upon the King of England And so against my will they made me to learne English and taught me what I should doe and say and after this they called me Richard Duke of Yorke second sonne to Edward the fourth because King Richards Bastard sonne was in the hands of the King of England And upon this the said Iohn VValter and Stephen Poytowe Iohn Tyler Hubbert Burgh with many others as the foresaid Earles entred into this false quarrell and within short time after the French King sent ambassadours into Ireland whose names were Lyot Lucas and Stephen Frayn and thence I went into Fraunce and from thence into Flanders and from Flanders againe into Ireland and from Ireland into Scotland and so into England Thus was Perkins bragge twighted from a milpost to a pudding pricke and hanged was he the next yeare after Then in the yeare 1501. King Henry made Lieutenant of Ireland his second sonne Henry as then Duke of Yorke who afterwards raigned To him was appointed Deputy the aforesaid Gerald Earle of Kildare who accompanied with Iohn Blacke Major of Divelin warred upon VVilliam de Burgo O-Brien and Mac Nemarra Occarrol and the greatest power of Irish men that had beene seene together since the conquest under the hill of Knoctoe in English the hill of Axes sixe miles from Galway and two miles from Ballinclare de Burgoes mannor towne Mac VVilliam and his Complices were there taken his Souldiours that escaped the sword were pursued flying five miles great slaughter done and many Captaines gotten not one English man killed The Earle at his returne was created knight of the Noble Order and flourished all his life long of whom I shall bee occasioned to say somewhat in the next Chapter CAP. IX Henry the eight GErald Fitz Gerald Earle of Kildare a mighty made man full of honour and courage who had beene Lord Deputy and Lord Iustice of Ireland thirtie foure yeares deceased the third of September and lyeth buried in Christs Church in Divelin Betweene him and Iames Butler Earle of Ormond their owne jealousies fed with envy and ambition kindled with certaine lewd factions abbettors of either side ever since the ninth yeare of Henry the seventh when Iames of Ormond with a great army of Irish men camping in S. Thomas Court at Divelin seemed to face the countenance and power of the Deputy these occasions I say fostered a mallice betwixt them and their posterityes many yeares after incurable causes of much ruffle and unquietnes in the Realme untill the confusion of the one house and nonage of the other discontinued their quarrels which except their Inheritours have the grace to put up and to love unfainedly as Gerald and Thomas doe now may hap to turne their countryes to little good and themselves to lesse Ormond was nothing inferiour to the other in stomacke and in reach of pollicy farre beyond him Kildare was in governement a milde man to his enemies intractable to the Irish such a scourge that rather for despite of him then for favour of any part they relyed upon the Butlers came in under his protection served at his call performed by starts as their manner is the duty of good subjects Ormond was secret and drifty of much moderation in speech dangerous of every little wrinkle that touched his reputation Kildare was open and passionable in his moode desperate both of word and deede of the English welbeloved a good lusticier a warriour incomparable towards the Nobles that he favoured not somewhat headlong and unrulie being charged before Henry the seventh for burning the Church at Cashell and many witnesses prepared to avouch against him the truth of that article he suddainely confessed the fact to the great wondering and detestation of the Councell when it was looked how he would justifie the matter By Iesus quoth he I would never have done it had it not beene told me that the Archbishop was within And because the Archbishop was one of his busiest accusers there present merrily laught the King at the plainenesse of the man to see him alleadge that intent for excuse which most of all did aggravate his fault The last article against him they conceived in these tearmes finally all Ireland cannot rule this Earle No quoth the King then in good faith shall this Earle rule all Ireland Thus was the accusation turned to a jest the Earle returned Lord Deputy shortly after created Knight of the Garter and so died Marvell not if this successe were a corrosive to the adverse party which the longer it held aloofe and bit the bridle the more eagerly it followed his course having once the sway and roome at will as you may perceive hereafter Gerald Fitz Gerald sonne of the aforesaid Earle of Kildare and Lord Deputy who chased the nation of the Tooles battered Ocarrols Castles awed all the Irish of the land more more A Gentleman valiant and well spoken yet in his latter time overtaken with vehement suspition of sundry Treasons He of good meaning to unite the families matched his Sister Margaret Fitz Gerald with Pierce Butler Earle of Ossory whom he also holpe to recover the Earledome of Ormond whereinto after the decease of Iames a Bastard brother had intruded Seven yeares together Kildare kept in credit and authority notwithstanding the pushes given against him by secret heavers enviers of his fortune and nourishers of the old grudge who fett him up to the Court of England by commission and caused him there to be opposed with diverse interrogatories touching the Earle of Desmond his Cousin a notorious traytor as they said He left in his roome Morice Fitz Thomas Lord Iustice. After whom came over Lord Lieutenant Thomas Howard Earle of Surrey Grandfather to this Duke of Norfolke accompanied with 200. of the Kings guarde While he sate at Dinner in the Castle of Divelin hee heard newes that Oneale with a mighty army was even in the mouth of the borders ready to invade Immediately men were levyed by the Major and the next morrow joyning them to his band the Lieutenant marched as farre as the water of Slane where having intelligence of Oneales recoyle hee dismissed the footemen and pursued Omore with his horsemen which Omore was said to lurke within certaine miles That espied a Gunner of Omore and watching by a wood side discharged his peece at the very face of the Deputy strake the visard of his helmet and pierced no further as God would This did he in manner recklesse what became of himselfe so he might amaze them for a time breake the swiftnesse of their following and advantage the flight of his Captaine which thing he wanne with the price of his owne blood for the Souldiours would no further till they had searched all the corners of that wood verily suspecting some ambush thereabout and in severall knots ferretted out this Gunner whom Fitz VVilliams and Bedlowe of the Roche were faine to mangle and hewe in peeces because
became Monarch of Ireland Henry 2 King of England the sonne of Mathilda the Empresse subdued Scotland Ireland Orchades and the furthest Ocean Ilands he was Protector of France and was offered the kingdome of Ierusalem this Noble Henry was crowned King of England Anno 1154. he married Elenor daughter and heire of William Duke of Aquitaine the which Elenor had been formerly married to Lewis King of France and upon dislike divorced under pretence that they were within the fourth degree of consanguinity he was knighted by David King of Scots and after many broyles much bloudshed adopted by King Stephen for his sonne and consequently proclaimed heire apparant to the Crowne of England and thereupon after the discease of Stephen crowned with great ioy and applause of the people Anno 1154. the same yeere that Henry the second was crowned the Abbey of Kyrie-eleeson was founded Anno 1155. saith Mathew Paris and Fabian and the first or second of Henry 2. raigne though Stow referre it to the 7. and Anno 1160 the King cast in his minde to conquer Ireland hee saw that it was commodious for him and considered that they were but a rude and savage people for so the historiographers doe write whereupon in his ambitious minde he sent unto Adrian Bishop of Rome one Iohn Salsbury who by the said Bishop afterwards was made Bishop of Carnolum in France with others delivering his sute to that effect Adrian being a man of English birth heard his Ambassadors the more willingly considered the matter advisedly together with his colledge of Cardinals and granted him his request as followeth Adrian the Bishop the servant of the servants of God to his most deer sonne in Christ the Noble King of England sendeth greeting and Apostolike benediction your magnificence hath beene very carefull and studious how you might enlarge the Church of God here in earth and increase the number of his Saints and elect in heaven in that as a good Catholike King you have and doe by all meanes labour and travell to enlarge and increase Gods Church by teaching the ignorant people the true and Christian religion and in abolishing and rooting up the weedes of sinne and wickednesse And wherein you have and doe crave for your better furtherance the helpe of the Apostolike See wherein more speedily and discreetly you proceed the better successe we hope God will send for all they which of a fervent zeale and love in religion doe begin and enterprise any such thing shall no doubt in the end have a good and prosperous successe And as for Ireland and all other Ilands where Christ is knowne and the Christian religion received it is out of all doubt and your excellencie well knoweth they doe all appertaine and belong to the right of Saint Peter and of the Church of Rome and we are so much the more ready desirous and willing to sow the acceptable seede of Gods word because we know the same in the latter day will be most severely required at our hands you have our welbeloved sonne in Christ advertised and signified unto us that you will enter into the Land and Realme of Ireland to the end to bring them to obedience unto Law and under your subjection and to root out from among them their foule sinnes and wickednesse as also to yeeld and pay yeerely out of every house a yeerely pension of one penny to Saint Peter and besides also will defend and keepe the rites of those Churches whole and inviolate We therefore well allowing and favouring this your godly disposition and commendable affection doe accept ratifie and assent unto this your petition and doe grant that you for the dilating of Gods Church the punishment of sinne the reforming of manners planting of vertue and the increasing of Christian religion doe enter to possesse that land and thereto execute according to your wisedome whatsoever shall be for the honour of God and the safety of the Realme and further also we doe strictly charge and require that all the people of that land doe with all humblenesse dutifulnesse and honour receive and accept you as their Liege Lord and Soveraigne reseruing and accepting the right of holy Church to be inviolably preserved as also the yeerely pension of Peter pence out of every house which we require to be truely answered to Saint Peter and to the Church of Rome If therefore you doe minde to bring your godly purpose to effect indevour to travell to reforme the people to some better order and trade of life and that also by your selfe and by such others as you shall thinke meet true and honest in their life manners and conversation to the end the Church of God may be beautified the true Christian religion sowed and planted and all other things done that by any meanes shall or may be to Gods honour and salvation of mens soules whereby you may in the end receive of Gods hands the reward of everlasting life and also in the meane time and in this life carry a glorious same and an honourable report among all nations The King upon the receit hereof was very glad and let it lye dorment by him untill better opportunity was offered as hereafter shall appeare Anno 1166. Moragh Mac Cocholan King of Ireland called a great Councell at Dublin gave battaile to the King of Leinster and killed him and shortly after was himselfe slaine by Ororic which succeeded in the soveraignty the same yeere saith Guttyn Owen in his British Chronicle Henry 2. being at Chester hired many shippes out of Ireland for his ayde against North-Wales but hee discharged them immediately for his purpose tooke no good effect in as much as the present troubles of Normandy called him away In this pastime so the old English delivereth or rather the hurly-burly of the world amids the warres of France Flanders and England Ireland was all in armes the occasion was as followeth Dermot Mac Moragh King of Leinster was a long time enamoured with the wife of Ororike King of Meth some call him Morice some other Mordich she was the daughter of Omalarghlun whom nature had made faire the world a Queene and lust a Harlot the booke of Howth reporteth at large how Ororic was old his Queene young and wanton and that in derision when he came from hunting and being an hungred she gave Apples to eate which had beene in some undecent place of her body to be spoken of so that the scent of them was strong whereat she smiled her Lord and husband having secretly learned her lewd practise tooke with him the day following two of her foster brothers a hunting gelded them baked their stones brought the Pie hot to his Lady and her Gentlewomen when hee had commended the rarenesse of the meat the fond wantons and giglets fell to it when they had satisfied themselves saith Ororic how like you this Pye excellent good meat say they it is saith hee the meat which you love raw and rosted what
forth with issue out of the bushes and ditches and effect his traiterous devices The night before the parly Griffith the nephew of Robert and Morice being the sonne of William the elder brother dreamed in his sleepe that he saw a great heard of wild hogges rush upon Hugh Delacy and his uncle Maurice and that one of them being more furious and raging then the rest had rent them with his tuskes and tore them in pieces if he had not with his force rescued them and killed the Bore this dreame troubled him exceedingly wherewith he acquainted his company and made him and the rest be the more upon their keeping to prevent treachery The houre of parlee came they met and confered together Griffith not forgetting his dreame made choice of seven tall men of his owne kindred in whom he reposed great trust and confidence well mounted with swords sparthes and sheilds raunged the fields as nigh the Hill as they might and made sundry Carreers and brave Turnaments under pretence of recreation and pleasant pastime yet alwaies casting an eye to the Hill to see the end of this parlee Hughe Delacy and Ororic being somewhat long together Ororic to worke his treason stept aside faining to make water upon the signe he gave his men brought him his horse and sparth the which he taking upon his shoulder ment therewith to have cloven Hughe Delacy his head if the interpreter had not stept betweene whose arme was cleane cut off and himselfe wounded to the death Maurice Fitz Girald and Griffith his nephew rush in the traitours of the one side the true men of the other are together by the eares when Ororic the traitor tooke horse to runne away Griffith with his launce runne him through and killed him and his horse and three of his men cut off his head and sent it to the King of England this was the end of Orirics treason and the effect of Griffiths dreame Immediatly upon this Earle Richard being formerly upon reconciliation made with the King appointed Seneschall of Ireland is now sent out of Normandy by especially commission from the King with Reimondle grosse his brother in Law in joint commission to governe the whole land to be his Lieutenant in Ireland where he found the Irish saith Cambrensis constant in inconstancy firme in wavering and faithfull in untruthes he found emulation betweene Hervy and Reimond and the Army in a mutiny for lacke of pay at Herveies hands whereupon he made Reimond Lievetenant of the forces Reimond immediatly mustred his men drew them forth to the Decies among the Rebels where they preyed and spoiled Secondly they marched to Lismore where they did the like Lastly along the Sea cost they goe with their booties preyes and rich pillage towards Waterford and finding at Dunganan some thirteene botes out of Waterford and other places they lade them with their preys intending by water to saile for Waterford while they waited for wind Corke men envyed their successe prepared 32. Barks manned and furnished them out out of their Towne to overthrow Reimond and the English men and to recover the preyes they met they fought cruelly Corke men are overthrowne and their Captain Gilbert Mac Turger was slaine by a valiant Knight Philip Welsh and finally Adam Herford with all his charge safely arrived in Waterford Reimond was not at this skirmish but by the way he met with Dermot Mac Corty Prince of Desmond who with great power was come to the aid of the men of Corke They likewise skrimished and fell to a cruell fight where Dermot forsooke the field with small credit and Reimond went to Waterford with foure thousand head of cattell Immediatly upon this newes came out of England unto Reimond that William Fitz Girald his father was departed this life whereupon he sailed to Wales and Hervey De monte Marisco was appointed by the Earle Lieutenant of the forces This Hervey to advance his credit purposed to worke some exploits and drew out of Dublin the Earle to Cashil there also after consultation by mandat from the Earle he appointed the Souldiers that were at Dublin to meet him When they came as farre as Ossorie Donald Prince of Limirik having by his espials before hand intelligence thereof stole upon them in the morning slue of them foure Knights whereof O Grame an Irish man was one and foure hundred souldiers with this the Earle was discouraged and went to Waterford the Irish gathered heart and determined to roote out al the Englishmen So that Roderic Prince of Conoght tooke this opportunity passed the Shannan and wasted all to the walles of Dublin The Earle being in this perplexity wrote unto Reimond that was in Wales As soone as you have read those our letters make all the haste you can to come away and bring with you all the helpe and force you can make and then according to your own will and desire you shall assuredly enjoy that which you long looked for Immediatly he prepared himselfe together with his cousin Meilerius shipped 30. young Gentlemen of his own kindred 100. horsemen with 300. archers foot of the best chosen men of all Wales and in 20. Barkes arrived in Waterford It was at such time as the Waterford men had determined to kill every English man within the walles but when they saw the Barkes come in with flags and banners displaid they were astonied and staid their course Reimond entreth the towne of Wexford setteth all in order taketh the Earle with him and all their forces and went to Wexford hee had left behinde him one Purcell his Lievetenant to guard the town whom the Waterfordians slue and put to the sword of English birth man woman and childe but such as had fled to Reynolds towre plagued them sore afterwards drove them to intreate for peace the which they obtained with hard conditions And saith the booke of Houth the Waterfordians were ever after the lesse beleeved For all the troubles in England and Normandie and these treasons and rebellions in Ireland the King was not unmindefull to quiet the people and to establish himselfe and his heires in the kingdome first he sent Embassadors to Rome to cleere himselfe of the death of Thomas of Canterbury secondly he sent messengers thither concerning the state of Ireland whereunto Alexander the third answered as followeth Alexander the Bishop the servant of the servants of God to his dearely beloved sonne the Noble King of England greeting grace and Apostolike benediction Forasmuch as things given and granted upon good reason by our predecessors are to be well allowed of ratified and confirmed wee well considering and pondering the graunt and priviledge for and concerning the dominion of the land of Ireland to us appertaining and lately given by Adrian our predecessor we following his steps doe in like manner confirme ratifie and allow the same reserving and saving to Saint Peter and to the Church of Rome the yeerely pension of one penny out of every
Robin Hood that he was an Earle and after outrages by him committed he kept the woods his company was of some hundred persons all chosen and picked Archers of singular strength to handle their weapons and such as durst encounter with 400. others they robbed none but the rich as Tanners and Grasiers and Vsurers and Bishops Priests and fat Abbots they shed no bloud they killed no man releeved themselves and the poore also with their spoyles Robin Hood after many theevish feats fell sicke went into a Nunnery in Scotland to be let bloud where he was betrayed and bled to death wherupon the company brake and the crue dispersed themselves every man to shift for himselfe little Iohn came to Ireland with many of his confederates and found in the woods enough to fit his humour and fell so much to his old occupation that he was faine to flye the land In the end he went to Scotland and there died There are memorable acts reported of him which I hold not for truth that he would shoot an arrow a mile off and a great deale more but them I leave among the lyes of the land Anno 1191. the Monasterie de iugo Dei was founded Anno 1193. King Richard after many most valiant exploits in the Holy Land the which I hold not so necessary for this place after the drowning of Fredericke the Emperour and after the sudden and envious departure of Philippe King of France hearing the conspiracy of the said Philippe and the treason of his brother Iohn aspiring to the Crowne of England made peace with the Saladine for three yeres and with a small company returning homewards was taken prisoner by Leopold Duke of Austria who brought him to Henry the Emperour and there kept him in prison a yeere and 5. months untill he had paid his ransome which was Anno 1194. Hee was received into England with the joy and applause of all true harts and having setled the affaires of the Realme in due sort he went into France where he had much a doe with the French King the which for brevities sake I doe omit and yet one memorable act of his I may not omit and thus it was There came unto him one Fulco a Priest who with great courage and boldnesse said Thou hast O Mighty King three daughters very vicious and of evill disposition take good heed of them and betimes provide them good husbands to whom the King in rage answered thâ—u errant lyar and shamelesse hypocrit thou knowest not where thou art nor what thou sayest I weene thou art not well in thy wits for I have never a daughter as the world will beare me witnesse get thee out of our presence To whom Fulco replyed If it like your Grace I lye not but say truth for you have three daughters which continually frequent your Court and more is the pitty wholly possesse your person I meane Pride Covetousnesse and Leachery The King thereat smiled and called his Lords and Barons unto him and related what Fulco had delivered unto him and thereupon gave his resolution Here before you all I doe presently bestow my three daughters First I give my daughter swelling Pride to the proud Templars my greedy daughter Avarice to the covetous Order of the Cistercian Monkes and my daughter Leachery to the wanton Prelats of the Church This noble King went to besiege a Town called Chalus Cheverell in Poitou in the confines of Britaine where unlooked for from the wall of the Towne he was wounded with a venomed arrow out of a Crosbow whereof shortly after hee died afore his death hee sent for him that was the cause of his death forgave him yea gave him money in his purse but after his death he was apprehended and cut off with cruell tortures Lastly King Richard tooke order for his buriall thus he bequeathed his body to Fount Ebrad there to lye at his fathers feet whom in his life time he had offended his heart to Roan that had alwayes been true unto him and his bowels to Chalus Cheverell where he tooke his death for that filth was fit for them that had beene unto him both false and rebellious Mathew Paris hath is Epitaph thus Ad Chalus cecidit Rex regni cardo Richardus His ferus his humilis his agnus his Leopardus Casus erat lucis Chalus Per secula nomen Non intellectum fuerat sed nominis omen Non patuit res clausa fuit sed luce cadente Prodiit in lucem pro casu lucis ademptae Againe of his legacie Pictavus exta ducis sepelit tellusque Chalutis Corpus dat claudi sub marmore fontis Ebrandi Neustria tuque tegis cor inexpugnabile Regis Sic loca per trina se sparsit tanta ruina Nec fuit hoc funus cui sufficeret locus unus Iohn the fift sonne of Henry the second Earle Morton alias Mortaigne and Lord of Ireland as formerly hath beene delivered by the gift of his brother King Richard the first Earle of Cornwall Dorset Sommerset Nottingham Darby Lancaster and in the right of his marriage Earle of Glocester was Crowned at Westminster King of England Anno 1199. Hee was first married to Isabell whom the Britaines called Hawise and the Cornish Avis daughter to Robert Earle of Glocester who for that they were found within the third degree were divorced so that King Iohn left both the Lady Isabell and the Earledome of Glocester whereupon by the advice of Philip King of France he matched in holy wedlocke with Isabell daughter to Amerie Earle of Angolesme This Isabell if not married had beene affianced to Hugh Brune Earle of March a Noble man of Aquitaine who gave battaile in that quarell to King Iohn and was discomfitted yet after the death of King Iohn hee had her to wife Immediatly upon the Coronation of Henry the third who succeeded him broyles beganne in England France and Ireland which had every way a tragicall end Bruse in England Arthure in France and Courcy in Ireland are testimonies thereof But orderly of these as the Nature of the Historie requires Arthure the sonne of Ieffry Plantagenet nephew to King Iohn lived when his uncle Iohn aspired to the Crowne being 16 yeeres of age he was affianced to a daughter of Philippe the French King the said Philippe Knighted him in the field he was Duke of Britain Earle of Anjou Poitiers Maine and Turrow of Normandy He did homage unto his uncle for some and to Philippe for the rest his uncle had him in Iealousie first lest that in processe of time he would make claime to the Crowne secondly for that he adhered too much to the French and the young Prince upon conference with bold spirit told him that he did him wrong and that hee was bound in honour to deliver unto him the Crowne of England with all that thereunto appertained Shortly after it fell out that King Iohn took this Arthure confederate against him with William de
sister or demaund ward then the inheritance should seeme to be divided so that the eldest sister should seeme to be segnioresse and tennant of inheritance simul semel that is to say heire of her owne part and segnioresse to her sisters which could not stand well together in this case for the eldest can demaund no more then her sisters but the chiefe mease by reason of her auncienty Moreover if the eldest sister should take homage of the yonger she should be as a segnioresse to them all and should have the ward of them and their heires which should be none other but but to cast the Lambe to the Wolfe to be devoured And therefore wee command you that you cause the aforesaid customes that bee used within our Realme of England in this case to bee proclaimed throughout our dominions of Ireland and to be straightly kept and observed in testimony whereof c. I witnesse my selfe at Westminster the ninth of February the thirteeneth yeere of our Raigne Anno 1233. or as some will have it 1234. the 7. of Aprill there appeared as it were foure Sunnes besides the naturall Sunne of a red colour and a great Circle of Christall colour from the sides whereof went out halfe Circles in the divisions whereof the foure Sunnes went forth There followed that yeere great warre and cruell bloodshed general great disturbance throughout England Wales and Ireland so write Matthew Paris and Stow. This troublesome yeere died Gualter Lacy Lord of Meath leaving behind him two daughters coheires to inherit his possession to wit Margret that was maried to the Lord Theobald Verdon and Mathilda married to Ieffray Genevile Amids these troubles in the flourishing daies of Maurice Fitz Gerald Hubert de Burgo Ieffray de Morisco and Gualter de Lacy whose ends followed according The Noble Earle Richard Maxfield Lord Maxfield Earle Marshall of England spoken of before and being by them maligned was traitorously cut off by sundry devilish draughts Matthew Paris wrot the Story at large laid downe their practise on both the sides of the seas their forged letters and secretly as it were by stealth fixing thereto the Kings seale Hee calleth them traitors Iudasses and Ieffery de Morisco he termeth Achitophell that gave wicked counsell Hubert had a lamentable end Ieffery dyed in misery Lacy was shortly cut off and Maurice Fitz Girald was with dishonour removed from his Iusticeship This Maurice of the King desired to bee reconciled to Gilbert Marshall his brother whom he greatly feared and offered in satisfaction to build with all speed a noble Monastery and to endow the same with large possessions and to furnish it with a reverent covent to pray for the soule of Richard Marshall at length with much adoe and importunate intreaty of the King and Nobility of England Gilbert Marshall granted him peace but of Earle Richards end I have spoken somewhat before About the yeere 1233. or 34. Hugh Mapleton Bishop of Ossorie whose Episcopall see was then at Achboo in upper Ossorie began the foundation of the Cathedrall Church now standing in the Irish towne of Kilkenny in the honour of God and Saint Canicus of whom the towne of Kilkenny hath the name and is reckoned the first founder Hee ordained three Canons for the service hee gave them divers Churches and tithes for their maintenance as in the foundation of those Chanons more at large doth appeare He builded the Bishops Court of Aghor adding thereto fish-ponds fishings and other necessaries Such good men lived in those dayes At the same time came the King of Connaught exhibiting a grievous complaint unto Henry the third saith Mathew Paris against Iohn de Burgo the sonne as I suppose of Hubert de Burgo before spoken of that he had entred his country with forces and wasted the same with fire and sword that it would please his Majestie to doe him justice and command such rash attempts to be bridled alledging that he was his loyall subject and paid for his kingdome an annuall pension mounting to the summe of 5000 marks ever since King Iohn had subdued his kingdome and that he would rid him of that base upstart or new commer which sought unjustly to disherit him The King tendred his reasonable requests and commanded Maurice Fitz Girald then present to plucke up by the roote the fruitlesse Plant the which Hubert Earle of Kent had sometime planted in those parts while he was in Ruffe that it might budde no more Hee wrote also unto the Nobilitie of Ireland that they should banish the said Iohn de Burgo and peaceably establish the King in his kingdome who with these princely favours joyfully returned into his country Anno 1235. saith Cooper the Irish men rebelled so hee left it and so I leave it too Anno 1236. Mathew Paris doth write that in the North parts not farre from the Abbey of Rochor Rupie and also in Ireland and the parts there abouts more apparantly strange and wonderfull sights were seene which amazed the beholders to wit there appeared comming forth of the earth companies of armed men on horseback with Speare Shield Sword and banners displaid in sundry formes and shapes riding in battaile array and encountring together and this sight appeared sundry dayes each after other sometimes they seemed to joyne as it had beene in battaile and fought sore and sometimes they seemed to just and breake staves as if it had beene at some triumphant justs of torny The people of the country beheld them a farre off with great wonder for the skirmish shewed it selfe so lively that now and then they might see them come with their empty horses sore wounded and hurt and likewise men mangled and bleeding A pittifull fight to behold and that which seemed more strange and most to be mervailed at after they vanished away the prints of their feet appeared in the ground and the grasse trodden in those places where they had beene seene Anno 1240. Petrus de Supino came from Pope Gregory into Ireland with an authenticke papall mandate requiring under paine of Excommunication and other censures ecclesiasticall the twentieth part part of the whole land besides donatives and private gratuities to the maintenance of his warres against Fredericke the Emperour where he extorted saith Mathew Paris a thousand and five hundred markes and above saith Florilegus at which time also one Petrus Pubeus intitled the Popes Familiar and kinsman and both bastards saith Bale filled in like sort his fardles in Scotland These Nuntioes were so crafty that they needed no Brokers they secretly understood by Posts and Cursitors the state of the Court of Rome which quailed them full sore that the Pope was either gone or panted for life secretly by the conduct of the Monkes of Canterbury they were conveyed to Dover where they tooke shipping and crossed the seas The Emperour Fredericke against whom this provision was made having intelligence thereof and secretly acquainted with the Popes state wrote to the King of England
give lands unto the Monastery of Saint Iames of Keynisham Anno 1421. Our Lady day fell out to be upon Munday in Easter weeke Also the Parliament began the third time at Dublin the Munday after Saint Ambroses day and there it was ordained that agents should be sent over unto the King for reformation of matters touching the state of the land namely the Archbishop of Armagh and Sir Christopher Preston Knight At the same time Richard Ottdian Bishop of Casshell was accused of Iohn Gese Bishop of Lismore and Waterford upon thirty articles among other one was that he made very much of the Irish and that he loved none of the English nation and that he bestowed no Benefice upon any English man and that he counselled other Bishops not to give the least Benefice to any of them that he counterfeited the Kings Seale and letters Patents that he went about to make himselfe King of Munster and that hee had taken a Ring from the image of Saint Patricke which the Earle of Desmond had offered and bestowed it upon his Concubine And he exhibited many other enormious matters against him in writing by whom the Lords and Commons were troubled Also in the same Parliament there arose a contention betwixt Adam Payn Bishop of Clone because the said Adam would have united unto his See the Church of another Prelate and the other would not give way unto it and so they were dismissed unto the Court of Rome the Parliament continued eighteene dayes Then newes were stirring that the Lord Thomas of Lancaster Duke of Clarence was slaine in France and many other with him Vpon the seventh of May there was slaughter made upon the Earle of Ormonds the Lord Lievetenants men by Omordris neere unto the Monastery of Leys and there were seaven and twenty English men slaine the chiefe whereof were Purcell and Grant tenne Noble men were taken prisoners and two hundred fled unto the said Abbey and so saved themselves About the Ides of May dyed Sir Iohn Bedloe knight and Ieffery Galon sometime Maior of Dublin who was buried in the house of the Fryers Preachers of the same City About the same time Mac Mahon an Irish Lord did much hurt in Vrgile by wasting and burning all before him Vpon the seaventh of Iune the Lord Lievetenant entred into the Country about Leys upon Omordris leading a very great army and for the space of foure dayes together slaying the people till the Irish were glad to sue for peace On the feast of Saint Michael the Arch-angell Thomas Stanley with all the Knights and Esquires of Meath and Irel tooke Neyle O Donnell prisoner and slue the rest in the fourteenth yeere of the raigne of King Henry the sixt Here endeth the Chronicle of Henry Marleburrough FINIS A VIEW OF THE STATE OF IRELAND Written dialogue-wise betweene Eudoxus and Irenaeus By EDMUND SPENSER Esq. in the yeare 1596. VVhereunto is added the History of IRELAND By EDMUND CAMPION sometime fellow of St Iohn's Colledge in Oxford Published by Sir IAMES WARE Knight DUBLIN Printed by the Society of Stationers M.DC.XXXIII TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE THOMAS LO VISCOVNT WENTWORTH LO DEPVTY GENERALL OF IRELAND LO PRESIDENT OF HIS MAIESTIES COVNCELL ESTABLISHED IN THE NORTH PARTS OF ENGLAND AND ONE OF HIS MAIESTIES MOST HONORABLE PRIVIE COVNCELL RIGHT HONORABLE THE sence of that happy peace which by the divine providence this Kingdome hath enjoyed since the beginning of the raigne of his late Majestie of ever sacred memory doth then take the deeper impression when these our halcyon dayes are compared with the former turbulent and tempestuous times and with the miseries of severall kindes incident unto them Those calamities are fully set out and to the life by Mr Spenser with a discovery of their causes and remedies being for the most part excellent grounds of reformation And so much may be justly expected from him in regard of his long abode and experience of this Kingdome In these respects and for other good uses which the collections now communicated doe afford for matter of history and policy I am incouraged to dedicate them to your Lordship and humbly to desire your favourable acceptance of them and of Your Lordships ever humbly devoted IAMES WARE THE PREFACE HOw far these collections may conduce to the knowledge of the antiquities and state of this Land let the fit reader judge yet something I may not passe by touching Mr Edmund Spenser the worke it selfe lest I should seeme to offer injury to his worth by others so much celebrated Hee was borne in London of an ancient and noble family and brought up in the Vniversitie of Cambridge where as the fruites of his after labours doe manifest he mispent not his time After this he became Secretary to Arthur Lord Grey of Wilton Lord Deputy of Ireland a valiant and worthy Governour and shortly after for his services to the Crowne he had bestowed upon him by Queene Elizabeth 3000. acres of land in the Countie of Corke There hee finished the later part of that excellent poem of his Faery Queene which was soone after unfortunately lost by the disorder and abuse of his servant whom he had sent before him into England being then a rebellibus as Camdens words are è laribus ejectus bonis spoliatus He deceased at Westminster in the yeare 1599. others have it wrongly 1598. soone after his returne into England and was buried according to his owne desire in the collegiat Church there neere unto Chaucer whom he worthily imitated at the costes of Robert Earle of Essex wherupon this Epitaph was framed Hîc prope Chaucerum situs est Spenserius illi proximus ingenio proximus ut tumulo Hîc prope Chaucerum Spensere poeta poetam conderis versu quà m tumulo propior Anglica te vivo vixit plausitque poesis nunc moritura timet te moriente mori As for his worke now published although it sufficiently testifieth his learning and deepe judgement yet we may wish that in some passages it had bin tempered with more moderation The troubles and miseries of the time when he wrote it doe partly excuse him And surely wee may conceive that if hee had lived to see these times and the good effects which the last 30. yeares peace have produced in this land both for obedience to the lawes as also in traffique husbandry civility learning he would have omitted those passages which may seeme to lay either any particular aspersion upon some families or generall upon the Nation For now we may truly say jam cuncti gens una sumus and that upon just cause those ancient statutes wherein the natives of Irish descent were held to be and named Irish enemies and wherein those of English bloud were forbidden to marry and commerce with them were repealed by act of Parlament in the raigne of our late Soveraigne King IAMES of ever blessed memory His proofes although most of them conjecturall concerning the