ORPEN, Goddard Henry. The Song of Dermot and The Earl. An Old French Poem. From the Carew Manuscript No 596 in the Archiepiscopal Library at Lambeth Palace.

Edited with literal translation and notes, a folding facsimile Carew MS and a folding map. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1892. Small octavo. pp. xli, 355, 20 (Clarendon Press Catalogue). Green cloth over bevelled boards, titled in gilt. Previous owner’s stamp on front pastedown. Top edge gilt. A very good copy of this scarce book.
An excellent work, with a chronological table commencing in the year 1152 with the ‘Rape of Dervorgil’; Death of Turlough O’Conor; Battle of Leitir Luin ... Roderic O’Conor, Ard Righ; Morice Regan sent to Wales with Letters from Dermot Mac Murrough; Landing of Robert FitzStephen at Bannow; Landing of Strongbow - Taking of Waterford - Capture of Dublin. With pedigrees of Dermot MacMurrough and of the descendants of Nesta who took part in the Invasion of Ireland - the Fitzgeralds, de Barrys, Fitzstephen, de Lacy, etc. There are copious historical and topographical footnotes and an index of people and places. This is the only reliable transcript of the late fourteenth-century manuscript, the only one known to exist, which is now preserved among the Carew Mss at Lambeth Palace.
It was Orpen’s belief that the original author of this historical/topographical poem was Morice Regan, Dermot MacMurrough’s ‘latimer’ or secretary, who was an eyewitness to the Anglo-Norman invasion. It covers events from 1152 to the death of Philip de Prendergast in 1231, and deals with Dermot’s journey to Aquitaine to solicit the support of Henry II in regaining the kingship of Leinster after his banishment by Rory O’Connor, the High King.

[CAT 163]