that he was at the mercy of his enemies; and so he died through the miraculous power of Senan, though previously he was a fighter equal to a hundred.