assistance of Rodericke Oconor King of Connaght at that season the generall Monarch of all Ireland The subjects of Leinster detesting the quarrell and long ere this time hating their Prince left him desolate in his greatest neede so as with much difficulty he caught his boate and fled over for succour to Henry the 2. King of England then warring upon the Frenchmen within his Dukedome of Aquitaine Somewhat before this season sate in the See of Rome Adrianus 4. an English man borne who having in his youth taken a painefull pilgrimage into Norway and reduced the whole Iland unto Christianity learned distinctly the state of Ireland and how their countrymen which dayly repaired thither being themselves the most part infidels meeting with a people there wilde and furious were like very shortly but if God found remedy to deface religion for though Christ were beleeved and taught yet the multitude eft soone grew to a shamelesse kinde of liberty making no more of necessary points of Doctrine then served their loose humour Besides these occasions Henry the 2. builded upon the Popes favour his borne subject had sent Ambassadours to Rome in the first yeare of his raigne asking leaue to attempt the conquest of Ireland Adrian trusting and requiring a diligent reformation of the premisses graunted his Bull which Alexander his Successour confirmed and ratified upon the same conditions Now when Dermot was come in the very necke of these consultations and put up his complaint wherein he preferred the interest of his Crowne and craved a restitution of some peece of his lands the matter did seeme not all untowardly broached Henry having his hands full with the French because Mac Murrough urged all possible haste could not personaly intend that offer but sent him honourably garded into England with letters patents bearing this Tenour HENRY the second King of England Duke of Normandy and Aquitaine Earle of Angiow To all our true subjects English Normans Welchmen Scotts and to all nations within our Dominions whatsoever Greeting Witt yee that the Bearer hereof Dermot Mac Murrough King of Leinster we have received into the soveraigne protection of our Grace and bounty wherefore who so of you all our loving subjects will extend towards him your ayde for his restoring as to our trusty and welbeloved know yee that he is thereto authorized by these presents and shall deserve at our hands high favour in so doing With these letters and many gay additions of his owne he arrived at Bristow where he fell at conference with Richard Strongbow Earle of Pembroke with whom he covenanted the delivery of his onely daughter and heire unto marriage and so the remainder of his Kingdome If the said Earle would recover him his home That day were planted in Wales two gentlemen Robert Fitz Stephens and Maurice Fitz Gerald brethren of a Mother allyed to Rice ap Griffin then Prince of Wales whose Grand-father was surnamed Rice the great Fitz Stephens had beene high Constable there under the King and for executing rigour upon the Princes servants was with him detained prisoner three yeares ne would in any wise pay ransome or accept the liberty promised him but if the conditions were loyall to the Crowne and to his person no dis-worship Lastly by the mediation of David Bishop of S. Davids the third brother and of Fitz Gerald and at the instance of Mac Murrough whom the Prince entertained in that distresse Fitz Stephens was conditionaly delivered that he and his brother Maurice should the next spring while Strongbow provided his army assist the Irish out-cast who in consideration thereof assured them an estate for ever in the towne of Weixford and two Cantreds adjoyning Thus much firmely concluded on all sides the King stale secretly home and wintered closely among the Cleargie of Fernes According to covenant came Fitz Stephens with 30. Knights of his blood 60. Squiers 300. footemen Archers to whom at his landing Dermot sent in aid his base sonne Duvelnaldus and five hundred speares The towne and suburbes of Weixford marched forth against him But when they saw Souldiours in array diversly dighted and weaponed furnished with artillery barbed horses and harnesse they retyred to their walles and strengthned them burning the villages thereabouts and all the provision they could not carry The assault lasted 3. dayes in the 4. certaine Bishops resciant there tooke up the variance pacified the Townesmen to their King and procured the rendring of the Towne Dermot having tryed the valiantnes of the Welchmen immeadiately kept his touch and gave possession of Weixford with the appurtenances aforesaid to Fitz Stephens and his brother After successe of these matters they leavyed to the number of 3000. Souldiours and devised to vexe the Lords of Vpper Ossory who had beene to the King of all other most cruell and injurious Them they compelled to deliver Trewage and sweare fealty Rodericke the monarch appalled at these newes reared up all the Kings in defence of the land verily supposing that all would to wrecke were it not prevented And first they directed courteous messages and gifts to Fitz Stephens moving him to depart the land quietly and not to molest them without cause To whom he answered that much he wondred at the folly of those Princes who to satisfie their choller had opened such a gappe to their owne prejudice as though the subjects whom they had schooled to breake allyance towards the King of Leinster would not be as ready by this example to learne to withstand the King of Connaght for his owne part though hee might with better reason invade strangers then they could expell their neighbours and their peere yet would they suffer the King to reenter his right they should not finde him stiffe nor untractable otherwise they should well feele that the Bryttons wanted neither abilitie nor truth to maintaine their word Rodericke perceived it was no boote to spurne and therefore bethought himselfe of composition upon agreement they resolved thus Inprimis that Mac Murrough swearing afresh his obedience to the Monarch should quietly repossesse the parts of Leinster which Rodericke with-held by suspensation Secondly that for ensurance thereof he should pledge his dearest base sonne Cnothurn to whom Rodericke promised his daughter if this peace were found effectuall Thirdly that being rested in his kingdome he should discharge the Welch army nor should henceforwards call them over in defence About this time Donatus the good King of Ergall founded the Abbey of Mellyfont which is the eldest that I finde recorded since the Danes arrivall except S. Mary Abbey besides Divelin erected in an 948. The meane while was landed at Weixford Maurice Fitz Gerald with his provision ten Knights thirty Squiers and an hundred Bowmen hereupon Dermot and the two Brethren set their force against Divelin which being the cheife Citty of his Realme refused to yeeld when Divelin and the country about it vvas recover'd there befell hostility between Rodericke and
right to Leinster VValter Fitz Richard who came from Normandy with VVilliam Conquerour died Lord Strongbow of Strigule alias Chepstow without issue to whom succeeded his sisters sonne Gilbert who was created the first Earle of Pembroke had issue Richard the inheritour of Leinster by a covenant marriage of Eva the sole daughter of Mac Murrough King of Leinster This Richard conveyed to Henry the second all his title and held of him the Lordship of Leinster in foure counties Weixford Catherlagh Ossory and Kildare Richard left issue a daughter Isabel married to VVilliam Earle marshall of England now Earle of Pembroke Lord Strongbow and Lord of Leinster VVilliam had issue five sonnes who died without issue when every of them except the youngest had successively possessed their fathers lands and five daughters Maude â—oane Isabel Sibil and Eve among whom the patrimony was parted in an 31. H. 3. Of these daughters bestowed in marriage are descended many noble houses as the Mortimers Bruises Clares c. borne subjects to the Crowne of England paying ever to the King his dutyes reserved Hugh de Lacy Conquerour of Meth had issue VValter de Lacy who held the same of King Iohn paying a fine of foure thousand marks sterling and hence beganne all the severall claimes there at this day with allegiance sworne and done by their auncestours At the very first arrivall of Henry the second the Princes of Mounster came universally and did homage voluntarily and acknowledged to him and his heires duties and payes for ever Iohn de Courcy Conquerour and Earle of Vlster dyed without issue King Iohn Lord of Ireland gave the Earledome to Hugh de Lacy who had issue VValter and Hugh dead without issue and one daughter married to Reymond Burke Conquerour and Lord of Connaght Connaght descended to diverse heires owing service to the Prince but Vlster is returned by devolution to the speciall inheritance and revenues of the Crowne of England in this manner The said De Burgo had issue Richard who had issue Iohn who had issue VVilliam who was slaine without issue and a Daughter Elizabeth intytled to thirty thousand marks yearely by the Earledome of Vlster whom Edward the 3. gave in marriage to Leonel his second sonne Duke of Clarence who had issue a daughter Philippe marryed to Edmund Mortymer who had issue Edmund Anne Elinor Edmund and Elinor died without issue Anne was married to Richard Earle of Cambridge sonne to Edmund of Laugley Duke of Yorke fift sonne to Edward the third which said Richard had issue Richard Plantagenet father to Edward the fourth father to Elizabeth wife to Henry the seventh and mother to Henry the eight father to Mary Edward the sixt and Elizabeth Severall claimes to the Land of Ireland 1. First that the Irish for of the rest there is no question were subjects to the the Crowne of Brittaine before they set foote in Ireland Thus it appeareth They dwelt on that side of Spaine whereof Bayon was then cheife imperiall Citie and the same then in possession and obedience to Gurguntius 376. yeares ere Christ was borne as it was to his successours many a day after namely to Henry the which as I finde noted in certaine precepts of governement dedicated by Iames Young to Iames Butler Earle of Ormond then Lieutenant of Ireland an 1416. From this coast and Citty now part of Gascoigne came the fleete of those Iberians who in 60. ships met Gurguntius on the sea returning from the conquest of Denmarke to whom they yeelded oath and service sued for dwelling were by him conducted and planted in Ireland and became his leige people 2. Mac Gil-murrow King of Ireland with all his petty Princes Lordes and Captaines summoned to King Arthurs court held in Carlion an 519. did accordingly their homage and attended all the while his great feast and assembly lasted 3. The Monarch of Ireland and all other both reges and reguli for them and for theirs for ever betooke themselves to Henry the second in an Dom. 1172. namely those of the south whiles he lay at Waterford Dermot King of Corke which is the nation of Mac Cartyes at Cashell Donald King of Limricke which is the nation of the Obrenes Donald King of Ossory Mac Shaghlen King of Ophaly at Divelin did the like Okeruell King of Vriell Ororicke king of Meth Rodericke King of all Ireland and of Connaght This did they with consents and shoutes of their people and king Henry returned without any Battle given Onely Vlster remained which Iohn de Courcy soone after conquered and Oneale Captaine of all the Irish there came to Dublin to Richard the 2. in an 1399. And freely bound himselfe by oath and great summes of money to be true to the crowne of England 4. The same time Obrene of Thomond Oconor of Connaght Arthur Mac Murrow of Leinster and all the Irish Lords which had beene somewhat disordered renewed their obedience 5. When Ireland first received Christendome they gave themselves into the jurisdiction both spirituall temporall of the See of Rome The temporall Lordship Pope Adrian conferred upon Henry the second and hee gave the same to Iohn his younger sonne afterwards King of England and so it returned home to the Crowne 6. Alexander the 3. confirmed the gift of Adrian as in both their Charters is expressed at large 7. Vivian the legate on the Popes behalfe doth accurse and excommunicate all those that flitte from the obeysance of the Kings of England 8. The cleargy twice assembled once at Cashell secondly at Ardmagh plainely determined the conquest to be lawfull and threatned all people under paine of Gods and holy Churches indignation to accept the English kings for their Lords from time to time 9. It would aske a volume to recite the names of such Irish Princes who since the conquest have continually upon occasions revolts or petitions sworne truth and faith to the kings of England from time to time received honours wages fees pardons and petitions And thus I thinke no reasonable man will doubt of a right so old so continued so ratified so many wayes confessed CAP. III. Richard the first and King Iohn BY occasion of Lacyes mishap Iohn Courcye and Hugh de Lacye the younger with all their assistants did streight execution upon the Rebells and preventing every mischiefe ere it fell stayed the Realme from uproares Thus they continued lovingly and lived in wealth and honour all the dayes of Richard the first untill the first yeare of King Iohns raigne Henry the second had issue male VVilliam Henry Richard Ieffrey and Iohn VVilliam Henry and Richard dyed without issue Ieffrey Earle of Brittaine dyed before his father and left issue two daughters and an after-borne son called Arthur whose title to the Crowne as being the undoubted lyne of the elder brother Philip King of France and certaine Lords of England and Ireland stoutly justified Him had King Iohn taken prisoner in Normandy and
home for the guard and safety of the City early in the morning when the enemy was unarmed out of order little thinking that so few within durst attempt to give the onset to so many without they fell upon them killed without mercy and the rere was so forward that they came with the Vanguard by wheeling about to the slaughter of the enemie Roderic all this while trusting to his troupes and multitude of people feared nothing he took his ease and pleasure and was bathing himself but when the larum was up that he saw his men on every side fall to the ground never tarried called for man nor Page to array him but tooke his mantle and ranne away all naked and hardly escaped with life The Britaines pursued after and had the killing of them all that day in the evening they returned into the Citie not onely with the honour of the field but rich booties and praies of victuals armour and other pillage as much as man and beast could cary Immediatly also the rumor hereof the other Campes were dispersed namely Laurence the Archbishop whom it had beseemed better to have beene at home with his porthouse then in Campe with rebels Mathelan Machalem Gillemehelmocus Otuetol Ororic Prince of Meath Ocarol alias Ocarvell Prince of Vriell Machfalin Ochadese with many other great Commanders where every man shifted for himselfe of Gotred alias Godfray King of Man that came by Sea I find nothing for upon this disaster he tooke him to the seas the next day without any further deliberation Miles Cogan is left to governe Dublin and the Earle with his Army marched towards Wexford to raise the siege at the Carreke to relieve Robert Fitz Stephens as he passed by Odrone the forces of Leinster by the conduct of Donole Obrene Prince of Limerik and Donald Prince Osery set upon him and fought a cruell fight but he went on with the losse of one man As he came to the borders of Wexford certaine messengers met and informed him of the mischance that happened to Robert Fitz Stephens and the firing of the Towne of Wexford adding moreover that the Wexfordians were fully determined if the Earle came any further towards them they would cut off all the heads of Fitz Stephens and all his company and send them unto him whereupon with heavy cheere and sorrowfull heart he changed his mind turned to Waterford But afore I proceede any further I am to deliver the manner of the treachery and villany shewed unto Robert Fitz Stephens Donold of Limric sonne in Law to Dermot Mac Morogh while his father lived he was one that favoured the Brittains and not without cause but now forgetting humanity returneth to his vomit bends his course towards Wexford and while other states of Ireland by East and by North with might maine practised the rooting out of the Brittains he flies to the South and raiseth Wexford Kensile to lay siege to the Carreke the fort of Robert Fitz Stephens First they begin with force and seeing that failed them they fall to guiles and subtilities under color of peace pretending nothing but pure love tender affection and safeguard of his person and all that were with him they bring with them two Bishops the one of Kildare the other of Fernes in their formall moods with other Religious persons O damned Prelats and they had with them the Masse Booke the host with certaine Reliques upon these they take corporall oathes and sweare with great solemnity and protestations as followeth For the good will and affection wee beare unto you whom we have alwaies found a curteous and bountifull Prince we are to signifie unto you this much how that Dublin is taken the Earle Strangbow Maurice Fitz Girald Reimond le Grosse Miles Cogan with all the English are put to the sword and now Roderic the Monarch with all the power of Conoght and Leinster posteth hither to rase even with the ground all the Forts Holds and Castles which the Englishmen have and especially to apprehend you Robert Fitz Stephens and Willam Not that were the forerunners into this Land of all this mischiefe wherefore take this for truth and be well advised what to doe if they take you there is no mercy if you will put your selfe with your company and goods into our hands in the faith of Christianity we sweare we will safely transport you and yours unto Wales so shall you not lose so much as a haire of your head wherefore the great Army being at hand yeeld come forth and shippe your selfe for Wals. Robert Fitz Stephens who would not in this case give credit yeelded himselfe into their hands immediatly more like Iewes then Christians they strippe them out of all that ever they have they hang one they throw another over a rocke they breake anothers necke one hath his eyes puld out another hath his tongue cut some they scourge with thongs other some they take and with sledges breake their Armes and thighes the greatest kindnesse they shew is iron and imprisonment the which Robert Fitz Stephens endured now leaving these bloody Massacers and themselves I will turne to Waterford after Earle Strangbow When Earle Strangbow came to Waterford he found there Hervie de Monte Marisco newly arrived out of England with letters from the King requiring him forthwith to repaire unto his Majesty Strangbow together with Hervy tooke the first wind and went for England and found the King at Newham not farre from Glocester where he was in readinesse with a great Army to saile out into Ireland whereafter sundry altercations passed betweene them at length as they say by meanes of Hervy the Kings displeasure was appeased and it was agreed that the Earle should sweare alleageance to the King and yeeld and surender unto him the City of Dublin with the Cantreds thereunto adjoining as also such Townes and Forts as were bordering upon the Sea side and as for the residue he should have and reteine to him and his heires holding the same of the King and his heires Strangbow was no sooner knowne to be in England and Reimond at Waterford but Ororic Monoculus the one eyed Prince of Meath mustred a great number of Souldiers and laid siege to the City of Dublin Miles Cogan the Governour withall his company while the enemy was carelesse upon a sudden issued out and fell upon them unawares and made a great slaughter of them among whom both Ororic and his sonne were slaine In the British Chronicles copied by Owen Cretten out of the Abbies of Conwey in North-wales and Stratflur in South-wales I find recorded that when King Henry the 2. made preparation for the conquest of Ireland Richard Strangbow Earle of Strigale Marshall of England being reconciled to the King had all his Lands in England and Normandy restored unto him againe and thereupon the King made him Seneschall Steward saith he of Ireland Then came Rees prince of South-wales and offred the King to further his
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
Lievetenant with the allowance of twenty Gentlemen of his houshold and joyned with him in commission Iohn de Courcy with the allowance of tenne men to attend his person Robert Fitz Stephens and Miles Cogan who had nobly served him in his wars two yeers with the allowance of twenty men to attend their persons at which time saith Holinshed the Irish men paid the King a tribute of twelve pence yeerely for every house or else for every yoke of Oxen alias plow which they had of their owne Richard surnamed Strangbow had to his father Gilbert likewise surnamed Strangbow for his valour strength this Gilbert was E. of Ogye in Normandie Lord of Totenhā Alverdiston Wolaston in England so created by Henry 1. William the son of Osbert a Norman E. of Ogie in Normandie had issue Richard E. of Ogie this Richard had issue Walter Gilbert aforesaid father to Richard E. Strangbow William Fitz Osbert came into England in the ayde of William the Conquerour And as far as I can learn Walter was the first Earle of Penbroke the Britaines call it Penbraich More the head of an arme of the sea whence both the Countie and the most noble Earldome have their denominations Arnulph de monte Gomerik the yonger sonne of Roger de montegomerik that was by William the Conquerour created Earle of Arundell and Shrewsbury builded the Castle of Penbroke where Henry the seventh was borne William the Conquerour gave him Divet and Cardigan hee was Earle of Ogie and the second Earle of Penbroke and married the daughter by the mediation of Girald de Windsore Constable of his Castle of Morogh King of Leinster in Ireland Gilbert surnamed Strangbow was created by King Stephen the third Earle of Penbroke hee was Earle of Ogie in Normandie Lord of Totenham Alverdiston Wolaston and Cardigan and in England succeeded Arnulph Henry the first made him Earle of Strigule now called Chepstow and gave him Cardigan this Gilbert builded Castrogie alias Castrum Ogie in Gwent and the Castle of Stratmirike Richard surnamed Strangbow succeeded his father Gilbert his stile as I take it is thus Richard surnamed Strangbow Lord of Totenham Alverdiston Wolaston and Cardigan in England Earle of Penbroke Earle of Strigule alias Domonius de Chepstow in England Earle of Ogie in Normandie Earle of Leicester Earle Marshall of England Vicegerent of Normandie Lord Lievetenant of Ireland and Prince of Leinster in the right of Eva his wife sole heire of Dermot Mac Morogh King of Leinster This Richard had issue by his first wife a sonne a fine youth and a gallant stripling who following his father with some charge in battaile array as he passed by Idrone in Leinster to relieve Robert Fitz Stephens in Wexford upon the sight and cry of the Irish men when his father was in cruell fight gave backe with his company to the great discouragement of the host yet the Earle got the victory and commanded with the teares in his cheekes that his sonne should be cut in the middle with a sword for his cowardize in battaile he was buried in the Church of the blessed Trinitie in Dublin where now his father resteth by his side and caused the cause of his death for an Epitaph to be set over him Nate ingrate mihi pugnanti terga dedisti Non mihi sed genti regno quoque terga dedisti My sonne unkinde didst flye the field the father fighting hard Nor me nor English birth didst weigh nor kingdome didst regard How the sonne pleaded with his father for the place of service and how the father answered Stanihurst hath many circumstances hereof and delivered that his owne father in his fury and in the face of the enemy cut him off and marvaileth that Cambrensis would conceale it and in the end taketh it as a matter of truth both by the testimony of the Tombe in Christ Church as also by the industry of Sir Henry Sidney Knight a great favourer of Antiquities in preserving the same to the knowledge of the posterity Richard Earle Strangbow by his second wife Eva the daughter of Dermot Mac Morogh had issue one daughter Isabell whom Richard the first gave in marriage to William Maxfield Lord Maxfield Earle Marshall of England of whom God willing I shall have occasion to speake further when I come to his time The same yeere that Strangbow dyed viz. 1177. so Holinshed writeth Iohn de Courcy entred Vlster discomfited the Irish and wanne the Citie of Dune where the body of Saint Patricke Saint Colme and Saint Brigide the Virgin rests whom Courcy calleth tria jocalia Hiberniae the three jewels of Ireland At the winning of Dune Roderic King of Connaght and Monarch of Ireland at severall times before sworne to the King raised a mighty army against Courcy where Roderic was overthrowne and the Bishop of Dune taken prisoner among other rebels the which Bishop at the request of Cardinall Vinian then present was set at liberty This Cardinall saith mine Author intitled Sancti Stephani de monte Celio was sent from Alexander 3. and comming into England without licence was pardoned by Henry 2. and permitted to goe into Scotland and the north parts where his commission directed him when he had ended his businesse in Scotland he passed over into Man where he held his Christmas with Gotred King of Man and after the Epiphanie sailed from thence into Ireland and came thither saith Newbrigiensis the same time that the English men invaded the country and was entertained by Roderic and the Bishop of Dune and others with great reverence The Irish men aske councell of Vivian the Legate what in that case he thought best to be done whether they should fight or yeeld unto the English nation he gave counsell forgetting what Adrian 4. and Alexander 3. had formerly granted and said fight in defence of your country This Legate craftily preventing all mishaps took the Church of Dune for his sanctuary and had in readinesse the Popes commission and the King of Englands Passe unto the Captaines of Ireland for his safe conduct From thence he went to Dublin called the Prelates held a councell and filled his bagges with the sinnes of the people the English Captaines understanding of it gave him in charge either to depart the land or to goe to the warres and serve for pay with them and no longer to receive money for nought In the booke of Howth it is further alledged how that this Legate in his Synod at Dublin whether it were to curry favour with the English men and to colour his other pranckes it forceth not greatly shewed and published openly the King of Englands right to Ireland with the Popes grant and confirmation and accursed all those that gainesaid the same Now to the true history of Sir Iohn de Courcy as worthy a Knight for martiall prowesse as ever trode upon Irish ground whom Cambrensis lightly overskipped partly upon private grudge for that Sir Iohn de Courcy allowed him
take possession of the Kings graunt given him in those parts As they came to the walles of Lymerick the Citizens of spight in sight of them all to the end that no Englishman should roost there set the Town on fire Philippe de Bruse was therewithal discouraged and his Company in so much that when Robert Fitz Stephens and Miles Cogan offred to adventure their lives in the recovery of the Kingdome of Lymerik with all their aide and assistance he refused it and returned with them to Corke esteeming it farre better to lose Lymric and with safetie to dwell among his lovers and friends then to lose life and kingdome by dwelling among such Iewes as will fire their owne houses and cut all English throats In a while after Miles Cogan and Raffe the sonne of Robert Fitz Stephens who had lately married Miles daughter went towards Lismore to parlee with Waterford men and determined that night to lodge with one Mac Tyrid who had solemnly invited them As they waited in the field expecting the comming of the Waterfordians this Mac Tyrid unawares stealing upon them most traiterously slue them and five of their company whereupon the whole country was in uproare insomuch that Dermot Mac Carty and all the Irish in those parts together with Mac Tyrid that most perfidious traitor were in armes determining thenceforth to be no longer the Kings loyall subjects when they had gathered their forces together they laid siege to Corke meaning to cut off Robert Fitz Stephens and all the English men there Robert Fitz Stephens being distressed in Corke fearing the open enemy without and mistrusting the secret enemy within sent post to Wexford to his nephew Reimond le Grosse praying him to come to his aide Reimund forthwith with twenty knights and one hundred foot and bowmen entred the Lee landed at Corke encountred with the enemies killed some drove other to flye and compelled the rest to submit themselves and sue for peace When the King understood of this he sent Richard Cogan brother unto Miles to supply his brothers roome in the kingdome of Corke a man no way inferiour to his brother for valour and martiall prowesse in his companie came Philip Barry and Girald Barry his brother otherwise called Silvester Giraldus Cambrensis the famous learned man nephewes of Robert Fitz Stephens with a jolly troupe of horse and foot chosen and picked men Robert Fitz Stephens and Richard Cogan enjoyed this kingdome of Corke peaceably for certaine yeeres and in processe of time for want of heires male of them it came to two daughters the one of them was married to Robert de Carew the other to Patricke de Courcy and they in right of their wives enjoyed the same during their lives and after them their heires untill such time as by a division growne as I take it in England betweene the two houses of Yorke and Lancaster the Irish men expelled them and recovered the country unto themselues Anno 1178. The Monasterie Beatae Mariae Roseae vallis called Rosglâ—s was founded Yet others thinke it was in Anno 1189. I may not forget Harvey de monte Marisco of whom often mention is made before who after many spitefull parts treacheries and false accusations exhibited by him unto the King against most noble servitors became a Monke the man was sore troubled in conscience and in his course he made the common saying true desperatio facit Monachum Hee had founded saith Felcon the Monastery of our blessed Lady de Portu Donbrodthi he gaue unto the Monasterie Saint Trinitatis of Canterbury his territories advousons along the sea coast between Waterford and Wexford and there cloystred himselfe I would saith Cambrensis he had changed his conditions with his habit The same yeere saith Holinshed there came from Pope Alexander 3. into England two Cardinals Alberto desuma and Petro de sancta Agatha whose commission was to summon the Bishops of England Ireland Scotland with the Isles and Normandie to the generall Councell of Lateran in Rome after they had obtained licence to passe through his dominions the King swore them upon the holy Evangelist that in their Legateship they should not attempt any thing that might be hurtfull to the King or his dominions and that upon their returne they should visite him homewards whereupon out of Ireland there went thither Laurence Archbishop of Dublin and Catholicus Archbishop of Tuam with some other five or sixe Irish Bishops whom the King likewise swore that they should not procure any damage to his Realmes and dominions The Realme of Ireland at this time was singular well governed by Hugh de Lacy a good man and a wise Magistrate who for the good of the land and the people established many good orders he made Bridges and builded Townes Castles and Forts throughout Leinster as Sir Iohn de Courcy did in Vlster in his time the Priest kept his Church the Souldier his Garrison and the Plow-man followed his Plough yet cankred envy quieted not her selfe practised mischiefe against him so that he was charged before the King to attempt the Crowne of Ireland and make himselfe absolute Lord of the land and that he had married the King of Connaghts daughter saith Holinshed contrary to the Kings pleasure The King immediately as Princes are jealous of great men called him into England appointed governours Iohn Constable and Richard Peche This Lacy behaved himselfe so discreetly and dutifully in England that he cleered himselfe of all suspition that the King was resolved of his truth and fidelity and sent him backe againe into Ireland with further credit then formerly he had done and that within three moneths and gave him the absolute command and Lievetenantship of the land and joyned as assistant unto him Robert Salisbury calling home the former governours It was not long but he was upon malitious occasion the second time sent for into England and one Philip of Worcester Cambrensis is mine Author a valiant souldier a bountifull and a liberall man with a most brave troupe of horse and foot arrived in Ireland with command to send over Hugh de Lacy and he to remaine there as Governour of the land until Iohn his sonne came over Stanihurst is of opinion that he went over into England and cleering himselfe speedily returned againe which cannot well stand with the course of the history for when Philip of Worcester tooke upon him the governement Lacy hastened the building and finishing of the Castle of Derwath whereof my penne immediately shall make report and there ended his dayes And now to Philip of Worcester and his companion Hugh Tirell Cambrensis and Stanihurst especially write most bitter of them of Philip how that first of all he resumed and seized unto the Kings use the lands of Ocathesie and divers other parcels which Hugh de Lacy had sold away and these he appointed to serve for the Kings provision and the Governours diet And after the winter was past he assembled and mustred
Bruse Hugh Brune and others imprisoned him in Falaise in Normandy from thence he was brought to Roane and there clapt in the Tower under the custody of Robert de Veipont where shortly after he finished his life whether by leaping into the ditch thinking to make his escape or by meane of some privy hand which murther it is not as yet agreed upon Vtinam saith Mat. Paris non ut fama refert invida by occasion whereof K. Iohn was ever after had in great suspition whether justly or unjustly the Lord knoweth King Iohn fearing the secret practises of his adversaries and doubting the revolt of his Barons sent for his further security unto those whom he most suspected for hostages and pledges of their Ioialty and among others unto William de Bruse a Normand borne but Lord of Brechnok saith Guttin Owen and a great commander in South-wales The wife like a quicke Dame taking the answer out of her husbands mouth gave this round speech that shee would not give any of her sonnes to King Iohn who already had slaine and murthered his owne nephew Arthur These words being lavishly delivered unto the King set him in such a heat of displeasure against her husband though hee had rebuked her sharply for the same that the L. Bruse with his wife and children fled the Realme and got them unto Ireland for safeguard of their lives and when King Iohn came unto Ireland they fled to the I le of Man where they were apprehended and sent to the Castle of Windsore in England and there as the common fame went famished to death But William de Bruse himselfe escaped the hands of the King in Ireland and fled into France died at Corbell and was buried in Paris The next that comes upon the stage is Sir Iohn de Courcy Earle of Vlster Lord of Conaght that had lastly beene L. Liev. of Ireland who governing the land with great circumspection together with Sir Hugh de Lacy the younger who maligned him secretly and envied his prosperity in so much that hee accused him to King Iohn saying that he laid to the Kings charge the murthering of his nephew Arthure whereupon King Iohn sent for him into England and gave commission unto Sir Hugh de Lacy and his brother Walter Delacy to attach his person Sir Iohn de Courcy having secret intelligence of their drift kept himselfe a loofe Sir Hugh Delacy finding that levied an army and invaded Vlster the Country rose against him and drove him to flie Then Lacy praclaimed him traitor and marched towards him with all the forces he could make Courcy in like sort prepared for his comming At Dune they met and fought a cruell battaile where the field was all blood and many slaine on both sides but in the end the victory fell to Courcy and Lacy went back with shame enough Then Lacy practised how he might betray him It is said among the Irish that Courcy offred the combat and that Lacy refused it aleadging that it was not for him that represented the Kings person to hazard his life with an inferior being a subject and a traytor Lacy makes proclamation promising a large reward to him that should bring him in Courcy either alive or dead but it would not be then privily he dealt with some of his servants that if they would undertake the apprehension of him they should have great rewards it was concluded and this advice the betraiers gave Sir Iohn de Courcy is a mighty man in armes and of such strength that no one man dares be so hardy as lay hand upon him and againe hee is alwaies both in publick and privat well provided Yet we can direct you a course to bring your purpose to effect upon good Friday yeerly he weares no armes but is wholly given to divine contemplation and commonly walketh all solitary round about the Church-yard of Dune if you provide a troope of horsemen in a readinesse and send your espiall before there you shall have him apprehend him and worke your will and hither they came and laid hands upon him Courcy now unarmed and altogether distressed ranne to a wooden crosse that stood in the Church yard tooke the pole therof and laid about him lustily Courcy at that time had but a few attending on him and they armelesse of which number were two young Gentlemen the sonnes of Sir Amorick Saint Laurence which were slaine to bee short the Author of the Booke of Houth reporteth that Courcy in that Skirmish slew 13. of Lacy his men that died not upon the Crosse but under the Crosse but in the end he was carried away conveied beyond the seas clapt in the Towre of London and condemned to perpetuall imprisonment Whereupon Lacy for that service had the Earledome of Vlster given him and the Iudases that betrayed their Master had their hire Then they craved of Sir Hugh de Lacy a pasport into England with the relation of the good service they had done in Ireland which was granted upon condition that upon the paine of death they should never returne into Ireland againe neither to open the same afore it were demanded of them It was as followeth I Hugh de Lacy Lord Iustice of Ireland servant to my dread Soveraigne Lord King Iohn To all them that shall read these few lines greeting know you that thâ—se men whose names are under written served sometimes Sir Iohn de Courcy late Earle of Vlster but now in durance in the Towre of London and for a summe of money betraied their owne Master into my hand I deeme them no better then Iudas the traitor how hardly soever I have conceived of Courcy I hold them a thousand times more damnable traitors Wherefore let no subject within any of the Kings dominions give them any entertainment but spit in their faces and suffer them to rogue about and wander as Iewes He provided them a barke with saile and victuall but gave them no Pilots nor sea-faring men for want of skill they could not take the seas but were tossed with winde and weather along the Coast at length the Tyde brought them into the river of Corke they were no sooner landed but they were apprehended examined and brought to Sir Hugh de Lacy and forthwith all foure hanged cheeke by jole Not long after there fell some difference betweene Iohn King of England and Philip King of France for the right of some Fort in Normandie who to avoyde the shedding of Christian bloud agreed of each side to put it to a combat of King Philips part there was a French man in readinesse King Iohn upon the sudden wist not what to doe for a Champion to encounter with him at length one attending upon his person enformed him that there was one Courcy in the Towre of London the onely man in his dominions if hee would undertake it to answer the challenge King Iohn ioyfull of this sent the first yea second and third time promising large rewards and rich gifts
I thinke some Princes Bastard no Butchers sonne exceeding wise faire spoken high minded full of revenge vicious of his body lofty to his enemies were they never so bigge to those that accepted and sought his friendship wonderfull courteous a ripe Schooleman thrall to affections brought a bed with flattery insatiable to get more princelike in bestowing as appeareth by his two Colledges at Ipswich and at Oxenford th' one suppressed with his fall th' other unfinished and yet as it lieth an house of Students considering all appurtenances incomparable through Christendome whereof Henry the eight is now called Founder because hee let it stand He held and enjoyed at once the Bishopricks of Yorke Durham and Winchester the dignities of Lord Cardinall Legate and Chancellour The Abbey of S. Albans diverse Prioryes sundry fat Benefices in Commendam A great preferrer of his servants advauncer of learning stoute in every quarrell never happy till his overthrow Therein he shewed such moderation and ended so patiently that the houre of his death did him more honour then all the pompe of life passed The Cardinall perceived that Kildare was no Babe and rose in a fume from the Councell table committed the Earle deferred the matter till more direct probations came out of Ireland After many meetinges and objections wittily refelled they pressed him sore with a trayterous errant sent by his daughter the Lady of Slane to all his brethren to Oneale Oconnor and their adherents wherein he exhorted them to warre upon the Earle of Ossory then Deputy which they accomplished making a wretched conspiracy against the English of Ireland and many a bloody skirmish Of this Treason he was found guilty and reprived in the Towre a long time the Gentleman betooke himselfe to God and the King was heartily loved of the Lieutenant pittied in all the Court and standing in so hard a case altered lâ—â—tle his accustomed hue comforted other Noblemen prisoners with him dissembling his owne sorrow One night when the Lieutenant and he for disport were playing at slide-groat suddainely commeth from the Cardinall a mandat to execute Kildare on the morrow The Earle marking the Lieutenants deepe sigh in reading the bill By Saint Bride quoth he there is some mad game in that scrolle but fall how it will this throw is for a huddle when the worst was told him now I pray thee quoth he doe no more but learne assuredly from the Kings owne mouth whether his Grace be witting thereto or not Sore doubted the Lieutenant to displease the Cardinall yet of very pure devotion to his friend he posteth to the King at midnight and said his errant for all houres of the day or night the Lieutenant hath accesse to the Prince upon occasions King Henry controwling the sawcynesse of the Priest those were his tearmes gave him his Signet in token of countermand which when the Cardinall had seene he begun to breake into unseasonable words with the Lieutenant which he was loath to heare and so he left him fretting Thus broke up the storme for a time and the next yeare VVolsey was cast out of favour within few yeares Sir VVilliam Skevington sent over Deputy who brought vvith him the Earle pardoned and rid from all his troubles Who vvould not thinke but these lessons should have schooled so vvise a man and vvarned him rather by experience of adversities past to cure old sores then for joy of this present fortune to minde seditious drifts to come The second yeare of Skevingtons governement there chaunced an uproare among the Merchants and their Apprentices in Divelin which hard and scant the Deputy and Major both could appease Then was also great stirre about the Kings divorce who hearing the frowardnes of Ireland under Skevington and thinking it expedient in so fickle a world to have a sure poste there made Kildare his Deputy the Primate of Ardmagh Lord Chancellor and Sir Iames Butler Lord Treasurer But Kildare reviving the old quarrels fell to prosecute the Earle of Ossory excited Oneale to invade his country his Broâ—her Iohn Fitz Gerald to spoyle the country of Vriell and Kilkenny being himselfe at the doing of part namely in robbing the towne and killing the Kings subjects The next yeare going against O-Carrol he was pittifull hurt with a Gun in the thigh so that he never after enjoyed his limmes nor delivered his wordes in good plight otherwise like enough to have beene longer forborne in consideration of his many noble qualities great good service and the state of those times Straight wayes complaints were addressed to the King of these enormities that in the most haynous manner could be devised whereupon he was againe commaunded by sharpe letters to repaire into EnglaÌ„d to leave such a substitute for whose govermeÌ„t he would undertake at his perill to answere He left his heire the Lord Thomas Fitz Gerald and ere he went furnished his owne pyles forts and castles with the Kings artillery munition taken forth of Divelin Being examined before the Councell he staggered in his answere either for conscience of the fact or for the infirmity of his late maâ—me Wherefore a false muttering flew abroad that his execution was intended That rumour helped forward Skevingtons friends and servants who sticked not to write into Ireland secret letters that the Earle their Masters enemy so they tooke him because he got the governement over his head was cut shorter and now they trusted to see their Master againe in his Lordship whereafter they sore longed as crowes doe for carryon Such a letter came to the hands of a simple Priest no perfect English man who for haste hurled it among other papers in the Chimneyes end of his chamber meaning to peruse it better at more leisure The same very night a Gentleman retaining to Lord Thomas then Lord Deputy under his father tooke up his lodging with the Priest and raught in the morning for some paper to drawe on his straite hosen and as the devill would he hit upon the letter bare it away in the heele of his his hose no earthly thing misdeeming at night againe he found the paper unfretted and musing thereof began to pore on the writing which notified the Earles death To horsbacke got he in all haste and spreading about the country these unthrifty tydings Lord Thomas the Deputy rash and youthfull immediately confedered himselfe with Oneale and O-Connor with his Vnkles and Fathers friends namely Iohn Oliver Edward Fitz Gerald Iames and Iohn Delahide VVelch parson of Loughseudy Burnel of Balgriffen Rorcks a pirat of the seas Bath of Dullardston Feild of Buske with others and their adherents guarded he rideth on S. Barnabyes day to S. Mary Abbey where the Councell sate and when they looked he should take his place and rose to give it him hee charged them to sit still and stood before them and then spake Howsoever injuriously we be handled and forced to defend our selves in armes when
of his matches are not remembred nor read With the nevves of Maryes death hee crossed the seas againe into England leaving Sir Henry Sidney Lord Iustice and yet againe the next yeare leaving Sir VVilliam Fitzwilliams Lord Iustice then returned he Lord Lieutenant of Ireland by Proclamation reformed and abated their base Coyne being as yet perfect in all the proportions measures allayes and values thereof as by mintanor tooke vvith him souldiours out of Divelin victualled for sixe vveekes at that citties charge under the leading of Petaboghe Sheriffe and joyning him to his povver vvent upon Shane Oneale the Irish enemy of greatest force then living Thereupon Shane hyed him into England the Lieutenant after him Fitz VVilliams Lord Iustice till Sussex sped his businesse and came backe the next and last time of his departure Sir Nicholas Arnold directed thither vvith Commission tarryed behinde him Lord Iustice and too short a vvhile as the country speaketh vvho testifieth his upright and reasonable provision of household cates the abuses whereof with sesse and souldiours doe so impoverish and alienate the needie Farmors from us that they say they might as easily beare the Irish oppressions of Conies Cuddies from which we pretend to deliver them Arnold for his better successe in government linked himselfe entirely with Gerald Earle of Kildare who likewise endeavoured to support the same with all diligence being authorized to straine the rebells at his discretion wherefore hee disposed himselfe to serve and presented the Governour many times with a number of principall Out-lawes heades In the meane while Sussex became Lord President of the North of England a spare man of body but sound healthfull brought up with Stephen Gardiner passing valiant a deep reacher very zealous in friendship quicke in resolution of extremities in the field wonderfull patient able to tyre ten souldiours learned and languaged ever doing with his penne of utterance sharpe and sententious wary busie painefull and speedie meeter to rule then to be over-ruled Sir Henry Sidney Knight of the Garter Lord President of Wales and Lord Deputie of Ireland Hee found the Realme distempered vvith Oneales rebellion and the same did extinguish vvhereof before I speake I must looke backe a little into certaine yeares past and lay together the circumstance of this lamentable tumult Of all the Irish Princes though none vvas then comparable to Oneale for antiquity and noblenesse of bloud yet had the same endured sundry varieties and vexations untill the divion began in England of the tvvo royall families Yorke and Lancaster at vvhich time the English Lords of Ireland either for zeale or for kinred and affection transporting their force thither to vphold a side the meere Irish vvaxed insolent and chiefly Oneale incroched upon the full possession of Vlster abiding so uncontrolled till Shane Oneale fearing the puissance of Henry 8. exhibited to him a voluntary submissiō surrendred all titles of honour received at his hands the Earledome of Ter-owen commonly called Tirone to be held of the King of English forme and tenure Armes he gave the bloody hand a terrible cognizance This Oneale had two sonnes Matthew a bastard and Shane legitimate but because Matthew was a lusty horseman welbeloved and a tryed Souldiour Shane but a Boy and not of much hope the father obtained the Barony of Donganon and the remainder of his Earledome to Matthew When Shane and his foster brethren grew to yeares they considered of the injury and tyranny done by policie of the base Oneale with rearing hue and cry at the side of a Castle where he lay that night when the Gentleman ran suddainely forth to answere the cry as the custome is they betrayed and murdered him The father not utterly discontent with his dispatch when he saw the proofe of his lawfull sonne and heire thenceforward fancied Shane Oneale put him in trust with all himselfe being but a Cripple notwithstanding that Matthew left issue male which liveth to whom the inheritance appertained yet after his fathers decease Shane was reputed for the rightfull Oneale tooke it kept it challenged superiority over the Irish Lords of Vlster warred also upon the English part subdued Oreyly imprisoned Odonil his wife and his sonne enriched himselfe with all Odonils forts castles and plate by way of ransome detained pledges of obedience the wife whom he carnally abused and the Childe fortified a strong Iland in Tyrone which he named spitefully Foogh-ni-Gall that is the hate of English men whom he so detested that he hanged a Souldiour for eating English bisket another by the feete mistrusted for a spy another Captaine of the Galloglaghes he slew with torture After this usurpation and tyranny hee was yet perswaded by Melchior Husse sent unto him from Gerald Earle of Kildare to reconcile himselfe to good order and to remember the honourable estate wherein King Henry placed his father which monition he accepted besought his protection and made a voyage into England where the Courtiers noteing his haughtines and barbarity devised his stile thus Oneale the great Cousin to S. Patricke friend to the Queene of England enemy to all the world besides Thence he sped home againe gratiously dealt with used Civility expelled the Scots out of all Vlster where they intended a conquest wounded and tooke prisoner Captaine Iames Mac Conill their Chieftaine whereof the said Iames deceased ordered the North so properly that if any subject could approve the losse of money or goods within his precinct he would assuredly either force the robber to restitution or of his owne cost redeeme the harme to the loosers contentation Sitting at meate before he put one morsell into his mouth he used to slice a portion above the dayly almes and send it namely to some begger at his gate saying it was meete to serve Christ first But the Lords of Vlster and elsewhere whom he yoked and spoiled at pleasure abhorring his pride and extortion craved assistance of the Deputy for redresse thereof Oneale advertised increaseth his rage disturbeth and driveth out Mac Gwire the plantiffe burneth the Metropolitane Church of Ardmagh because no English army might lodge therein for which sacriledge the Primate accursed him besiegeth Dundalke practiseth to call strangers into the land for ayde as appeareth by those letters which Sir Henry Sidney Lord Deputy intercepted occupieth all the North of Ireland being 100. myles broad 120. long Then addressed he plausible letters to the Potentates of Mounster exhorting them to rebell that the force of England at once might bee dismembred This message the Deputy prevented stayed the country abridged him of that hope and then proclaimed him Traytor An Irish Iester standing by and hearing Oneale denounced with addition of a new name traytor Except quoth he traytor be a more honourable title then Oneale he shall never take it upon him by my consent While the Deputy was absent in England the towne of Droghedagh was in hazard to be taken by the Rebels which
by Buchanan Scoti Albanenses and Scoti Hibernenses the first he challengeth for Scotland the second he referreth to Ireland and therefore I accept of him as granted He was a Kings sonne of Ireland excellently studied in Philosophie earnestly addicted to the ecclesiasticall course of life and to the end he might plant religion and spreade abroad christianitie enterprised a voyage farre from his native soile This holy man first of all taught here and there throughout France he came to Poitiers and became father of the Monkes of Saint Hilarie and with the aide of King Clodovarus erected a stately Monasterie the like he did at Mosella in Flanders upon the top of the mount Vosagius at Argentine Curia Rhetiorum and elsewhere throughout Burgundie Lastly he came to Angia Seckingensis upon the Rhene to the end he might there also build a Cell after many godly Sermons and learned Interpretations he is said to have written a Booke of exhortations unto the sacred Virgins He flourished in the yeere 495. and resteth in the Monasterie of Seckinge before spoken of Ireland remembreth the feast of Saint Fekin that hee was of the Kings bloud and an Abbot cured many of the flixe or fluxe and dyed thereof himselfe Many things are written of Saint Modwen whom the Britaines call Mawdwen the daughter of Naughtheus the Irish King who heard Saint Patricke preach and of her companions Orbila Luge Edith Athea Lazara Sith whom the Irish call Osith Osmanna and of Brigid spoken of before whereof some began with Patricke and ended with him some began with him and lived many yeeres after as Capgrave writeth in the life of Modwen to the time of the Bishop Collumkill otherwise called Colme and Columba and the Eremite Abbot or Bishop Kevin Saint Modwen was a Nunne lived 130. yeeres The Irish Scots and English in which countries she had travailed strove for her corps at length Columkill the Bishop gave sentence for England where shee resteth at Andreisey Bale writeth how that one Galfride Abbot of Burton upon Trent in the time of King Iohn wrote the life and memorable acts of this Irish Virgin Modwen unto the posterity with great applause Capgrave writeth the life of Saint Sith otherwise called Osith that was brought up under Modwen that she was a Kings daughter and borne in England Leppeloo the Carthusian and other forraigne Writers say little of her saving that the Danes being Heathens cut off her head and that shee tooke her head in her armes carried it uprightly three furlongs off knockt at the Church doore being lockt with her bloudy hands and there fell downe The Martyrologe of Sarum confoundeth Dorothy and Saint Sith thus the 15. of Ianuarie the feast of Saint Dorothie otherwise called Saint Sith is kept in Ireland who refused marriage fled into a Monasterie where the devill appeared unto her and there mine Author left her Of Osmanna the Virgin I finde little saving what Capgrave reporteth that she was of the bloud royall in Ireland and having infidels to her parents fled into France dwelled upon the banke of Loire the river of Lions and there in peace ended her dayes I read that about this time one Tathe the sonne of an Irish King forsooke his fathers possessions went to the Diocesse of Landaffe in Wales and became a Monke builded a Monasterie and there left his bones Gualterus Calenius Archdeacon of Oxford Caxton and others doe write that Aurelius Ambrosius after his valiant exploits and noble victories went to a Monasterie neere Cair-caredoch now called Salisburie where through the treason of Hengist which the Britaines call Toill y Killill Hirion the treason of the long knives the Nobles and Princes of Britaine were slaine and buried called his Councell and demanded what monument were meete to be made there in remembrance of so many Nobles of the land there resting in the dust of the earth Carpenters Masons Carvers Ingravers and Tombe-makers being out of all places sent for came thither delivered their opinions but concluded nothing Then stepped forth a Bishop which said O King if it may stand with your pleasure there is one Merlin of Worcester a Prophet a searcher of Antiquities a man of rare gifts I wish his opinion in the matter Merlin came and being advised said as followeth Most Noble King upon occasion offered I went lately into Ireland and having ended my businesse I was inquisitive of antiquities and sight of monuments where among other things being brought to a mountaine of Kildare I saw so rare a sight in so rude a country as might bee seene there was a round row of huge stones the which none of this age had so framed neither could be unlesse Art had mastered the common skill of man send for them and set them vp as they are there couched and they will bee a monument whilst the world standeth Hereat the King smiled and said how shall we convey so great stones into Britaine from so farre a countrey and to what end as though Britaine yeelded not as good stones to all purposes Merlin replied be not displeased O King there is a hid mystery in those stones they are medicinable and as I was given to understand in Ireland the Gyants of old dwelling in that land procured them from the farthest part of Affricke and pitched them there in them they bathed themselves and were rid of their infirmities The Britaines hearing this were perswaded to send for them the King appointed his brother Vter-Pendragon with Merlin and fifteene thousand men to effect the businesse In a short time they arrived in Ireland Gillomer King of Leinster raised an Armie to resist them and reviled the Britaines saying what fooles and asses are you are the Irish better then the British stones and turning himselfe to his Armie said come on quit your selves like men keepe your monuments and defend your country Vter-Pendragon seeing this animated his company they met and manfully encountred in the end Gillomer fled and the Irish were discomfited Vter-Pendragon marched on they came by Merlins direction to the place and beholding the hugenesse of the stones they wondred yet they joyed that they had found them To worke they went some with Ropes some with Wythes some with Ladders and carried them away brought them to Britaine and pitched them in the Plaine of Salisburie which place is now called Stonehenge Beside this there are divers monuments of Gyants in Ireland as at Dundalke Louth Ardee and on the hilles not farre from the Naas the like Saxo Grammaticus reporteth of the Danes a nation famous for Gyants and mighty men and this saith he the great and huge stones laid of old upon Caves and Tombes of the dead doe declare About this time Passent the sonne of Vortiger that fled into Germany for aide arrived in the North parts Aurelius Ambrosius met him and put him to flight Passent came into Ireland delivered his griefe unto Gillomer King
Queene you my Lord discover it not I. Gormo dyed for sorrow and Thira lamented in one day the departure of her Lord and husband the King the death of her sonne and her owne dolefull widdowhood Anno 939. so writeth Caradoc Abloic a most worthy Prince and Monarch of Ireland deceased Anno 940. after the death of Athelstane his brother Edmund raigned over Britaine He subdued the Danes that remained in Northumberland together with others that came out of Ireland to invade the land with Anlaffe their Captaine saith Fabian he slue some and banished the rest so writeth Cooper Anno 948. the Abbey of the blessed Virgin Mary by Dublin was founded by the Danes Molanus writeth of one Columbanus an Abbot of Irish birth that became a recluse or an anachorist Anno 957. in the Church yard of the Monasterie of Gandavum where he kept the space of two yeeres and there ended his dayes This yeere saith Caradoc Congelach King of Ireland was slaine but he sheweth not where nor how Anno 959. Edgar the sonne of Edmund beganne his raigne over England he reduced all into one Monarchie Camden found in a Charter where Edgar delivered of himselfe that it pleased God of his mercy to grant unto him together with the command of England to subdue all the Ilandish kingdomes of the Ocean together with their fierce and mighty Kings as farre as Norwey and the greatest part of Ireland with Dublin the most noble Citie thereof unto the kingdome of England Anno 966. Rodericke the sonne of Edwall Voell Prince of Wales was slaine by Irish men that landed there for a prey spoyled the country and destroyed Aberfraw Caradoc so complaineth of them Molanus writeth of one Forananus a Bishop which flourished Anno 980. he termeth him Bishop of Domenormor and Metropolitane of Ireland and Scotland where he mightily erred in the name of the place of the person and his stile For hee was Bishop of Dromore in Ireland and no Metropolitane at all but to his purpose hee findeth him among his Saints of Flanders and saith that he was warned in a vision to travaile so that he with a company of Irish Priests arrived in France and came to Rome in the time of Benedict 7. from thence he came backe to the Monasterie of Walciodorum where hee and his Priests became professed Monkes of the order of Saint Benedict for the space of twelve yeeres and there ended their dayes The Monkes there saith he were wont among other Saints at Easter yeerely to call upon him Sancte Foranane ora pro nobis untill that the reformers of Bursfeld wiped him out of the Catalogue of Saints for that he was not canonized by the Church of Rome Anno 988. as I finde in the British Chronicle Elwmaen the sonne of Abloic King of Ireland was slaine and a great number of people dyed with famine that is alwaies the end of civill warres and rebellion in Ireland Anno 1004. the Scots I know not the cause entred Ireland and after their manner as also the Danes did then in England preyed burned and destroyed they tooke Gulfath and Vbiad Irish Lords and put out their eyes they ransacked also the Citie of Dublin Anno 1012. Grace and Dowlinge the Irish Antiquaries doe concurre the English Writers are silent and deliver how that Bernaidus commonly called Brian Bowrow Monarch of Ireland and his sonne Murcath alias Murchardus Mac Brian with other Kings of the land subiect unto him gathered great power and met at Clantarfe nigh Dublin and gave a sore battaile unto Sutraic alias Sutric the sonne of Abloic King of Dublin and unto Moilmordha King of Leinster This Sutric to withstand the Monarch had hired to his aide all manner of strangers he could get by sea or by land as Danes Norwegians Scots Britaines Pirates and sea rovers The fight was desperate the field all bloud a horse they say was sometime to his belly in bloud There were slaine that day of the one side Brian the Monarch and his sonne Murchard of the other side Moilmordha King of Leinster Rodericke the Arch-Pirate and Captaine of the strangers with others of both sides innumerable Sutrick was sore wounded was brought to Dublin and shortly after died of his wound I pray thee gentle Reader who got by the bargaine As farre as ever I could learne a woman set them together by the eares The Booke of Houth after the Irish observation delivereth the story thus There was a Merchant in Dublin commonly called the white Merchant a Dane the fourth sonne of the King of Denmarke who had a faire wife of Irish birth and he being full of iealousie and ready to travaile for merchandize into farre countries desired of Brian Borow Monarch of Ireland that his wife untill his returne might waite upon his Lady soiourne in his house for the safeguard of her person credit and honestie the which was granted and the King undertooke it This Merchant made as speedy a returne as he could and being landed early in a morning with a privy key entred the chamber where his wife lay and found Morogh Mac Brian the Kings sonne in bed with his wife hee wheeled about devising what was best to be done at length resolving himselfe to depart for that time tooke Moroghs sword and put it into his owne scabbard and his into Moroghs scabbard Hee went to the King and complained of the abuse here spoken of the King answered He is my sonne give thou iudgement upon him saith the Merchant let him keepe the whore still I will be revenged upon him and his partakers in the field as soone as possibly may be and I doubt not but all Ireland shall rue the day of this villanie Immediately he went to Denmarke brought over to his aide thirty thousand Danes and Norwegians landed at Clantarfe whereof the field was called the field of Clantarfe hee summoned Morogh and his favourites to fight and thought at the first to have taken Dublin Brian Borow fearing this made more haste then good speed tarried not for the forces of the land that were comming with his sonne Donogh to his aide but rashly with his sonne Morogh the Author of all this mischiefe gave them battaile The which battaile all the forenoone being cruelly fought seemed all to leane on the Irish side but in the afternoone the Danes that were in the rere and yet fresh for any fight they had were directed to wheele about and to take the voward unknowne unto the Irish which fiercely fought and encountred with the wearie and wounded Irish and wonne the field Here was Brian Borow and his sonne Morogh and eleven thousand of the Irish slaine One thing further gentle reader note there was a Priests sonne accounted a tall man of armes who in the beginning of the battaile fled away fearing the hardinesse of the Danes and Norwegians and went to Donogh Mac Brian the brother of Morogh who was comming with forces to
Cadogan after hee had done great mischiefe and spoile upon the English Normans Flemings and Welsh men fled into Ireland to King Morogh who joyfully received him for he had beene there before returned to Wales and fled thither the second time and in like sort the third time Anno 1113. or thereabout Griffith the sonne of Rees ap Twyder Prince of South-Wales who for feare of the King had beene of a childe brought up in Ireland came to Gerald Steward of Pembroke his brother in law and others of his friends to recover his country whom the King by secret policies and practises pursued so that hee was forced to flee againe In the time of King Henry the first I finde that there was great stirre betweene Murchard or Morogh King of Leynster and the Citizens of Dublin for it seemeth that hee used grievous exactions and tyrannies over them so that the Dublinians in revenge of him sent for Godred King of Man and the Ilands so writeth Camden and made him their King Morogh mustereth his country gathereth forces procureth aide marcheth against his enemies pitcheth his campe at the towne of Coridelis sent his brother by the mother side Osibell with three thousand horse well appointed to Dublin where hee was slaine by Godred and by the men of Dublin and the rest discomfited and put to flight Godred found himselfe well satisfied with spoiles and returned to Man they of Dublin likewise thought themselves in some sort reasonably well revenged of their King quitted themselves for a while and by mediation and intercession after many Presents and Gifts were reconciled There was great banquetting and feasting and ioy outward of all sides but inward lay venome and treason like sparkles of fire covered with ashes which broke forth not long after as I am readie to deliver Stanihurst Grace and Dowlinge doe write that the Councell of the Citie determining to establish and decree many good lawes and orders for the publike weale of the towne and commons of the same appointed a solemne day of meeting sent for Morogh their King humbly craving with all loyall circumstances his presence counsaile and assistance among them at the day appointed the which hee granted when the day came and that they had debated many matters the King as he sate merrily in his chaire sporting himselfe and reporting some pleasant historie one suddenly stept unto him and tooke away his weapon the rest came upon him and stabbed him to the death they were not content with this but they cast him into a base grave and in further contempt and dispute of his person they threw a dogge upon him and earth upon them both the which Dermotte his sonne revenged afterwards as shall appeare in processe of the historie About the yeere 1134. after Functius his computation one Harold borne in Ireland so writeth Saxo gathered forces and became the terrour of Norway affirming withall that he was the sonne of Magnus the Dane that invaded Ireland and for truth thereof he would declare it by fire When the time and place was appointed with his bare feet he trode upon a fierie plate and felt no hurt the Norwegians admired and would make him their King which was the roote of many mischiefes in Norway He was a man faire spoken strong hardy and swift of foot and it seemeth after the manner of Ireland that he went much bare so that the soles of his feet were as hard as horne and could not easily take harme by fire by which meanes he deceived the Norwegians Nicholaus King of Denmarke corrupted Magnus of Norway by secret meanes to cut him off Magnus practised with Ericus a Danish Captaine to dispatch him immediately after his Coronation To bee short Ericus came with great forces to Scypetors a Village where Herald was in the night time laid siege to his Pallace and by the breake of day pulled him and his sonnes forth by the head and shoulders and put them to death In the time of Henry 1. King of England flourished Celsus Bishop of Armagh and ended his dayes with the entrance of King Stephen to the Crowne He descended of Noble Parentage in Ireland whom Saint Bernard with others for divers rare and singular gifts highly commendeth he had beene brought up in the Vniversitie of Oxenford where in the liberall sciences and profound literature he excelled others of his time when he perceived by the infirmities of his body that age hastened to an end and that his naturall course was in short time to be finished he desired of them that were present their favours and prayed them to use meanes unto others that were absent and especially unto the two Kings of Mounster so Bernard writeth that Malachias might succeed him in the Bishopricke of Armagh He was a married man and died of great age and lyeth buried with his wife and children in the said Church Malachias in the time of King Stephen succeeded Celsus in the Bishopricke of Armagh whose life Saint Bernard Abbot of Clarevallis Capgrave and Conganus an Abbot of Ireland have written at large He was borne in Ireland amongst barbarous people saith Bernard yet in his birth and native soile hee sucked of them no more barbarousnesse then the Sea fish take of the salt water His Parents for wealth and might were in great account in those dayes he was brought up at Armagh under Imarius the Anachorite where Celsus made him both Deacon and Priest at the age of 25. yeeres from thence with licence of Imarius and of Celsus he went to Malchus Bishop of Lismore in Mounster a man of Irish birth that had beene a Monke sometimes in the Abbey of Winchester in England and from thence advanced to the Bishopricke of Lismore And to make the historie plaine there was at that time great warres betweene Cormacke King of Mounster and his brother for the Soveraignty the brother prevaileth Cormacke fleeth to the Bishop of Lismore and in his distressed estate tooke a Monkes Cell and led a private life Malachias was appointed his Tutor where Cormacke continued untill that a King there adjoyning pittying his miserie gathered forces and restored him to his kingdome Immediately after this Letters came for Malachias in most earnest sort that he should come to Armagh where not farre off an Vncle of his a man of great command a Lord of a country rich and potent that held in his hands all the wasted Monasterie of Benchâ—r alias Bengor dwelled of which Monasterie I have spoken before in the raigne of King Arthure Malachias upon his comming restored these possessions and reedifieth the old Monasterie and appointed one Malchus brother to Christianus Abbot of Melâ—efont governour of the place when Malachius was thirty yeeres of age he was made Bishop of Conor Conorets saith Bernard where hee met by his owne report more then I am willing to lay downe in writing so rude and barbarous a people as worse could not be found upon the face of the earth yet
Conquest 300. Horses 400. Oxen and for performance of all services gave him 14. pledges when they were presented the King made choice of 30. principall Horses gave backe all the rest confessing himselfe greatly pleasured at his hands Anno 1172. upon Saint Lukes day the 18. of October Henry the 2. the 17. yeere of his raigne the 41. of his age entred the Haven of Waterford so writeth Cambrensis that lived then and being landed to the harty joy of the English and fained welcome of the Irishmen had by them of Wexford formerly spoken of Robert Fitz Stephens in irons presented before him whom the Wexfordians herein I commend Stanihursts indifferent dealing rather of malice cankard spight then for just cause did charge with many hainous crimes The King advisedly to pacifie the rage of furious people for for the present time committed him to prison whence shortly after he was with honour and credit discharged and advanced to his great preferment After that the King had a little rested himselfe and the messengers scattered themselves with newes over the land the Princes were amazed they knew the Kings greatnesse was such if faire meanes would not force should constraine them and therefore in policie resolved themselves to yeeld allegiance homage and fealtie Whereupon Dermot Mac Carty Prince of Corke began became tributarie sware faith truth and loyaltie to the King of England And the King thereupon gave the kingdome of Corke to Robert Fitz Stephens and Miles Cogan as hereafter more at large shall appeare From Waterford the King raised his army and marched towards Lismore where he tarryed two daies and from thence he marched to Cashill not farre from the Shure and thither came to him Donald O Bren Prince of Limric who submitted himselfe became tributarie and swore fealty whereupon the King as hee had formerly done with Corke appointed a Governour for Limric then also came in Donall Prince of Ossorie and Omelaghlen Ophelin Lord of the Decies with all the chieftaines of Mounster submitting themselves as others had formerly done surrendring unto the Kings hands their territories and holding them againe at his pleasure Thence the King returned to Waterford left there his houshold and Robert Fitz Barnard governour of the towne and marched with his army towards Dublin In his iourney there came unto him of the chiefest commanders of the land Omathelan Machelan Ophelan O Mac Chelweie Gille Mac Holemoc O tuell helly Ocathdhessy O Caraell of Vriell and Roric the sonne of Monoculus of Meth. But Roderic the Monarch came no neerer then the Shanon where Hugh de lacy and William Fitz Aldelme by the Kings command met him and hee desiring peace submitted himselfe swore allegiance became tributarie and did put in as all others had done hostages and pledges for the performance of the same Thus was all Ireland saving Vlster brought in subjection and every Prince of the other parties in his owne person saving Roderic King of Connaght submitted himselfe but he subtilly alledged that he submitted Connaght but not the command of all Ireland the which he reserved for the Monarch and his successors but of this hereafter if God permit Christmas drew on which the King kept at Dublin where hee feasted all the Princes of the land and gave them rich and beautifull gifts they repaired thither out of all parts of the land and wonderfull it was to the rude people to behold the Majestie of so puissant a Prince the pastime the sport and the mirth and the continuall musicke the masking mumming and strange shewes the gold the silver and plate the precious ornaments the dainty dishes furnished with all sorts of fish and flesh the wines the spices the delicate and sumptuous banquets the orderly service the comely march and seemly array of all officers the Gentlemen the Esquires the Knights and Lords in their rich attire such as rugged Mantles and Irish Troosses were never acquainted withall the running at Tilte in compleat harnesse with barb'd horses where the staves shivered and flew in splinters safer to sit then upon an Irish Pillion that playeth crosse and pile with the rider the plaine honest people admired and no mervaile but now to more serious matters Henry 2. having thus conquered Ireland with the envy of the French and forraigne Princes without one drop of sweat without drawing of sword or shedding of one drop of English bloud as it became his Princely calling turned himselfe to reforme the state Ecclesiasticall and the misdemeanours of holy Church whereof Cambrensis writeth In the yeere of Christs incarnation 1172. and in the first yeere when Henry the most Noble King conquered Ireland Christianus Bishop of Lismore and Legate of the Apostolike See Donatus Archbishop of Cashill Laureance Archbishop of Dublin and Catholiâ—us Archbishop of Tuemond with their Suffragans and fellow Bishops Abbots Priors Deanes and Archdeacons and many other Prelates of the Church of Ireland by the commandment of the King did assemble themselves and kept a Synod at Cashill and there debating many things concerning the wealth estate and reformation of the Church of Ireland did provide remedies for the same At this Councell in behalfe of the King whom he had sent thither there were Raffe Abbot of Buldeway Raffe Archdeacon of Landaffe Nicholas the Kings Chaplaine with divers other Clerkes sundry good statutes and wholesome lawes were there devised which were after subscribed and confirmed by the King himselfe and under his authority which were these that follow First it is decreed that all good and faithfull Christian people throughout Ireland shall refraine and forbeare to marry with their neere kins folkes and cousins and match with such as lawfully they might doe Secondly that children shall be catechized without the Church door and baptized in the Font appointed in the Church for the same purpose Thirdly that every Christian doe truely and faithfully pay yeerely the tithes of his Cattell Corne and all other his increase and profits to the Church or Parish where he is a parishioner Fourthly that all the Church lands and possessions throughout all Ireland shall be free from all secular exactions and impositions and especially that no Lords Earles or Noble men nor their children nor family shall extort or take any cony and livery cosheries or cuddies or any other like custome from thence forth in or upon any of the Church land and territories and likewise that neither they nor any other person doe thenceforth exact out of the said Church lands old wicked and detestable customes of cony and livery the which they were wont to extort upon such townes and villages of the Churches as were neere and next bordering upon them Fiftly when carik or composition is made among the laye people for any murther that no person of the Clergie though he be a kinne to any of the parties shall contribute any thing thereunto but as they bee guiltlesse of the murther so shall they be free from paying of money for any such release
for the same Sixtly that all and every good Christian being sicke and weake shall before the Priest and his neighbours make his last Will and Testament and his debts and servants wages being paid all his moveables to be divided if he have any children into three parts whereof one part to be to the Children another to his Wife and the third part to be for the performing of his Will and if so be that hee have no children then the goods to be divided into two parts whereof the one moytie to be to his Wife and the other to the performance of his Will and Testament And if he have no Wife but onely Children then likewise the goods to be divided into two parts whereof the one to himselfe and the other to his children Seventhly that every Christian dying in the Catholike faith shall be reverently brought to the Church and to bee buried as appertaineth Eightly and lastly that all the divine Service in the Church of Ireland shall be kept used and observed in the like order and manner as it is in the Church of England for it is meet and right that as by Gods providence and appointment Ireland is become now subject and under the King of England so the same should take from thence the order and rule and manner how to reforme themselves and to live in better sort Gelasius Primate of Armagh was not at this Synod but at his comming to Dublin hee concurred with his Collegues and confirmed the premises He was a man of great learning godly life and great age when by reason of age sight and strength and stomacke failed him as he travailed he had with him alwaies a white Cow that gave him milke and was his onely sustentation Gilbert succeeded this Gelasius in that See The Antiquaries of that time have recorded that the winter during the Kings abode in Ireland there rose such stormes and tempest by sea and by land that no newes could be heard either out of England or Normandie neither Shippe or Barke crosse the seas untill mid-Lent at what time with an easterly winde there came out of England and Aquitaine in France newes unto the King how that there came into Normandy in France two Cardinals from Alexander the third to wit Albertus and Theodinus to enquire of the death of Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury Whereupon the King sent in post before him to signifie that he was returning with all speede and that he would conferre with them in Normandie And leaving Ireland hee was very sorry that time and leisure served not to lay things in better order for the stay of the land And also suspecting the greatnesse of Richard Earle Strangbow whom at that time he tooke with him into England hee appointed to governe Dublin Hugh de Lacy to whom he had given in Fee the territorie of Meth with twenty Gentlemen to his Guard Robert Fitz Stephens and Morice Fitz Girald with twenty others to attend their persons Likewise he left Governours over Waterford Humfrey de Bohune Robert Fitz Bernard and Hugh de Graunt devil with forty persons to their guard Lastly hee assigned over Wexford William Fitz Adelme Philip de Bruesa and Philip de Hastings with twenty to their guard and tooke shipping at Wexford Munday in Easter weeke by sixe a clocke in the morning with full saile and landed the same day about noone at Saint Davids in Wales so writeth Cambrensis in his vaticinall historie and in his Itinerarie of Cambria What time the King was in Ireland there fell a great plague in his army which was some cause of his departure from Dublin to Wexford Cambrensis out of the mouth of the common people attributeth it unto certaine Archers cessed at Finglas that cut downe the trees of the Church-yard and therefore were they iustly punished and left their bones there every one but the British Chronicle and Holinshed also more likely to be true affirmeth that there fell a plague among the Kings souldiers in Ireland by reason of the change of the ayre and victuals and concourse of people corrupting the same The names of the men of account orderly as they came to the conquest of Ireland Dermot Mac Morogh Prince of Leinster after his returne out of England wintred at Fernes expecting the comming of these Conquerours Robert Fitz Stephens the Kings Constable at Abertivy David Barry Hervie de Monte Marisco married Nesta daughter to Maurice Fitz Girald Williâ— Nott. Maurice Prendregast Meilerus Maurice Fitz Girald Reimond le Grosse nephew to Robert Fitz Stephens married with Basilia the sister of Earle Strangbow William Ferrand Richard Strangbow Earle of Penbroke Miles Cogan brethren nephewes to Robert Fitz Stephens and Maurice Fitz Girald Richard Cogan brethren nephewes to Robert Fitz Stephens and Maurice Fitz Girald Henry 2. King of England c. Hugh de Lacy. William Fitz Adelme Raffe Abbot of Bulldewa in Normandie Raffe Archdeacon of Landaff Nicholas the Kings Chaplaine Humphrey de Bohune Robert Fitz Bernard Hugh de Grandevilla Philip de Brensa Philip de Hastings Silvester Giraldus Barry Cambrensis Iohn Ridensford Girald the two sonnes of Maurice Fitz Girald Alexander the two sonnes of Maurice Fitz Girald William Makrell Philip Mercrâ—s William Morice Fitz Girald his eldest sonne married with Elen sister to Earle Strangbow Griffin the sonne of William Fitz Girald the elder brother Philip Welsh Adam Herford brethren ...... Herford brethren ...... Purcell Lievetenant of the Army slaine by the Waterfordians Nich. Wallingford a Prior afterwards Abbot of Malmesburie David Welsh nephew to Reimund Ieffrey Welsh Reimund of Kantan Reimund Fitz Hugh Milo of Saint David Robert Poer Osbert of Hertford Willin Bendâ—ger Adam of Gernemie Hugh Tirell Iohn de Courcey Hugh Cantwell Redmond Cantimore Alliance of the chiefe Conquerours of Ireland Nesta the daughter of Rees ap Tuyder Prince of South-Wales Loved Henry the first King of England father to Henry father to Henry Fitz Henry Meiler Fitz Henry Robert Fitz Henry was maried twice 1 Steven Custos castri Abertivi Robert Fitz SteveÌ„ Rafe Meredâ—calâ—as Meredith Milo 2 Gerald of Windsor WilliaÌ„ Fitz Girald who had issue Reimund le Grosse who married Basilia Strangbowes Sister Griffeth Maurice Fitz Girald William married Ellen Sister to Strangbow Camb. or by others Alma Daughter of Strangbow Girald Alexander Nesta married to Hervie de monte Marisco Milo or Miles David Bishop of Saint Davids Not long after the Kings departure out of Ireland Ororic of Meth craved a parlee with Hughe Delacy pretending reformation of abuses and establishing of perfect love and amity but meant nothing else saving falshood treason and villany the place being appointed Cambrensis calleth it Ororics Hill I take it to be the Hill of Taragh and oathes taken of each side with conditions that all armes should be laid aside and few persons approach to the place Ororic contrary to the covenants laid an ambush that upon a signe or token given by him they should
the land there were certaine Irish men which tooke part with him served faithfully and were as reason required rewarded for their service and had for recompence certaine lands given them which they quietly held and peaceably enioyed untill the comming of the Kings sonne then new commers wanting both living and governement had it given them to furnish them in their foolish prodigalitie so that these Irish men flying unto the enemies became not onely enemies but were espials upon the English and conductors of the enemy against them A third reason of ill successe Cambrensis urgeth against England first how that the Britaines or Cambrians so he termeth them entring this land and breaking the ice to the conquest of Ireland were afterwards by William Fitz Adelme and others envied and every way maligned secondly how that the English commanding the land were by the English disgraced and one often times articling accusing and disgracing one another thirdly how that the Normans comming in place overthrew all for the King being borne beyond the seas affected them most they were of his Councell at home in time of peace and made Commanders abroad in time of warres these comming with the Kings sonne into Ireland were fine in their apparrell delicate mouthed feeding upon dainties they could not disgest their meat without Spice and Wine at every meale they could not endure the service in the Marches and borders they would not remaine in remote places they brooked not the Forts Holds and Garrison places but liberty they liked of so it were in a walled town a warme chamber a Ladies lappe a soft bed a furre gowne and their Lords sides to guard and attend pleased them well they would talke and bragge of service sweare and stare at home stand upon the pantofles of their reputation disdaine others and especially the Irish and durst not shew their faces in the field These were they that gave themselves to command the Irish that would not be commanded by them they polled pilled extorted and what not In the space of eight moneths that Earle Iohn staied in Ireland I finde that he built three Castles Tibrach Lismoore and Archfinan alias Ardsivin at Ardsivin upon Midsummer day so Cambrensis reporteth the Prince of Lymeric bent and animated to rebellion slue foure Knights and the greater part of the Garrison there shortly after the same rebels of Lymric by a slight drew out the Garrison to seize upon a prey and lying in ambush killed many of them but these revolters escaped not scotfree in all the parts of the land for at this time when the Irish men of Kennally with great forces had entred Meth killing burning spoiling and preying the Country William le Petit Governour or Iusticer saith Cambrensis drew a head against them rescued the prey put them to flight made a great slaughter of them and sent a hundred heads of the principall of them to Dublin The Kings sonne hearing of these troubles hastned away unto England left the land tumultuous troublesome al upon an uprore committed the charge thereof saith Stanihurst Bruseo Courceo Giraldidis c. in primis Hugonis Lacaei virtuti where in truth I find no such matter for Cambrensis whom herein I must relie unto being then in Ireland with the Kings son reporteth how that Henry the second hearing of the course which these greene heads held in Ireland thought good to call them all unto England and send thither no more such young commanders and by the advice of his Councell committed the charge and absolute command thereof unto Sir Iohn de Courcy whom hee appointed Lord Lievtenant of Ireland the Booke of Houth also testifieth the same Earle Iohn immediatly gathered forces travailed over the whole land pacified for the time Corke Tumound and Conoght From the death of Hugh Delacy who was slaine Anno 1186. unto the time Hugh Delacy the yonger came to be Lord Iustice of whom hereafter more at large Here gentle Reader Cambrensis leaveth us who most faithfully continued the affaires of Ireland some 30. yeeres and odde he was by father a Barry by mother a Gerraldin nephew to Morice Fitz Gerald and Robert Fitz Stephens that first entred to the Conquest of Ireland hee was borne in Pembrok-shire and was Archdecon of Saint Davids and Brechnoc and diversly imployed by Henry the second in whose time among others the first Conquerors his kindred he came into Ireland againe and became Tutor unto Iohn the Kings sonne and accompanied him into Ireland he wrote many learned workes and among other the Conquest of Ireland the Topography of Ireland and Mirabilia Hiberniae Whereof hee dedicated one unto Richard Earle Strangbow and another unto Henry the second he was elected Archbishop of Saint Davids but at Rome he was out-bid by him that had more money and missed the Cushin hee departed this life when hee was about foure score yeeres old and resteth at Saint Davids Yet one thing further of him which he reporteth of himselfe how that he at the time of his being in Ireland had Conference with Mathew Archbishop of Cashill and he saying among other things You have many Saints in Ireland but I doe not find any martyr amonst you the Bishop taking it in ill part as spoken in derision of the Nation answered with great anger Sir it is so that our people is rude savage and barbarous yet there is none so brutish and bloudy as to lay violent hands upon a Priest now it fals out that wee are to be governed by such a Nation as is not guiltlesse of Prelats deaths and it is like if it stands with Gods pleasure that shortly we shall make up a number of Irish martyrs this he spitefully spake meaning the death of Thomas of Canterbury In a while after that Sir Iohn de Courcy had brought the whole land to a good passe and pacified the Irish tumults this I find in the Booke of Houth Sir Hugh Delacy the younger is sent over into Ireland as Lord Iustice to take the absolute Command of the Realme He had no sooner landed but he sent very imperious letters unto Sir Iohn de Courcy to discharge him and all that were authorized by him of their places and command and in like sort like the green heads spoken of a little before which landed with Earle Iohn they braved it out disdained old experimented souldiers and offered sundry disgraces unto the rest of the English so that thereof rose much heartburning division quarrels and bloody brawles The Irish seeing this sudden alteration this division among the English this undiscreet government thought now to find fit opportunity publikely to release themselves of that which they had oft secretly intended by their runnagades they summoned at a day a place all the Chieftaines of Irish birth to a parlee where after many doubts debated many griefes opened they concluded with full resolution to invade all the English and roote them wholly out of the land and first they swoare
and that it stood him upon as farre as the honour of his Crowne and kingdome did reach to make good the combat Courcy answered very frowardly the which was taken in good part in regard of the urgent necessitie that he would never fight for him neither for any such as he was that he was not worthy to have one drop of bloud spilt for him that he was not able to requite him the wrongs he had done him neither to restore him the hearts ease he had bereaved him of yet notwithstanding all the premises he was willing and would with all expedition be ready to venture his life in defence of the Crowne and his country Whereupon it was agreed that he should be dyeted apparrelled and armed to his content and that his owne sword should be brought him out of Ireland The day came the place appointed the Liste provided the scaffolds set up the Princes with their nobilitie of each side with thousands in expectation Forth comes the French Champion gave a turne and rests him in his tent They sent for Courcy who all this while was trussing of himselfe about with strong poynts and answered the messengers if any of their company were to goe to such a banquet I thinke he would make no great haste Forth he comes gave a turne and went into his Tent. When the Trumpets sounded to battaile forth come the combatants and viewed each other Courcy beheld him with a wonderfull sterne countenance and passed by The French man not liking his grimme looke the strong proportion and feature of his person stalked still along and when the Trumpets sounded the last charge Courcy drew out his sword and the French man ranne away and conveyed him to Spaine Whereupon they sounded victory the people clapt their hands and cast up their cappes King Philip desired King Iohn that Courcy might bee called before them to shew some part of his strength and manhood by a blow upon on a Helmet it was agreed a stake was set in the ground and a shirt of maile and a Helmet thereon Courcy drew his sword looked wonderfull sternely upon the Princes cleft the helmet the shirt of maile and the stake so farre in that none could pull it out but himselfe Then the Princes demanded of him what hee meant to looke so sowrely upon them his answer was if hee had missed his blow upon the blocke he would have cut off both the Kings heads All that hee said was taken in good part King Iohn discharged him out of all his troubles gave him great gifts and restored him to his former possessions in Ireland It is written further that hereupon hee sailed into England came to Westchester offered himselfe to the sea and was put backe againe fifteene times by contrary windes which rose upon a sodaine to the English shore And in the booke of Houth it is delivered that upon every repulse the night following he was admonished in a vision not to attempt the seas for to saile into Ireland and that he should never set foot upon any land there and withall that the reason was yeelded thus Courcy thou hast done very ill for thou hast pulled downe the master and set up the servant for he had translated the Cathedrall Church and the Prebendaries of the blessed Trinitie in Dune into an Abbey of blacke Monkes brought thither from Chester and consecrated the same to the honour of Saint Patricke Whereupon remembring himselfe that he had done very ill in taking the name from God to a creature gave sentence upon himself that he was worthily punished Immediately hee altered his course went into France and there died now forwards with the history according to the due course of time in the raigne of King Iohn so the booke of Houth reporteth Anno 1202. Meler Fitz Henry whose father was the base sonne of King Henry the first founded the Abbey of Cownall hee came into Ireland with the first Conquerours being a young stripling and is highly commended by Cambrensis for his great valour and worthinesse in martiall prowesse he left this world Anno 1220. his Epitaph I finde in Iohn Clynne Conduntur tumulo Meyleri nobilis ossa Indomitus domitor totius gentis Hibernae Intombed are the bones of him they Noble Meler call Who was the tamelesse tamer of the Irish nation all Anno 1205. in the seventeenth yeere of the raigne of King Iohn Theobald Fitz Walter Fitz Gilbert Becket the first Lord Butler of Ireland founded the Monastery of Wethencia alias Wethran alias Wethenoya alias Voghney in the county of Limeric this difference I finde in Dowling Grace and others Anno 1206. Saint Monon an Irish man and a Martyr Molanus layeth him downe among the Saints in Flanders flourished he is reputed the Patron of Nassonia under the command of the Abbot of Saint Hubert in the Lordship of Audiamum he was the Disciple of Saint Remulch and Saint Iohn Agnus Bishop of Trajectum and of Irish birth this Monon was murthered at Ardevenna saith Molanus by some bloudy massacres lyeth buried at Nassonia in the Church which he there had founded Anno 1208. I finde it in Dowlinge and Grace Sir Hugh de Lacy the younger being Lord Iustice entred into Thurles where the country being in rebellion offered him battaile he laid siege to Castle Meiler wanne it brake it downe and made it even with the ground but he lost there more men say the Irish then he tooke away with him the chiefe Rebell was Ieffery Mac Moris alias Morich Anno 1209. the occasion of blacke Munday and the originall remembrance thereof rose at Dublin The Citie of Dublin by reason of some great mortality being wasted and desolate the inhabitants of Bristoll flocked thither to inhabit who after their country manner upon Holy dayes some for love of the fresh ayre some to avoyd idlenesse some other for pastime pleasure and gaming 's sake flocked out of the towne towards Cullen wood upon Munday in Easter weeke The Birnues and Tooles the mountaine enemies like Wolves lay in ambush for them and upon espiall finding them unarmed fell upon thē slue some 300. persons besides women children which they led in their hands although shortly after the towne was upon the report thereof eftsoones peopled againe by Bristolians yet that dismall day is yeerely remembred and solemnly observed by the Maior Sheriffes and Citizens with feast and banquet and pitching up of tents in that place in most brave sort daring the enemy upon his perill not to bee so hardy as once to approach neere their feasting campe and whereas the Irish heretofore accounted Tuesday their fatall and infortunate day for Lymric was twice wonne Wexford yeelded up Waterford was besieged and Dublin was sacked upon a Tuesday now they have Munday in memory making difference of dayes not fitting the minde of the Apostle which forbade the superstitions or vaine observations of daies c. Gal. 4. Anno 1211 or somewhat before the
March alias Maurish so Holinshed calleth him in Mathew Paris Galfridus de Marisco to have beene Lord Iustice of Ireland so it may be in the absence of Maurice Fitz Girald who made three journeys to King Henry the third one with great power out of Ireland to ayde him beyond the seas secondly to cleare himselfe of the death of Richard Marshall Earle of Pembrook lastly with Irish forces against the Welshmen Mat. Paris and Holinshed make report of his good service How that when an Irish petit King in Conaght understanding that both the King of England and the Earle Marshall and Maurice Fitz Gerald were gone over into France and so Ireland left without any great aide of men of warre on the English part raised a mighty Army and with the same entred into the Marches and borders of the English dominion spoiling and burning the Country before him And how that Ieffray de Maurisco then Lord Iustice being thereof advertized called to him Walter de Lacy Lord of Meth and Richard de Burgh assembling therewithall an hugh Army the which he divided into three parts appointing the said Walter de Lacy and Richard de Burgh with the two first parts to lye in ambush within certain Woods through the which he purposed to draw the enemies And marching forth with the third which he reserved to his owne government he profered battaile to the Irishmen the which when they saw but one battaile of the Englishmen boldly assaid the same The Englishmen according to the order appointed faining as though they had fled and so retired still backe till they had trained the Irish within danger of their other two battailes which comming forth upon them did set on them eagerly whilest the other which seemed before to fly returned back againe and set upon them in like manner by meanes whereof the Irish men being in the midst were beaten downe if they stood to it they were before and behind slaine if any offered to fly hee was overtaken thus in all parts they were utterly vanquished with the losse of 20000. Irish and the King of Conaght taken and committed to prison This Noble Ieffray de Marisco of whom Holinshed writeth a man some time in great honour and possessions in Ireland fell into the displeasure of the King was banished who after he had remained long in exile suffred great miserie ended the same by naturall death Thus the unstable Wheele goeth round about and yet I may not so leave it hee had a sonne called William de Maurisco who together with the father the Iustice of God requiring the same came to most shamefull ends Matthew the Munke of Westminster and Matthew Paris the Munke of Saint Albones doe write the Story While the King was beyond seas a certain noble man of Irish birth to wit Willielmus de Maurisco an exiled and banished man the sonne of Ieffray de Maurisco for some hainous offence laid to his charge kept himselfe in the Isle of Lundy not farre from Bristall preying robbing and stealing as a notorious Pirate at length being apprehended together with 17. of his confederacy and by the Kings commandement adjudged to cruell death he was drawne at London with his confederats at horse tailes to the Gibbet and there hanged and quartered His father one of the mightiest men of Ireland by name Galfridus de Maurisco hearing thereof fled into Scotland and scarce there could hee lye safe who pinnig away with grief and sorrow soone after ended a miserable life with wished death againe after in another place he writeth Galfridus de Maurisco reckened amongst the most Noble of Ireland an exile and a banished man died pitifully yet not to be pitied whom being banished Ireland expulsed out of Scotland and fled out of England France received for a begger where hee ended an unfortunate life after the most shamefull death of his sonne Willielmus de Maurisco These things therefore I deliver more at large unto the hearers that every man may wey with himselfe what end is alloted unto treason and especially being committed against the sacred person of a Prince His father against Richard Earle and Marshall in Ireland and his son William against the King unadvisedly and unfortunatly adventured to practice mischiefe Paris addeth the name of this William was very odious unto the King for so much it was reported that through the councell of Ieffray his father he had conspired the death of the King and that he had traitorously sent that varlet which came in the night season to Woodstock to slay the King and last of all that hee had killed at London in presence of the King one Clemens a Clerk messenger of some Noble man of Ireland that came to informe the King against him About this same time florished a Learned man of Irish birth one Cornelius Historicus so called because hee was an exquisit antiquary Bale and Stanihurst have briefly written his life and his commandations out of Hector Boetius who was greatly furthered by this Cornelius to the perfecting of the Scotish History hee wrote as they say Multarum rerum Cronicon lib. 1. About this time Viz. Anno 1230. there rose a doubt in Ireland so that they sent to England to be therein resolved the King by his learned Councell answered as followeth Henry by the grace of God c. King of England Lord of Ireland Duke of Normandy and Guian c. Trusty and welbeloved Gerald Fitz Maurice Iusticer of Ireland greeting VVhereas certien Knights of the parties of Ireland lately informed us that when any land doth discend unto sisters within our dominion of Ireland the Iustices errant in those parties are in doubt whether the younger sister ought to hold of the eldest sister and doe homage unto her or not And forasmuch as the said Knights have made instance to bee certified how it had beene used before within our Realme of England in like case at their instance we doe you wit that such a Law and Custome is in England in this case that if any holding of us in chief happen to die having daughters to his heires our ancestors and we after the death of the father have alway had and received homage of all the daughters and every of them in this case did hold of us in chiefe And if they happned to be within age we have alway had the ward and marriage of them and if hee bee tennant to another Lord the sisters being within age the Lord shall have the ward and manage of them all and the eldest onely shall doe homage for herselfe and all her sisters and when the other sisters come to full age they shall doe their service to the Lord of the fee by the hands of the eldest sister yet shall not the eldest by this occasion exact of her younger sisters homage ward or any other subjection for when they be all sisters and in manner as one heire to one inheritance if the eldest should have homage of the other
Felcon over Ireland And all the West of the world and there followed immediatly a continuall untemperature of the ayre with a filthy skurfe the Winter stormy cold and wet which continued untill the 11. of Iuly and put the Gardeners Fruterers and Husbandmen void of all hope in so much they complained that Winter was turned to Summer and Summer to Winter and that they were like to lose all and bee undone Anno 1252. saith Dowling and Grace and the English Anonimus but Clyn and Florilegus write that it was 1254. King Henry gave to Prince Edward his sonne Gascoigne Ireland Wales Bristow Stanford and Grantham and sent him to Alphonsus King of Spaine to take Ellionor his sister to wife where hee was by the said King Knighted and returned together with his wife into England with great riches Anno 1255. Alanus de la Zouch was made Lord Iustice so I finde in the Booke of Houth after his departure out of Ireland hee being a Lord Baron and chiefe Iustice in England Florilegus Humfrey Loid and Stow doe write the Story how hee came to his end great strife rose in England betweene certaine of the Nobility about territories lands and titles whereto each side made claime the matters in controversie by direction from the King were decided in Westminster Hall the first Controversie was betweene Iohn Earle of Surrey and Warren and Hugh de Lacy Earle of Lincolne which went upon Lacy his side The second was betweene this Earle Warren and Allan de la Zouch this Zouch being Chiefe Iustice asked Earle Warren how he held his land Earle Warran drew foorth his sword and said by this mine Ancestors held the same and by this I presently hold it and with that ranne the Chiefe Iustice through in Westminster Hall and in his flight wounded also his sonne thence hee fled to his Castle at Risgate whome Prince Edward the Kings eldest sonne pursued with an Army to whom the Earle submitted himselfe and afterwards with friends and what with money pacified all Anno 1256. in the warres of Lewelin Prince of Wales so I find in the records of Conway Stratflur Copied by Gettine Owen Edward Earle of Chester fell to outrage one while against the King another while against the Welshmen his Army was 1500. foot and 500. horse Henry the third together with Richard Earle of Cornewall and King of Almane wrote unto him gently wishing him to returne to his Country and keepe the peace and not to provoke the Welshmen to Armes the which he refused to doe but sent to the Irishmen for succour and supplies Prince Edward the Kings eldest sonne understanding thereof rigged a Navy met with the Irish fleet killed their men and sunck their ships few onely remaining to returne and to make report of this hard successe in Ireland In a while after the King raised warres against Lewellin Prince of Wales and the Welshmen saith Paris Causa autem eorum etiam hostibus eorum justa videbatur and was brought to a narrow straight so that he sent to Ireland and to Gascoigne for succour the Irishmen not forgetting their late overthrow were loath to come being of all sides driven to serve in the end came and joyned with their Kings forces where no memorable act was performed for God saith Paris defended the poore people that put their whole confidence in him About this time to wit Anno 1256. Florished Iohannes De Sacro Bosco Bale out of Leland will have him to be a Yorkeshire man and terme him Iohn Holyfaxe Stanihurst writeth he was borne in Ireland at Holy Wood in Fingall some 12. miles from Dublin and therefore called Iohannes De Sacro Bosco which carried great likly-hood with it untill they are reconciled which side prevaileth I waigh not greatly I thought good to insert him for so much as his great learning graced him unto the posterity In his springing yeeres hee suckt the sweet milk of good learning in the famous Vniversity of Oxford afterwards he went to Paris where he professed the learned Sciences with singular commendations and there slumbreth in the dust of the earth whose exequies and funerals were there with great lamentations solemnized first hee followed Aristotle afterwards gave himselfe to the Mathematikes and addicted himselfe so much thereto that none of the posterity as is thought could follow him hee wrote De Spaera Mundi lib. 1. Tractatum de spaera quatuor De Algorismo lib. 1. Omnia quae a primeva rerum orig De Anni Ratione lib. 1. Cmoputus scientiam considerans Breviarium Iuris lib. 1. Verborum superficie penitus Vpon his Tombe together with the Mathematicall Astrolabe was insculped as followeth M. Christi bis C. quarto deno quater anno De Sacro Bosco discrevit tempora ramus Gratia cui nomen dederat divina Iohannes Anno 1258. Stepham Espee alias De longa spatha that is Stepham with the long skeine or two handed sword Earle of Salibury as I suppose was made Lord Iustice of Ireland this Stepham gave battell unto Oneile and the rebels of Vlster and Conaght and slue of them together with Oneile saith Clinne in one day three hundred fifty and two and departed this life saith Florilegus 1260. Anno 1260. William Denne was made Lord Iustice in whose time Greene Castle Arx Viridis was destroyed and the Carties plaied the Divells in Desmond where they burned spoiled preyed and slue many an innocent they became so strong and prevailed so mightily that for the space so it is reported of twelue yeeres the Desmonds durst not put plow in ground in his owne Country at length through the operation of Satan a bane of discord was throwen betweene the Carties and the Odriscoles Odonovaies Mac Donoch Mac Mahonna Mac Swines and the inhabittants of Muscrie in so much that by their cruell dissention they weakened themselves of all sides that the Desmond in the end overcame and overtopped them all but in the beginning of these garboils I find that the Carties slue of the Desmonds Iohn Fitz Thomas founder of the Monastery and Covent of Trally together with Maurice his sonne eight Barons 15. Knights beside infinite others at a place called Callan where they were buried Mine Authors are Iohn Clinne onely and the Booke of Houth In the end of these tumults dyed Sir William Denny Lord Iustice Anno 1261. Richardus de Capella otherwise called Rochell Clinne calleth him La Rochell de Capella became Lord Iustice of Ireland Anno 1262. There rose in Dublin a great stirre betweene the Prior and Covent of the blessed Trinity now called Christ-Church and the Communalty of the City about the tithe fish of the Liffy Anno 1264. Walter Bourke commonly called Walterus de Burgo spoken of before was made Earle of Vlster hee had married the daughter and heire of Sir Hugh Delacy the younger and in her right enjoyed the Earledome The Booke of Houth layeth downe the descent that this
Walter by the said heire of Vlster had issue Walter and hee had issue five daughters 1. Ellen that married Robert le Bruse King of Scotland 2. Elizabeth that married the Earle of Gloster 3. Iohan that married Thomas Earle of Kildare 4. Katherine that married the Earle of Louth 5. Margaret that married the Earle of Desmond the 6. Ellinor that married with the Lord Multon notwithstanding these honourable matches and amity concluded in the outward sight of the world there rose deadly warres between the Giraldins and Burks which wrought blood sheds troubles by partaking throughout the Realme of Ireland at the same time the fury of the Giraldins was so outragious in so much that Morice Fitz Maurice the second Earle of Desmond opposed himselfe against the sword and tooke at Trisledermote now called Castle Dermocke Richard de Capella the Lord Iustice Theoball le Butler and Iohn or Millis de Cogan and committed them to the prisons in Leix and Donamus but the yeere following Henry the third not pleased with these commotions and hurly burlies by mature advice taken of his Councell pacified the variance betweene them discharged Denny of his Iusticeship and appointed David Barry Lord Iustice in his place Anno 1267. David Barry tooke by the appointment of the King the sword of Iusticeship and the command of Ireland and quelled or tamed saith the English Anonymos the insolent dealing of Morice Fitz Maurice Cousin german to Girald The same yeere saith Iohn Clinne the Fryers Preachers first of all settled themselves at Rosse in Wexford and the Minors at Kilkennie and two yeeres after at Clonemell Anno 1268. Conochur Obrian was slaine by Dermot Mac Monard and the same yeere saith Felcon and Clinne Maurice Fitz Gerald Earle of Desmond was drowned crossing the seas between England and Ireland leaving behind him a sonne and heire of the age of 3. yeeres and a halfe The same yeere Robert Vfford became Lord Iustice of Ireland and began to build the Castle of Roscommon Anno 1269. Richard de Excester was made Lord Iustice who dyed the same yeere together with his wife Margery de Say the same yeere saith Florilegus Othobone the Popes Legat held a Councell at Paules in London where he called before him the Clergy of England Wales Ireland and Scotland and left among them certaine constitutions which were afterward commended by Linwood and are at this day in request the which constitutions of Otho and Othobon were afterwards confirmed by the Archbishop of Canterbury in Ed. 1. raigne Holinshead Anno 1270. The Lord Iames Audley was made Lord Iustice of Ireland and dyed with the fall of a horse in his time Florilegus and Holinshead note there was great commotion in Ireland the Irish tooke Armes against the English burned spoiled destroied and slue as well the Magistrates as others Clinne goeth more particularly to worke and delivereth how that the King of Conaght by force of Armes in the plaine field overthrew Walter Burke Earle of Vlster who hardly escaped with life yet dyed the yeere following and slue a great number of Nobles and Knights that held with the Burk and among others by especiall name the Lord Richard Verdon and the Lord Iohn Verdon and that there ensued over all Ireland great famine and pestilence as the sequell of warres About this time say our Antiquaries the Bishop of Rome sent to Ireland requiring the tithes of all spirituall promotions for 3. yeeres to come to maintaine his warres against the King of Aragon the which was greatly murmured at and gainesaid yet the Nuntio went not empty away Anno 1272. the most renowned King Henry the third having lived 65. yeeres and raigned 56. and 28 dayes ended his dayes and was buried at Westminster Edward the first of that name sonne of King Henry the third surnamed Long-shankes of the age of 35. yeers began his raigne Anno 1272. Anno 1272. and the first of Edward the first his raigne Maurice Fitz Maurice was made Lord Iustice in whose time the Irish brake out into cruell rebellion rased and destroyed the Castles of Aldleeke Roscommon Scheligath and Randon this Maurice saith Clyn not long after was betrayed by his owne followers in Ophali taken and imprisoned Anno 1273. the Lord Walter Genvill who lately returned home from the Holy Land was sent into Ireland and appointed Lord Iustice in his time so write Dowlinge and Grace the Scots and Red-shankes out of the high land crossed the seas burned townes and villages most cruelly killed man woman and childe tooke a great prey and returned home afore the country could make preparation to pursue them but in a while after to bee revenged of them Vlster and Connaught mustred a great Armie under the leading of Richardus de Burgo and Sir Eustacele Poer knight made after them entred the Islands and high land of Scotland slue as many as they could finde burned their Cabbans and Cottages and such as dwelt in caves and rockes under ground as the manner is to denne out Foxes they fired and smothered to death covering their entrances into the ground with great and huge stones and so returned into Ireland Anno 1276. what time Thomas Clare came into Ireland and married the daughter of Maurice Fitz Maurice The Castle of Roscommon was taken by the Irish and a great overthrow given vnto the English men at Glynburry Glandelory saith Clyn where William Fitz Roger Prior of the Kings hospitallers and many others were taken prisoners and a great number of others were slaine at what time also Ralph Pepard and Otholand gave O Neale a sore battaile Anno 1277. Walter Lord Genuill was sent for into England and Robert Vfford the second time tooke the office of Iusticeship at this time Muridath or Murtagh a notable rebell was taken at the Noraght by Gualter de Fant and executed Thomas Clare likewise in this rebellion slue Obryan Roe King of Thomond and yet after this the Irish drew such a draught that they closed him up in Slew Banny together with Maurice Fitz Maurice his father in law and all their forces untill they gave hostages to escape with their lives upon condition to make satisfaction for the death of O brian and his followers and in the meane while to yeeld them up the Castle of Roscommon although the conditions seemed hard prejudiciall to the Kings Maiesty yet were they driven for safeguard of their lives to condiscend thereunto In this rebellious season to cleere himselfe that in his owne person he came not to daunt the enemy Robert Vfford the Lord Iustice was sent for into England who substituted in his roome one Fryer Robert Fulborne Bishop of Waterford who when he had cleered himselfe came and resigned his place of Iusticeship Anno 1278. there rose civill warres no better then rebellion betweene Mac Dermot de Moylargo and Cathgur O Conoghor King of Connaught where there was great slaughter and bloud-shed on both
calmenesse Anno 1327. Donald sonne to Art Mac Morch and Sir Henry Traharne were taken prisoners Anno 1328. Deceased the Lord Thomas Fitz Iohn Earle of Kildare and the Lord Arnold Power and William Earle of Vlster came into Ireland Anno 1329. Iohn Brimingham Earle of Lowth and Peter his brother with many other were slaine on Whitsun even at Balibragan by the men of the Country Also the Lord Thomas Butler and divers other Noble men were slaine by Macgohegan and other Irishmen neere to Molingar Anno 1330. There died Sir Richard Deicetir Also the Earle of Vlster went with a great Army into Mounster upon Obren Also the Prior of the Hospitall then Lord Iustice put the Lord Maurice Fitz Thomas Earle of Desmond into the custody of the Marshall out of the which hee freely escaped And Sir Hugh de Lacy returned into Ireland and obteined peace of the King Anno 1331. The Earle of Vlster went into England and great slaugher was made upon the Irish in O kenslie also the Castle of Arclow was taken by the Irish and great slaughter made of the English ni the Cowlagh by Otothell where Sir Philip Bryt and many others were slaine and the Lord Anthony Lacy came over Lord Iustice of Ireland and great slaugter was made of the Irish at Thurles by the men of the Country and at Finnath in Meath there were many of them slaine by the English also the Castle of Fernis was taken and burned by the Irish also Maurice Fitz Thomas Earle of Desmond was apprehended at Limerick by the Lord Iustice upon the day of the Assumption and sent unto the Castle of Dublin Moreover the Lord Iustice tooke Sir William Birmingham and Walter his sonne at Clomell by a wile whilest hee was sick in his bed and sent them likewise unto the Castle of Dublin on the 19. day of Aprill Anno 1332. Sir William Birmingham was hanged at Dublin but Walter his sonne was delivered by reason hee was within orders Also the Castle of Clonmore was taken by the English and the Castle of Bonrath was destroyed by the Irish of Thomond also Henry Mandevill was sent prisoner to Dublin likewise Walter Burgh with two of his brethren were taken in Conaght by the Earle of Vlster and sent to the Castle of Norburgh also the said Lord Iustice was deposed by the King and went into England with his wife and children and Iohn Darcy was made Lord Iustice and great slaughter was made upon Bren Obren and Mac Carthy in Munster by the English of that Country Anno 1333. The Earle of Desmond by the Parliament held at Dublin was sent over into England unto the King and VVilliam Earle of Vlster in going toward Knock fergus upon the seventh day of Iune was treacherously slaine neere to the foords in Vlster by his owne people but his wife with his daughter and heire escaped into England which daughter was married unto the Lord Lionell the Kings sonne and afterward died at Dublin and had a daughter and heire which was afterward married unto Roger Mortimer Earle of March and Lord of Trim And to revenge the death of the said Earle the Lord Iustice of Ireland with a great Army went into Vlster But before that hee came thither the men of that Country had done the revenge and the Lord Iustice with his Army went into Scotland to the King of England because at that time hee was there in warre and hee left the Lord Thomas Burgh his Lievtenant in Ireland also on Saint Margarets Eve great slaughter was made in Scotland by the Irish and so what by the King in one part and the Lord Iustice in another Scotland was Conquered and Edward Balioll was established King of Scotland and Iohn Darcy came back Lord Iustice of Ireland and delivered VValter Birmingham out of the Castle of Dublin Anno 1336. On Saint Laurence day the Irish of Conaght were discomfited and put to flight by the English of the Country there and there were slaine tenne thousand and one Englishman Anno 1342. And in the sixteenth of King Edward the 3. Pope Benedict deceased Clement the sixth succeeded a man truly of great learning but exceeding prodigall so that hee would bestow upon his Cardinals Church livings in England when they were vacant and would goe about to impose new titles for them For which cause the King of England about the yeere 1344. disannulled the provisions so made by the Pope interdicting upon paine of imprisonment and death that none should bring any of them Anno 1348. There was great mortality in all places especially in and about the Court of Rome Avinion and about the sea coastes of England and Ireland Anno 1349. Deceased Alexander Bignor upon the foureteenth day of Iuly and the same yeere was Iohn de Saint Paul consecrated Archbishop of Dublin Anno 1355. Died Maurice Fitz Thomas Earle of Desmond L. Iustice of Ireland Anno 1356. Deceased the Lord Thomas de Rokesbie L. Iustice of Ireland Anno 1357. Began great variance betwixt Master Richard Fitz Ralphe Primat of Ardmagh and the foure Orders of begging Fryers Anno 1360. Deceaded Richard Archbishop of Ardmagh upon the seventeenth day of the Kalends of December in the Popes Court and Richard Kilminton dyed in England therefore the controversie ceased betwixt the Clergie and the orders of begging Fryers Anno 1361 and in the thirty fourth yeere of K. Edward the third about Easter began a great mortalitie of men consuming many men but few women in England and Ireland Also the same yeere the Lord Lionell Sonne to King Edward the third Duke of Clarence came over the Kings lievetenant into Ireland Anno 1362. deceased Iohn de Saint Paule Archbishop of Dublin on the fift day before the Ides of September Anno 1363. Thomas Minot was consecrated Archbishop of Dublin Anno 1369. the Lord William Windsor came over the Kings Lievetenant in Ireland Anno 1370. there was a third great Pestilence in Ireland And the Lord Gerald Fitz Maurice Earle of Desmond and the Lord Iohn Fitz Richard and the Lord Iohn Fitz Iohn and many other Noble men were taken prisoners and many others were slaine by Obren and Maccoinnard of Thomond in the moneth of Iuly Anno 1372 Sir Robert Asheton came over Lord Iustice of Ireland Anno 1373. there was great warre betwixt the English of Meth and Offerolle in which warre many upon both sides were slaine Anno 1375. Thomas Archbishop of Dublin departed this life and the same yeere was Richard de Wikeford consecrated Archbishop there Anno 1381 Edmund Mortimer the Kings Lievetenant in Ireland Earle of March and Vlster dyet at Coâ—ke Anno 1383. the fourth great Pestilence was in Ireland Anno 1385. Dublin Bridge fell Anno 1387. about Martilmas the Peeres of England rose against those that were of the side of King Richard the second but Robert Veer Duke of Ireland came over to Chester and got together many men and put them in array to march backe toward the
King whom the said Peeres met at Rotcotebridge and slue Thomas Molleners and spoyled the rest neverthelesse the Duke of Ireland escaped But in the same yeere on the morrow after Candlemas day a Parliament beganne at London in which were adjudged the Archbishop of Yorke the Duke of Ireland the Earle of Suffolke c. Anno 1388. foure Lord Iustices of England were banished into Ireland by a decree of the Parliament and it was not lawfull for them either to make lawes or to give counsell upon paine of the sentence of death Anno 1390. Robert de Wikeford Archbishop of Dublin departed this life and the same yeere was Robert Waldebie translated unto the Archbishopricke of Dublin being an Augustine Fryer Anno 1394. and in the seaventeenth yeere of King Richard the second died Anne Queene of England and the same yeere about Michaelmas the King crossed the seas over into Ireland and landed at Waterford the second day of the moneth of October and went back about Shrovetide Anno 1397. Fryer Richard de Northalis of the order of the Carmelites was translated to the Archbishopricke of Dublin and died the same yeere Also the same yeere Thomas de Craulie was consecrated Archbishop of Dublin And Sir Thomas Burgh and Sir Walter Birningham slue sixe hundred Irish men with their Captaine Macdowne Moreover Edmund Earle of March Lord lievetenant of Ireland with the aide of the Earle of Ormond wasted Obren's country and at the winning of his chiefe house hee made seaven Knights to wit Sir Christopher Preston Sir Iohn Bedlow Sir Edmund Loundres Sir Iohn Loundres Sir William Nugent Walter de la Hide and Robert Cadell Anno 1398. and in the two and twentieth of King Richard the second on Ascention day the Tothillis slue forty English men Among whom these were accounted as principall Iohn Fitz Williams Thomas Talbot and Thomas Comyn The same yeere upon Saint Margarets day Edmund Earle of March the Kings lievetenant was slaine with divers other by Obren and other Irishmen of Leinster at Kenlis in Leinster Then was Roger Greye elected Lord Iustice of Ireland The same yeere on the feast day of Saint Marke the Pope and Confessor came to Dublin the Noble Duke of Surrey the Kings lievetenant in Ireland and with him came Thomas Crauly Archbishop of Dublin Anno 1399. and of King Richard the three and twentieth on Sunday being the morrow after Saint Petronilla the Virgins day the illustrious King Richard landed at Waterford with two hundred shippes and the Friday after at Ford in Kenlis in the Countie of Kildare there were slaine two hundred Irish men by Ienicho and other English men and the morrow after the Citizens of Dublin brake into Obrens country slue three and thirty of the Irish and tooke fourescore men women and children The same yeere King Richard came to Dublin upon the fourth Kalends of Iuly where hee was advertized of the comming of Henry Duke of Lancaster into England whereupon he also speedily went over into England and a little while after the same King was taken prisoner by the said Henry and brought to London and there a Parliament was holden the morrow after Michaelmas day in which King Richard was deposed from his kingdome and the said Henry Duke of Lancaster was crowned King of England on the feast day of Saint Edward the Confessor Anno 1400. and in the first yeere of the raigne of King Henry the fourth at Whitsontide the Constable of Dublin Castle and divers others at Stranford in Vlster fought at Sea with the Scots where many Englishmen were slaine and drowned The same yeere on the feast of the Assumption of the blessed Virgin Mary King Henry with a great army entred Scotland and there he was advertized that Owen Glendor with the Welsh men had taken armes against him for which cause he hastened his iourney into Wales Anno 1401. in the second yeere of King Henry the fourth Sir Iohn Stanley the kings Lievetenant in the moneth of May went over into England leaving in his roome Sir William Stanley The same yeere on Bartholomew Eeven arrived in Ireland Stephen Scroope Lievetenant unto the Lord Thomas of Lancaster the kings Lievetenant of Ireland The same yeere on Saint Brices day the Lord Thomas of Lancaster the kings Sonne and Lord Lievetenant of Ireland arrived at Dublin Anno 1402. on the fift Ides of Iuly was the dedication of the Church of the Fryers Preachers in Dublin by the Archbishop of Dublin And the same day the Maior of Dublin namely Iohn Drake with the citizens and townesmen neere to Bre slue of the Irish foure hundred ninety three being all men of warre The same yeere in September a Parliament was held at Dublin during the which in Vrgile Sir Bartholomew Verdon knight Iames White Stephen Gernond and their complies slue Iohn Dowdall Sheriffe of Lowth Anno 1403. in the fourth yeere of king Henry in the moneth of May Sir Walter Betterley Steward of Vlster a right valiant knight was slaine and to the number of thirty other with him The same yeere on Saint Maâ—dlins Eeven neere unto Shrewesbury a battell was fought betweene king Henry and Henry Percy and Thomas Percy then Earle of Worcester which Percyes were slaine and on both sides there were sixe thousand and more slaine in the battaile The same yeere about Martlemas the Lord Thomas of Lancaster the kings Sonne went over into England leaving Stephen Scroope his Deputy there who also in the beginning of Lent sayled over into England and then the Lords of the land chose the Earle of Ormond to be Lord Iustice of Ireland Anno 1404. in the fift yeere of king Henry Iohn Colton Archbishop of Armagh departed this life upon the fift of May unto whom Nicholas Flemming succeeded The same yeere on the day of Saint Vitall the Martyr the Parliament began at Dublin before the Earle of Ormond then Lord Iustice of Ireland where the Statutes of Kilkenny and Dublin were confirmed and likewise the Charter of Ireland The same yeere Patricke Savage was treacherously slaine in Vlster by Mac Kilmori and his brother Richard was given for a pledge who was murthered in the prison after hee had paid two thousand markes The same yeere upon Martilmas day deceased Nicholas Houth Lord of Houth a man of singular honesty Anno 1405. in the sixt yeere of King Henry in the moneth of May three Scottish Barkes were taken two at Greenecastle and one at Dalkay with Captaine Thomas Macgolagh The same yeere the Merchants of Droghedah entred Scotland and tooke pledges and preyes The same yeere on the Eeven of the feast day of the seaven brethren Oghgard was burnt by the Irish. The same yeere in the moneth of Iune Stephen Scroope crossed the seas over into England leaving the Earle of Ormond Lord Iustice of Ireland The same yeere in the moneth of Iune they of Dublin entred Scotland at Saint Ninian and valiantly behaved themselves and afterward they entred Wales and there did
sithence either disanulled or quite prevaricated thorough change and alteration of times yet are they good still in themselves but in that commō-wealth which is ruled by them they worke not that good which they should and sometimes also that evill which they would not Eudox. Whether doe you meane this by the Common-Lawes of that Realme or by the Statute Lawes and Acts of Parliaments Iren. Surely by them both for even the Common law being that which William of Normandy brought in with his conquest and laid upon the neck of England though perhaps it fitted well with the state of England then being and was readily obeyed thorough the power of the Commander which had before subdued the people unto him made easie way to the setling of his will yet with the state of Ireland peradventure it doth not so well agree being a people very stubborne and untamed or if it were ever tamed yet now lately having quite shooken off their yoake broken the bonds of their obedience For England before the entrance of the Conqueror was a peaceable Kingdome and but lately inured to the milde and goodly government of Edward surnamed the Confessor besides now lately growne into a loathing and detestation of the unjust and tyrannous rule of Harold an usurper which made them the more willing to accept of any reasonable conditiōs order of the new victor thinking surely that it could be no worse then the latter and hoping well it would be as good as the former yet what the proofe of first bringing in establishing of those lawes was was to many full bitterly made knowne But with Ireland it is farre otherwise for it is a Nation ever acquainted with warres though but amongst themselves in their owne kinde of military discipline trayned up ever from their youthes which they have never yet beene taught to lay aside nor made to learne obedience unto Lawes scarcely to know the name of Law but in stead thereof have alwayes preserved and kept their owne Law which is the Brehon Law Eudox. What is that which you call the Brehon law it is a word unto us altogether unknowne Iren. It is a rule of right unwritten but delivered by tradition from one to another in which oftentimes there appeareth great shew of equity in determining the right betweene party and party but in many things repugning quite both to Gods Law and mans As for example in the case of murder the Brehon that is their judge will compound betweene the murderer and the friends of the party murdered which prosecute the action that the malefactor shall give unto them or to the child or wife of him that is slain a recompence which they call an Eriach By which vilde law of theirs many murders amongst them are made up and smothered And this Iudge being as hee is called the Lords Brehon adjudgeth for the most part a better share unto his Lord that is the Lord of the soyle or the head of that Sept and also unto himselfe for his judgement a greater portion then unto the Plantiffes or parties greived Eudox. This is a most wicked law indeed But I trust it is not now used in Ireland since the Kings of England have had the absolute dominion thereof and established their owne Lawes there Iren. Yes truly for there be many wide countries in Ireland which the lawes of England were never established in nor any acknowledgment of subjection made also even in those which are subdued seeme to acknowledge subjection yet the same Brehon law is practised among themselues by reason that dwelling as they doe whole nations and septs of the Irish together without any Englishman amongst them they may doe what they list and compound or altogether conceale amongst themselves their owne crimes of which no notice can be had by them which would and might amend the same by the rule of the Lawes of England Eudox. What is this which you say And is there any part of that Realme or any Nation therein which have not yet beene subdued to the Crowne of England Did not the whole Realme universally accept and acknowledge our late Prince of famous memory Henry the Viiith for their onely King and Leige Lord Iren. Yes verily in a Parliament holden in the time of Sir Anthony Saint-Leger then Lord Deputy all the Irish Lords and principall men came in and being by faire meanes wrought thereunto acknowledged King Henry for their Soveraigne Lord reserving yet as some say unto themselves all their owne former priviledges and Seignories inviolate Eudox. Then by that acceptance of his Soveraignty they also accepted of his lawes Why then should any other lawes be now used amongst them Iren. True it is that thereby they bound themselves to his lawes obedience and in case it had beene followed upon them as it should have beene and a government thereupon setled among them agreeable thereunto they should have beene reduced to perpetuall civilitie and contained in continuall dutie But what bootes it to breake a Colte and to let him straight runne loose at randome So were these people at first well handled and wisely brought to acknowledge allegiance to the Kings of England but being straight left unto themselves and their owne inordinate life and manners they eftsoones forgot what before they were taught and so soone as they were out of sight by themselves shooke off their bridles and beganne to colte anew more licentiously then before Eudox. It is a great pittie that so good an oportunity was omitted and so happie an occasion fore-slacked that might have beene the eternall good of the Land But doe they not still acknowledge that submission Iren. No they doe not for now the heires and posterity of them which yeelded the same are as they say either ignorant thereof or doe wilfully deny or stedfastly disavow it Eudox. How can they so doe justly Doth not the act of the Parent in any lawfull graunt or conveyance bind their heires for ever thereunto Sith then the Auncestors of those that now live yeelded themselves then subjects and Liegemen shall it not tye their Children to the same subiection Iren. They say no for their Auncestours had no estate in any their Lands Seigniories or Hereditaments longer then during their own lifes as they alledge for all the Irish doe hold their Land by Tanistrie which is say they no more but a personall estate for his life time that is Tanist by reason that he is admitted thereunto by election of the Countrey Eudox. What is this which you call Tanist and Tanistry They be names and termes never heard of nor knowne to us Iren. It is a custome amongst all the Irish that presently after the death of any of their chiefe Lords or Captaines they doe presently assemble themselves to a place generally appointed knowne unto them to choose another in his steed where they doe nominate and elect for the most part not the eldest sonne nor any of the children
maintaine play which he setting unto him againe shortly thereby winneth all from the winner Eudox. Was this Rebell then set up at first by the Queene as you say and now become so undutifull Iren. He was I assure you the most outcast of all the O-Neales then and lifted up by her Majesty out of the dust to that he hath now wrought himselfe unto and now hee playeth like the frozen snake who being for compassion releived by the husbandman soone after he was warme began to hisse and threaten danger even to him and his Eudox. He surely then deserveth the punishment of that snake should worthily be hewed to peeces But if you like not the letting forth of Shane O-Neales sonnes against him what say you then of that advice which I heard was given by some to draw in Scotts to serve against him how like you that advice Iren. Much worse then the former for who that is experienced in those parts knoweth not that the O-Neales are neerely allyed unto the Mac-Neiles of Scotland and to the Earle of Argyle from whence they use to have all their succours of those Scottes and Redshanckes Besides all these Scottes are through long continuance intermingled and allyed to all the inhabitants of the north So as there is no hope that they will ever be wrought to serve faithfully against their old friends and kinsmen And though they would how when they have overthrowne him and the warres are finished shall they themselves be put out doe we not all know that the Scottes were the first inhabitants of all the north and that those which now are called the north Irish are indeed very Scottes which challenge the ancient inheritance and dominion of that Countrey to be their owne aunciently This then were but to leap out of the pan into the fire For the cheifest caveat and provision in reformation of the north must be to keep out those Scottes Eudox. Indeede I remember that in your discourse of the first peopling of Ireland you shewed that the Scythians or Scottes were the first that sate downe in the north whereby it seemes that they may challenge some right therein How comes it then that O-Neales claimes the dominion thereof and this Earle of Tyrone saith that the right is in him I pray you resolve me herein for it is very needefull to be knowne and maketh unto the right of the warre against him whose successe useth commonly to be according to the justnes of the cause for which it is made For if Tyrone have any right in that Seigniory me thinkes it should be wrong to thrust him out Or if as I remember you said in the beginning that O-Neale when he acknowledged the King of England for his Leige Lord and Soveraigne did as he alleadgeth reserve in the same submission his Seigniories and rights unto himselfe what should it be accounted to thrust him out of the same Iren. For the right of O-Neale in the seigniory of the north it is surely none at all For besides that the Kings of England conquered all the Realme and thereby assumed and invested all the right of that land to themselves and their heires and successours for ever So as nothing was left in O-Neale but what he received backe from them O-Neale himselfe never had any ancient Seigniory over that country but what by usurpation and incroachment after the death of the Duke of Clarence he got upon the English whose lands and possessions being formerly wasted by the Scottes under the leading of Edward le Bruce as I formerly declared unto you he eft-soones entred into and sithence hath wrongfully detained through the other occupations and great affaires which the Kings of England soone after fell into here at home so as they could not intend to the recovery of that Countrey of the north nor restraine the insolency of O-Neale who finding none now to withstand him raigned in that desolation and made himselfe Lord of those few people that remained there upon whom ever sithence he hath continued his first usurped power and now exacteth and extorteth upon all men what he list So that now to subdue or expell an usurper should bee no unjust enterprise or wrongfull warre but a restitution of auncient right unto the Crowne of England from whence they were most unjustly expelled and long kept out Eudox. I am very glad herein to be thus satisfied by you that I may the better satisfie them whom I have often heard to object these doubts and slaunderously to barke at the courses which are held against that trayterous Earle and his adherents But now that you have thus settled your service for Vlster and Connaght I would bee glad to heare your opinion for the prosecuting of Feagh Mac Hugh who being but a base villaine and of himselfe of no power yet so continually troubleth the State notwithstanding that he lyeth under their nose that I disdaine his bold arrogancy and thinke it to be the greatest indignity to the Queene that may be to suffer such a caytiffe to play such Rex and by his ensample not onely to give heart and incouragement to all such bad Rebells but also to yeeld them succour and refuge against her Majesty whensoever they fly unto his Comericke whereof I would first wish before you enter into your plot of service against him that you should lay open by what meanes he being so base first lifted himselfe up to this dangerous greatnes and how he maintaineth his part against the Queene and her power notwithstanding all that hath beene done and attempted against him And whether also hee have any pretence of right in the lands which he houldeth or in the warres that he maketh for the same Iren. I will so at your pleasure and will further declare not only the first beginning of his private house but also the originall of the sept of the Birnes and Tooles so farre as I have learned the same from some of themselves and gathered the rest by reading The people of the Birnes and Tooles as before I shewed unto you my conjecture descended from the auncient Brittaines which first inhabited all those easterne parts of Ireland as their names doe betoken for Brin in the Brittish language signifieth wooddy and Toole hilly which names it seemeth they tooke of the Countryes which they inhabited which is all very mountainous and woody In the which it seemeth that ever since the comming in of the English with Dermot ni-Gall they have continued Whether that their countrey being so rude and mountainous was of them despised and thought unworthy the inhabiting or that that they were received to grace by them and suffered to enjoy their lands as unfit for any other yet it seemeth that in some places of the same they have put foote and fortified with sundry Castles of which the ruines onely doe there now remaine since which time they are growne to that strength that they are able to lift up hand
Liveries marriages fines of alienations and many other Commodities which now are kept and concealed from her Majesty to the value of 40000. pounds per annum I dare undertake in all Ireland by that which I know in one county Eudox. This Irenaeus would seeme a dangerous commission and ready to stirre up all the Irish in Rebellion who knowing that they have nothing to shew for all those lands which they hould but their Swords would rather drawe them then suffer the lands to bee thus drawne away from them Iren. Neither should their lands be taken away from them nor the utmost advantages inforced against them But this by discretion of the Commissioners should be made knowne unto them that it is not her Majesties meaning to use any such extreamity but onely to reduce things into order of English Law and make them hould their lands of her and to restore to her her due services which they detaine out of those lands which were aunciently held of her And that they should not onely not be thrust out but also have estates and grants of their lands new made to them from her Majesty so as they should thence-forth hould them rightfully which they now usurpe wrongfully and yet withall I would wish that in all those Irish countryes there were some land reserved to her Majesties free disposition for the better containing of the rest and intermingling them with English inhabitants and customes that knowledge might still be had of them and of all their doings so as no manner of practise or conspiracy should be had in hand amongst them but notice should bee given thereof by one meanes or another and their practises prevented Eudox. Truely neither can the Irish nor yet the English Lords thinke themselves wronged nor hardly dealt withall herein to have that which is indeede none of their owne at all but her Majesties absolutely given to them with such equall conditions as that both they may be assured thereof better then they are and also her Majesty not defrauded of her rightly utterly for it is a great grace in a Prince to take that with conditions which is absolutely her owne Thus shall the Irish be well satisfied and as for the great men which had such graunts made to them at first by the Kings of England it was in regard that they should keepe forth the Irish and defend the Kings right and his Subjects but now seeing that in stead of defending them they robbe and spoyle them and in stead of keeping out the Irish they doe not onely make the Irish their tennants in those lands and thrust out the English but also some of themselves become meere Irish with marrying with them with fostering with them and combyning with them against the Queene What reason is there but that those graunts and priviledges should bee either revoked or at least reduced to the first intention for which they were graunted for sure in mine opinion they are more sharpely to bee chastised and reformed then the rude Irish which being very wilde at the first are now become more civill when as these from civillity are growne to be wilde and meere Irish. Iren. Indeede as you say Eudoxus these doe neede a sharper reformation then the Irish for they are more stubborne and disobedient to law and governement then the Irish be Eudox. In truth Irenaeus this is more then ever I heard that any English there should bee worse then the Irish Lord how quickely doth that Countrey alter mens natures It is not for nothing I perceive which I have heard that the Councell of England thinke it no good policie to have that Realme reformed or planted with English least they should grow so undutifull as the Irish and become much more dangerous As appeareth by the ensamples of the Lacies in the time of Edward the Second which you spake of that shooke off their allegiance to their naturall Prince and turned to Edward le Bruce to make him King of Ireland Iren. No times have bene without bad men but as for that purpose of the Councell of England which you spake of that they should keepe that Realme from reformation I thinke they are most lewdly abused for their great carefulnesse and earnest endeavours doe witnesse the contrary Neither is it the nature of the Countrey to alter mens manners but the bad mindes of the men who having beene brought up at home under a straight rule of duty and obedience being alwayes restrayned by sharpe penalties from lewde behaviour so soone as they come thither where they see lawes more slackely tended and the hard restraint which they were used unto now slacked they grow more loose and carelesse of their duty and as it is the nature of all men to love liberty so they become flat libertines and fall to all licentiousnes more boldly daring to disobey the Law thorough the presumption of favour and friendship then any Irish dareth Eudox. Then if that be so me thinkes your late advisement was very evill whereby you wished the Irish to be sowed and sprinckled with English and in all the Irish Countryes to have English planted amongst them for to bring them to English fashions since the English sooner drawe to the Irish then the Irish to the English for as you said before if they must runne with the streame the greater number will carry away the lesse Therefore me thinkes by this reason it should bee better to part the Irish and English then to mingle them together Iren. Not so Eudoxus but where there is no good stay of Government and strong ordinances to hould them there indeede the fewer will follow the more but where there is due order of discipline and good rule there the better shall goe foremost and the worst shall follow And therefore now since Ireland is full of her owne nation that ought not to be rooted out and somewhat stored with English already and more to be I thinke it best by an union of manners and conformity of mindes to bring them to be one people and to put away the dislikefull conceipt both of the one and the other which will be by no meanes better then by this intermingling of them For neither all the Irish may dwell together nor all the English but by translating of them and scattering them amongst the English not onely to bring them by dayly conversation unto better liking of each other but also to make both of them lesse able to hurt And therefore when I come to the tything of them I will tithe them one with another for the most part will make an Irish man the tythingman whereby he shall take the lesse exception to partiality and yet be the more tyed thereby But when I come to the Head Borough which is the head of the Lathe him will I make an English man or an Irish man of speciall assurance As also when I come to appoint the Alderman that is the head of the Hundreth him will I surely
and become meere Irish against whom his auncestors served valiantly in An. 1300. Sir Richard Bermingham was Lord of Athenrye 1316. Iohn Bermingham Baron de Atrio dei Anno 1318. Mac Morice alias Fitz Gerald Baron of Kerye Lord Courcye a poore man not very Irish the auncient descent of the Courcyes planted in Ireland with the Conquest Lord Flemmynge Baron of Slane Simon Flemmynge was Baron of Slane in Anno 1370. Plonket Baron of Killyne this family came in with the Danes whereof they have as yet speciall monuments Nugent Baron of Delvin Saint Laurence Baron of Hothe Plonket Baron of Doonesawny Barnewall Baron of Trimleston they came from little Brittaine where they are at this day a great surname upon their first arrivall they wonne great possessions at Beirnhaven where at length by conspiracie of the Irish they were all slaine except one yong man who then studied the common Lawes in England who returning dwelt at Dromnaghe besides Divelin and his heires are there at this day from thence a second brother remooved to Sirestone and so to Trimlestone and married the Lady Bruns who caused him to be made Baron This writeth the Lord of Donsany Edward Butler Baron of Donboyne given to Edmund Butler esquire and his heires males An. 33. H. 8. Fitz Patricke Baron of upper Ossory given to Barnabie Mac Gilpatricke and his heires males An. 33. H. 8. Donnate Clonnaghe Mac Gilpatricke was a peerelesse warriour in Anno 1219. Plonket Baron of Louthe to Sir Christopher Plonket and his heires males An. 33. H. 8. This Barony was an Earledome in An. 1316. appertaining to Bermingham Oneale Baron of Dongannon to whom the Earledome of Terone was entayled by gift of H. 8. Powere Baron of Curraghmore Mac Suretan Lord Deseret whom Sir Henry Sidney called Iordan de Exeter This was Lord in the time of Lionell Duke of Clarence An. 1361. now very wilde Irish. Murroghe Obrene Baron of Insickeyne to him and his heires males An. 35. H. 8. Mac Costilaghe L Nangle whom Sir Henry Sidney called de Angulo now very Irish. Mac William Burcke Lord of eighter Connaght now very Irish. Seintleger Baronet of Slemarge meere Irish. Den Baronet of Pormanston waxing Irish. Fitz Gerald Baronet of Burnchurch Welleslye Baronet of Narraghe Husee Baronet of Galtrim S. Michell Baronet of Reban Marwarde Baronet of Scryne Nangle Baronet of the Navan English gentlemen of longest continuance in Ireland are the race of those which at this day either in great povertie or perill doe keepe the properties of their auncestors lands in Vlster being then companions to Courcy the conquerour and Earle of that part These are the Savages Iordanes Fitz Symonds Chamberlaines Russels Bensons Audleyes Whites Fitz Vrsulyes now degenerate called in Irish Mac Mahon the Beares sonne CAP. III. Nature of the soyle and other incidents THe soyle is low and waterish includeth diverse little Ilands invironed with bogges and marishes Highest hilles have standing pooles in their toppe Inhabitants especially new come are subiect to distillations rhumes and flixes for remedy whereof they use an ordinary drinke of Aqua-vitae so qualified in the making that it dryeth more and inflameth lesse then other hote confections The aire is wholsome not altogether so cleare and subtle as ours of England Of Bees good store no vineyards contrary to the opinion of some writers who both in this and other errours touching the land may easily be excused as those that wrote of hearesay Cambrensis in his time complaineth that Ireland had excesse of wood and very little champaigne ground but now the English pale is too naked Turffe and Sea-coales is their most fuell it is stored of kyne of excellent horses hawkes of fish and fowle They are not without wolves and grey-hounds to hunt them bigger of bone and limme then a colt Their kyne as also their cattle and commonly what els soever the Countrey ingendreth except man is much lesse in quantity then ours of England Sheepe few and those bearing course fleeces whereof they spinne notable rugge mantle The country is very fruitefull both of corne and grasse the grasse for default of Husbandrie not for the cause alleaged in Polychronicon groweth so ranke in the north parts that oft times it rotteth their Kyne Eagles are well knowne to breed heere but neither so bigge nor so many as Bookes tell Cambrensis reporteth of his owne knowledge and I heare it averred by credible persons that Barnacles thousands at once are noted along the shoares to hang by the beakes about the edges of putrified timber shippes oares anchor-holdes and such like which in processe taking lively heate of the Sunne become water-foules and at their time of ripenesse either fall into the sea or fly abroad into the ayre Aeneas Sylvius that after was Pope Pius the second writeth himselfe to have perceaved the like experiment in Scotland where he learned the truth hereof to be found in the Ilands Orchades Horses they have of pace easie in running wonderfull swift Therefore they make of them great store as wherein at times of need they repose a great peice of safetie This broode Raphael Volateranus saith to have come at first from Arturia the country of Spaine betweene Gallicea and Portugall whereof they were called Asturcones a name now properly applyed to the Spanish Iennet I heard it verified by Honourable to Honourable that a Nobleman offered and was refused for one such horse an hundred kyne five pound Lands an Airy of Hawks yearely during seven yeares In the plaine of Kildare stood that monstrous heape of stones brought thither by Gyants from Affrique and removed thence to the plaine of Sarisbury at the instance of Aurel. Ambrose King of Brittaine No venemous creping beast is brought forth or nourished or can live here being sent in and therefore the spider of Ireland is well knowne not to be venemous Onely because a frogge was found living in the Meadowes of Waterford somewhat before the conquest they construed it to import their overthrowe S. Bede writeth that Serpents conveyed hither did presently die being touched with smell of the land and that whatsoever came hence was then of Soveraigne vertue against poyson He exemplifieth in certaine men stung with Adders who dranke in water the scrapings of Bookes that had beene of Ireland and were cured Generally it is observed the further West the lesse annoyance of pestilent creatures The want whereof is to Ireland so peculiar that whereas it lay long in question to whether Realme Brittaine or Ireland the I le of Man should pertaine the said controversie was decided that forsomuch as venemous beasts were knowne to breed therein it could not be counted a naturall peice of Ireland Neither is this propertie to be ascribed to S. Patrickes blessing as they commonly hold but to the originall blessing of God who gave such nature to the situation and soyle from the beginning And though I
vvho lightly leapt to horse and commaunding their forvvardnesse in so naturall a quarrell sayde Lordings and friendes this case neither admitteth delay nor asketh policie heart and haste is all in all vvhile the feate is young and strong that of our enemies some sleepe some sorrovv some curse some consult all dismayed let us anticipate their furye dismember their force cut off their flight occupie their places of refuge and succour It is no mastery to plucke their feathers but their neckes nor to chase them in but to rovvse them out to vveede them not to rake them nor to treade them dovvne but to digge them up This lesson the Tyrant himselfe hath taught mee I once demaunded him in a parable by vvhat good husbandry the Land might bee ridde of certaine Crovves that annoyed it hee advised to vvatche vvhere they bred and to fire the nestes about their eares Goe vvee then upon these Cormorants that shrovvde themselves in our possessions and let us destroy them so that neither nest nor roote nor seede nor stalke nor stubbe may remaine of this ungracious generation Scarce had he spoken the vvord but vvith great shovvtes and clamours they extolled the King as patron of their lives and families assured both courage and expedition joyned their confederates and vvith a running campe svvept every corner of the Land razed the castles to the ground chased the strangers before them slevv all that abode the battaile recovered each man his ovvne precinct and former state of government The Irish delivered of slavery fell to their old vomit in persecuting one another having lately defaced their fortified castles tovvns as coverts to the enemy al sides lay novv more open in harmes vvay This considered the Princes that in the late rule of Turgesius espied some towardnesse to wealth and ease began to discourse the madnesse of their fathers who could not see the use of that vvhich their enemies abused they began to loathe their unquietnesse to wish either lesse discord or more strength in every mans dominion to cast out the danger of naked Territoryes as ready to call in the enemy as the contrary was to shrowd them faine vvould they mend and they vvist not hovv The former subjection though it seemed intollerable yet they felt therein a grovving to peace fruits of merchandize rest surety for it fared diversly tvvixt those Easterlings these Irish they knevv hovv to thrive might they get some commodious soyle These had all the commodities of the soile reckoned them not While the Princes Potentates pavvsed in this good mood certain marchants out of Norvvay called Ostomanni Easterlings because they lay East in respect of us though they are indeede properly Normans partly Saxons obtained licence safely to land utter their vvares By exchanging of vvares money finding the Normans civill and tractable delighted also vvith gay conceipts vvhich they never esteemed needfull untill they savv them they entred into a desire of traffique vvith other nations to allure marchants they licensed the strangers aforesaid to build if they vvere disposed Haven-Tovvnes vvhich vvas done Amellanus founded Waterford Sitaricus Limericke Inorus Dublin more at leisure by others Then were repaired by helpe and counsell of these men castles forts steeples and Churches every-where Thus are the Irish blended also in the blood of the Normans who from thenceforth continually flocked hither did the Inhabitants great pleasure lived obediently till wealth made them wanton and rebellious But they could not possibly have held out had not the conquest ensuing determined both their contentions The meane while they waxed Lords of Havens and Bur-Townes housed their souldiours and oftentimes skirmished tooke their fortune crept no higher onely a memory is left of their field in Clantarfe where diverse noble Irish men were slayne that lye buryed before the Crosse of Kilmaynam And it is to be noted that these are the Danes which people then Pagans wasted England and after that France From whence they came againe into England with VVilliam the Conquerour So that Ostomani Normans Easterlings Danes and Norway-men are in effect the same and as it appeareth by conference of times and Chronicles much about one time or season vexed the French men subdued the English and multiplyed in Ireland But in the yeare of CHRIST 1095. perceiving great envy to lurke in the distinction of Easterlings and Irishe utterly west and because they were simply Northerne not Easterne and because they magnified themselves in the late conquest of their Countreymen who from Normandy flourished now in the Realme of England they would in any wise bee called and counted Normans Long before this time as ye have heard Ireland vvas bestowed into tvvo principall Kingdomes and sometime into more whereof one was ever elected Monarch whom they tearme in their Histories maximum regem or without addition regem Hiberniae The rest were written Reguli or Reges by limitation as the King of Leinster of Connaght of Vlster of Mounster of Meth. To the Monarch besides his allowance of ground and titles of Honours and other priviledges in Iurisdiction was graunted a negative in the nomination of Bishops at every vacation The Cleargy and Laity of the Diocesse recommended him to their King the King to their Monarch the Monarch to the Archbishop of Canterbury for that as yet the Metropolitanes of Ireland had not receaved their palles In this sort was nominated to the Bishopricke of Divelin then voide Anno 1074. at the petition of Godericus King of Leinster by sufferance of the cleargy people there with the consent of Terdilvachus the Monarch a learned prelate called Patricius whō the blessed archbishop Lanfrancus consecrated at S. Pauls Church in London swore him to the obedience after the maner of his antecessors Christian Bishop of Lismore Legate to Eugenius 3. summoned a Provinciall Councell in Ireland wherein were authorized foure Metropolitan See◠Ardmagh Dublin Cashell Tuam Bishops thereof being Gelasius Gregorius Donatus Edanus for hitherto though they yeelded a primacy to the Bishop of Ardmagh in reverence of Saint Patricke yet was it partly voluntary and ratified rather by custome then by sufficient decree neither did that Arch-Bishop take upon him to invest other Bishops but sent them to Canterbury as I said before which henceforth they did not Namely the next Bishop S. Laurence sometimes Abbot of S. Kevynes in Glandilagh was ordered and installed at home by Gelasius Primate of Ardmagh THE SECOND BOOKE OF CAMPION'S HISTORY OF IRELAND CAP. I. The conquest of Ireland by Henry the second King of England commonly called Henry Fitz Empresse DErmot Mac Murrough King of Leinster halt and leacherous vowed dishonestly to serve his lust on the beautifull Queene of Meath and in the absence of her husband allured the woman so farre that she condiscended to be stolne away This dishonourable wrong to avenge O-Rorick the King her husband besought
to preserve at the motion of the Lady Sidney then abiding in Droghedagh came Master Sarsfield then Major of Divelin with a chosen band of goodly young men Citizens and brake the rage of the enemies The Deputy returning made him Knight and finding it now high time utterly to weede and roote out the Traytor he furnished a substantiall army and with the readines thereof hartened the Irish whom Oneale had impoverished cut off his adherents and all accesse of succour chased him and his into corners spent him cast him into such despaire that he consulted with his Secretary Neale Mac Connor to present himselfe unknowne and disguised to the Deputy with an halter about his necke begging his pardon Ere you doe so quoth his Clarke let us prove an extreame shift and there he perswaded him to joyne with the Scots whom he had lately banished of whom should he be refused or finde inconvenience at any time submission to the Deputy might then be used when all faileth Shane knew himselfe odious to the Scots especially to them whom he thought to lincke with the brother and kindred of Iames Mac Conill yet in those hard oddes hee devised rather to assay their friendship then to grate upon mercy which so oft and so intollerably he had abused Mac Conill whom Shane overthrew left two brethren and a Sister whereof one Suarly Torwy remained with Oneale entertayned after his brothers death The other was Alexander Oge who with 600. Scots incamped now in Clanebov The woman was Agnes Ilye whose husband Shane slew in the said discomfiture Agnes had a sonne Mac Gillye Aspucke who betrayed Oneale to avenge his Fathers and Vncles quarrell At the first meeting for thither he came accompanied with Torwy and his Secretary and 50. horsemen the Captaines made him great cheere and fell to quaffing but Aspucke minding to enter into his purpose there openly challenged his Secretary as the Author of a dishonourable report that Mac Conils wife did offer to forsake her country and friends and to marry with Shane Oneale her husbands destruction Mary quoth the Secretary if thine Aunt were Queen of Scotland it might beseeme her full well to seeke such a marriage To this brawle Oneale gave eare upheld his man advaunced his owne degree The comparison bred a fray betweene their Souldiours Out sprang Aspucke and beat Oneales man and then suddainely brought his band upon them in the tent where the Souldiours with their slaughter-knives killed the Secretary and Shane Oneale mangled him cruelly lapped him in an old Irish shirte and tumbled him into a pit within an old Chappell hard by whose head foure dayes after Captaine Pierce cut off and met therewith the Deputy who sent it before him staked on a pole to the Castle of Divelin where it now standeth It is thought that Tirlagh who now usurpeth the name of Oneale practised this devise with Agnes Alexander and Torwy when he perceived Shane discouraged and not able to hold out Thus the wretched man ended who might have lived like a Prince had he not quenched the sparkes of grace that appeared in him with arrogancy and contempt against his Prince The next Tumult in Ireland proceeded of the folly especially of Sir Edmund Butler Pierce and Edward his Brethren who being unable in law to maintaine his title to certaine landes whereof he held possession whereunto Sir Peter Carew laide very direct and manifest claime for Carew is an ancient Barons house in Ireland confedered with Iames Fitz Morice of the south and others began commotion more dangerous to the Realme then the late stirre of Oneale such was their opportunity of place the rebels so friended their number so furnished that the Deputy passing forth against them in haste requisite with such shift as the suddaine mischiefe asked was thought to have put his person in great adventure but in conclusion he wanne by that journey great martiall honour started them from hole to hole and ransackt every veine of the land so as the Butlers craving protection shortly recoyled and stand now at the Queenes mercy To appease the country reforme the lewdnes of his Brethren Thomas Earle of Ormond came from the Court of England home and in quieting the said broyles shewed also for his part a right good peece of service worthy to be remembred After this ensued a Parliament the particulars whereof are expressed in the acts lately drawne to be published in Print somewhat before the last session a seditious libell intituled Tom Troth let fall in the streetes of Divelin nipped by name diverse honourable and worshipfull of the Realme certaine officers of the Deputyes houshold for greeving the land with impositions of Cesse whereupon followed a proclamation bearing date the twenty eight of Ianuary which if it may bee executed in all points would cut off many such murmures and leave a blessed memory of the Governour that devised it The day of prorogation when the Knights and Burgesses of the Cominalty resorted to the Lordes of the upper house much good matter was there uttered betweene the Deputy and the Speaker whereof comming home to my lodging I tooke notes and here I will deliver them as neere as I can call them to minde in the same words and sentences that I heard them First the Speaker Iames Stanihurst an Esquire of worship Recorder of Divelin and for the Citty Burgesse at that present began thus Rather of custome and dutyfull humility then for doubt of your honourable disposition so well knowne to us all and to every of us in private that it little needeth my praise we are to request your Lordship in the behalfe of our selves and our countryes whom we represent in this Parliament to accept our service and endeavour in driving these conclusions where by to the uttermost of our skill we have intended without injury the Crowne to enrich treasons to chastise to better the state traffique to further learning to cherish and in briefe to maintaine with our best advice those benefits which the Prince hath inferred upon this Realme by you and you with your sword and wisedome have performed An ordinary suite it is in the end of such assemblies to crave executions of law for it sufficeth not to keepe a statute tanquam inclusum in tabulis as a thing shut up in parchment rolles but law must speake and walke abroad to the comfort and behoofe of good subjects Otherwise vve shall resemble the folly of him that once in every houre saluted his gold never using it but onely bad it lye still and couch Of the necessity thereof I cannot say so much as your Lordship conceiveth and I desire not to discourse a matter generally felt and confessed In particular the zeale which I have to the reformation of this Realme and to breede in the rudest of our people resolute English hearts moveth me to pray your Lordships helping hand for the practise namely of one statute which is
for the erecting of Grammer Schooles within every diocesse the stipends to be levied in such proportion as in the late act hath beene devised whereunto the royall assent is already granted and yet the point in no forwardnes nor in none is like to be except by some good meanes the onset be given freshly followed surely might one generation sippe a little of this liquor and so bee induced to long for more both our country men that live obeysant would ensue with a courage the fruites of peace whereby good learning is supported and our unquiet neighbours would finde such sweetenesse in the taste thereof as it should bee a ready way to reclaime them In mine experience who have not yet seene much more then forty yeares I am able to say that our Realme is at this day an halfe deale more civill then it was since noble men and worshipfull with others of ability have used to send their sonnes into England to the Law to Vniversities or to Schooles Now when the same Schooles shall bee brought home to their doores that all that will may repaire unto them I doubt not considering the numbers brought up beyond the Seas and the good already done in those few places where learning is professed but this addition discreetly made will foster a young frye likely to prove good members of this common wealth and desirous to traine their children the same way Neither were it a small helpe to the assurance of the Crowne of England when Babes from their Craddles should be inured under learned Schoole-masters with a pure English tongue habite fashion discipline and in time utterly forget the affinity of their unbroken borderers who possibly might be wonne by this example or at the least wise loose the opportunity which novv they have to infect others And seeing our hap is not yet to plant an Vniversity here at home which attempt can never bee remembred without many thankes to your good Lordship for your bountifull offer me seemeth it is the more expedient to enter so farre forth as our commission reacheth and to hope for the rest I have said enough especially to a learned governour to whom an inckling were sufficient in such a plausible and needfull motion It resteth that wee pray your Lordship to folde up whatsoever squarings or diversities of Iudgements wise men have heere uttered in our often meetings and by the sequele of all our doings to measure the good meaning of every severall person When the Speaker had done the Deputy having a rich and plentifull kinde of utterance meere naturall but not without judgement answered at length as he that knew no end of his good the points whereof as I can remember were these In good faith M. Speaker I cannot lesse doe but recorde and testifie the readines travaile and good service of you all and namely of your selfe who in the whole course of this Parliament now lastly in this charitable request for trayning your youth have confirmed the opinion which my selfe and the generall voyce long since retained of your rare vertues devotion wisedome learning and modestie so as the case cannot be misdoubted that is preferred by such a Proctor the substance whereof toucheth you my Lords spirituall and temporall you the knights and worshipfull of every Shire to you belongeth the quickening of this godly statute which heere againe I recommend unto you will not let to enquire after your diligence therein from time to time the most effectuall order that may be for this purpose shall assuredly be taken in place convenient Shew your selves forvvard and franke in advancing the honour wealth ease and credit of your countryes envy not to your posterity the same path that your selves have troden and namely you that flourish at this day in the light eye of your cōmon-wealth Had your opinions matched with mine concerning the Vniversity which M. Speaker remembreth no doubt the name and reputation thereof would have bin a spurre to these erections as nurses for babes to suck in till they might repaire thither to be wained But I trust your consents therein are only suspended for a time and that so much good labour shall not be utterly lost and frustrate What though certaine imperfections cannot as yet be salved What though the summe arise not to make a muster of Colledges at the first day What though the place be not also commodious What though other circumstances inferre a feeble and rawe foundation These are indeede objections of the multitude whose backewardnesse breedeth an unnecessary stoppe in this our purpose But your wisedomes can easily consider that time must ripen a weake beginning that other Vniversities began with lesse that all experience telleth us so shall wee be so curious or so testy that nothing will please us but all in all all absolute all excellent all furnished all beautified all fortified in the prime and infancie thereof I remember a tale of Apuleius asse who being indifferently placed betweene two bottles of haye because he could not reach them both at once forbare them both Let us not so doe but content our selves by little and little to bee fedde as the case requireth The rest of your Bills debated and passed by your wisedomes in this Parliament I must confesse they are as you say beneficiall to the Queene my Mistris and to her Crowne but how Verily as the Husband-man soweth his seede and reapeth much more then he layde downe so whatsoever this benefite amounteth unto it returneth to your selves in a circle heere it groweth heere it is eaten heere it multiplyeth heere it is spent they have their due the Prince is bettered you are quieted Iustice executed malefactours terrifyed Were they never so deare collopps of your owne flesh and bloud I see not how you could either have coloured their offence or qualifyed their punishment the one so notorious that it cannot be dissembled the other so ordinary that course of law prescribeth it Therefore as you have well done so you have done but your duties allowed an inch to receive an ell abridged your owne foes avenged your own Injuryes condemned your owne oppressors And yet this duty being on your parts so cheerefully and painfully so lovingly and advisedly performed deserveth great thankes and shall finde it too If I bee the man either in office able to consider you or out of office in place to friend you I am to depart into England shortly lay your heads together and article the points whereby this Realme may be furthered use mee either as a mouth to speake for you or an eye to direct you or as a hand to under-prop you aut consilio aut auxilio Besides the generall care vvhich I ought to have for you all as your governour and yoked together under one obedience English blouds and English hearts I am linked to you as to my continuall acquaintance these many yeares hither I came in my spring heere I have spent my summer I
time of Augustus Caesar a little before the birth of our Saviour Fridelenus King of Denmarke puffed vp with pride through some fortunate successes arrived in Ireland laid siege to the Citie of Dublin and finding it not so easie a matter to atchieue fell to policie he caught certaine Swallowes that bred in the Citie tyed fire to their wings who flying to their nests fired the houses while the Citizens endevoured to quence the fire the Danes entred the Citie and wâ—nne it The King of Leinster after this gathered forces and gave the Danes battaile in which many fell on both sides Fredelnus seeing the enemy increase and his armie decrease fled the land and retired into his country His sonne Frotho the third of that name King of Danes so Albertus Krantzius and Saxo Grammaticus record wantonly assailed the Britaines lustrans magis insulam quam subigens rather taking a view of the Iland then subduing it afterward relinquishing that course put foot in Ireland The historiographers of that side report hardly of the land and the inhabitants thereof and in fine they write when Cepo the Irish King was overthrowne and put to flight his brother Kervill saith Saxo I take it to be O Carroll offered tribute wherewith the Danes being pacified returned to their Country This Frotho peopled the Orchades with Danes and appointed Revillus their commander Whilst this Frotho King of Danes was Monarch of Ireland the light of the world the comfort of all Christians IESVS CHRIST the sonne of GOD was borne in the flesh About the 44. yeere after the incarnation of our Lord Claudius the Emperour having appeased the troubles of Britaine by the aide of Arviragus as Mathew Westmonasteriensis saith subdued Orchades Hebrides Thule and all the Ocean Ilands among the which Ireland is reckoned the which Beda and Eutropius haue likewise remembred But Fabian Grafton Holinshed and Ponticus Virunius say further that he sent certaine legions of Knights into Ireland to subdue the same what successe they had is not recorded a legion consisting of 6666. as ancient Writers record no doubt they performed some great exploit Learned Camden writeth of the Brigantes the inhabitants of Yorkeshire Lancashire the Bishopricke of Durham Westmerland and Cumberland were so called how that in the time of Claudius as I take it many of them went to end their dayes in Ireland and of old were called the Brigantes of Ireland His words are these Quod verò Florianus Del Campo Hispanus nostros Brigantes c. Whereas Florianus Del-Campo the Spaniard hath somewhat arrogantly derived our Brigantes from Spaine into Ireland and thence into Britaine being aided by no other conjecture but that he found in his Country of Spaine the Citie Brigantia I feare mee hee hath fouly deceived himselfe For if the like cause have not given ours and the Brigantes of Ireland the same name I had rather be of opinion with my most learned friend Thomas Savill namely that certaine Brigantes and other nations of Britaine also even from the comming of the Romans into Britaine departed into Ireland some for quietnesse sake and to liue at ease some for that their eyes should not be infected with the sight of the Roman dominion and last of all others lest in their latter age they should willingly seeme to lose the libertie which from nature they had received in their youth And that Claudius the Emperour first of any Romane tooke the Brigantes in hand and subjected them to his Empire and command Seneca sheweth in these his verses ........ Ille Britannos Vltra noli littora ponti caeruleos Scuta Brigantes dare Romulaeis colla catenis Iussit ......... The Britaines farre from knowne seas and Brigantes Bucklers blue The Roman Claude to Roman becke did bring and rebels slue Claudius hauing effected all his affaires as formerly hath been delivered returned to Rome then saith Gualter Oxon. Omnia regna Arvirago tradidit he delivered all these kingdomes to Arviragus He committed them al to his charge saith Ponticus Virunius In Matthew Westmonsteriensis I reade regimen insulare Arvirago cessit the command of the Ilands fell to Arviragus Harding hath delivered it in verse Orchades Isles in the meane time he conquered In which he infeoffed the King and him preferred About this time Frotho the fourth of that name King of Danes some 30. yeeres after the former invasion saith mine Author sent great power of Giants out of Denmarke under the leading of bloudy Haco and the great challenger and huge monster Starcuterus to invade Ireland The occasion was as followeth Starcuterus before mentioned being borne farre in the East by reason of shipwracke having lost both his ship and fellowes was cast upon the coast of Denmarke and hearing of the fame of Frotho came to his Court This Giant was greatly admired for stature and strength of body Frotho commanded a great navie to be in a readinesse with all manner of necessary provision made him an arch-pirate and turned him to the Sea to seeke adventures They touched many lands and fought with many Giants at length saith mine Author that no Country though never so remote should bee freed from the smart of Danish forces they arived in Ireland Huglet King of Ireland gave them battaile in the which Huglet was slaine and all the Irish put to flight And yet mine Author though a Dane highly commendeth two Irish Lords Segathus and Suibdanus the one wounded Haco the other gave Starcuterus such a blow that he stood a great while amazed and had beene slaine had he not beene rescued The battaile being ended the Danes tooke Dufflinian Dublin ransacked it and found great store of treasure and some of them remained in the land the rest returned to Denmarke Starcuterus went into forraigne countries to combat with Giants In the time of Arviragus before mentioned I finde the greatest probability of the first comming of the Pictes out of Scythia first into Ireland secondly into Albania now called Scotland and lastly into the North of England And whereas before page 3. I made mention of the arivall of Scythians Nemedus and his foure sonnes and after them of five brethren of their posteritie and the third time of another fleete of Scythians that arived in Ireland and that also by many antiquities it appeareth that the Scots be Scythians and came out of those parts whence these Pictes brake forth I purpose now to make a more full discourse of that businesse Camden modestly confesseth he knoweth not when they came first into these parts neither doe I mislike with his conjecture that they should be old Britaines who painted themselves to shew more terrible against the Romanes yet we must confesse that there are many nations of severall names in Scythia and Polychronicon together with Rastall saith that the Gothes and Pictes be one nation The etymologie I finde in the storie of the Gothes Scythia in the Gothicke tongue
Barret Edmund Lane Who flourished in the yeere 1518. So farre Master Stanihurst Hector Boetius putteth us in remembrance of the honour given her by Scots Pictes Irish and English nations and how that many Churches beare her name The superstitious Irish in processe of time found out a Bell called Clogg Brietta Brigids Bell whereunto to deceive the simple people they attribute great vertue and holinesse the which together with other toyes they carried about not onely in Ireland but also in England and were by Act of Parliament in England banished the land in Henry the fifts time Cambrensis reporteth that the harmonie of the foure Evangelists the worke of Saint Ierome was caused by Brigid most of it to be written in letters of gold and was as curious a worke saith he as ever I saw and called Brigids Booke the which was kept as a monument saith Stanihurst at Kildare She deceased about the yeere 510. another saith anno 548. and about the yeere 524. she was translated from the Hebrides into Dune and resteth by Saint Patrickes side as formerly hath beene declared in his life Ireland hath given her this Epitaph Flos patriae pietatis amans virtutis alumna Sidus Hibernorum Brigida virgo fuit In her Legend I finde mention of Ercus a Bishop the disciple of Saint Patricke borne in Mounster also of Saint Ruanus a Bishop Saint Numidus Saint Praecipuus Saint Daria a Virgin Saint Darlugdach called a Virgin and yet had a daughter that was baptized in the presence of Brigide This Darlugdach was the second Nunne and succeeded Brigide in Kildare whose remembrance is celebrated the same day with her Illand King of Leinster gave Brigide great honour of him I read in her Legend that hee was a most worthy Prince and fortunate in all his affaires Illand Rex Lageniae qui triginta bella in Hibernia vicit octo certamina in Britannia occidit Engusium regem Momoniae cum Ethna uxore quos Patricius baptizavit Illand King of Leinster who wonne thirty battailes in Ireland and eight combats in Britaine slue Engusus King of Mounster and Ethna his wife whom Patricke had baptized About this time lived Caelius Sedulius whom Damianus à Goes a Knight of Portingall challenged for a Spaniard Bale writeth hee was a Scot and Stanihurst that he was borne in Ireland I will first lay downe what Bale hath next what Stanihurst reporteth Caelius Sedulius saith Bale by nation a Scot. by calling a Priest a man trayned up in learning from his youth cleaved as a diligent scholler unto Hildebert the most learned Archbishop of Scots as Tritemius delivereth After the decease of his master being desirous of farther knowledge he tooke a painefull voyage in hand travailed throughout Spain France Italie Greece and Asia last of all after he had read in Achaia most learned lectures to the great profit of many hee came backe to Rome where with great labour he distributed most abundantly in like sort the treasure of singular learning Hee was a man exercised in holy Scripture of a singular wit excellently well seene in all manner of secular literature passing both for verse and prose so that Gelasius Bishop of Rome in the decrees dist 15. calleth him reverend Sedulius and gave his workes no meane commendation Patâ—rius the disciple of Gregorius Magnus and Remigius Antisiodorensis in his commentary upon him of old have published his fame and renowne Sedulius both in verse and prose hath published many workes whereof in Boston of Burie and Tritemius I onely found these that follow Vnto Macedonius the Priest a singular worke which he intituled Carmen paschale lib. 4 Pascales quicunque dapes conviva requiris Elegia vel exhortatorium ad fideles lib. 1 Cantemus socij Dom. cantemus honorem De signis virtutibus lib. 1 Domino meo charissimo Gesta et miracula Christi lib. 4 Expulerat quondam c Superutroque testamento lib. 2  In Psalmos Dividicos lib. 1  Collectanea in Paulum lib. 14 Antequam Apostolica verba In Paulum ad Romanos lib. 1 Sciendum est quod hoc Ad Corinthios lib. 2 Quod nomen suum proponit Ad Galatas lib. 1 Hoc est non ab humana Ad Ephesios lib. 1 Refere scriptura testante Ad Philippenses lib. 1 Metropoli Macedoniae cum Ad Colossenses lib. 1 Hac vice Apostolatus autor Ad Thessalonicenses lib. 2 Quod non dicit Apostolus Ad Timotheum lib. 2 Non secundum praesumptionem Ad Titum Discipulum lib. 1 Hanc epistolam scribit de Ad Philemonem lib. 1 In carcere vel in catenis Ad Hebraeos lib. 1 Quoniam apud Haebraeorum De factis Christi prosaice lib. 2  Ad Caesarem TheodosiuÌ„ lib. 1 Romulidum ductor Clariss Epist. ad diversos lib. 1 Sedulius Scotigena dilect In editionem Donati lib. 1  In Prisciani volumen lib. 1  Carmina diversi generis lib. 1  He published also certaine Hymnes which the Church useth 1 A solis ortus cardine Ad usque terrae limitem Christum canamus principem c. Hostis Herodes impie Christum venisse quid times c. 2 A solis ortus cardine Ad usque terrae limitem Christum canamus principem c. Hostis Herodes impie Christum venisse quid times c. He flourished in the yeere after the Incarnation 450. under Theodosius Iunior the Emperour what time Fergusius the second raigned in Scotland after his miserable exile by the Romanes Of this Author Sigebertus and Bostonus write more So farre Bale Stanihurst pleadeth for Ireland and writeth Sedulius was not only of Irish birth but also the light of all Ireland neither will we suffer any longer so excellent a man out of his native soile contrary to all right to exile or wander but he is rather to be restored to his former inheritance as it were with a new solemnity of birth In another place hee seemeth to qualifie the matter having already chalenged Damianus a Goes of iniurie and to reconcile the dissonance of varying writers that the Scottish is taken for the Irish and the Irish for the Scottish and to satisfie the reader noteth the confusion how that all the commentaries of Sedulius upon the Epistles of Paul beginne Sedulij Scoti Hibernensis c. the Commentarie of Sedulius the Scot of Ireland And to shut up this challenge of all sides I finde that there was a second Sedulius a man of no lesse fame and learning and hee is said to bee a Scottish man therefore let Ireland being more antient then Scotland take the first and Scotland the last In the like sort excepting the challenge standeth Fridelinus Viator so called by reason of his great travaile his stile is Scotorum Hibernicorum regis olim filius the sonne sometime of the King of the Scots in Ireland whom I couch among them of Irish birth because of the ancient stile and distinction often used
dayes Satan with all the internall spirits sent greeting with great thankes unto the Ecclesiasticall state upon earth in dreadfull characters For that they wanting no aide in their delights from hellish places sent such a number of damned soules into the sulphureall pits through their remisnesse in life and slacknesse in preaching as in former ages had not beene seene Whosoever devised the course it forceth not greatly the matter might seeme odious if it contained no truth Finnan in Wales as my Authors report called Gwyn was born at Ardez he travelled forraigne countries came to his native soile was Bishop of Farne saith Beda baptized Penda King of Mercia consecrated Cedd Bishop of East Saxons and lyeth buried at Cuningham in Scotland called of the Britaines Kilgwinin There was also one Finan an Abbot borne in Mounster sent by Saint Brendan to Smoir now called Mons Blandina to inhabite there who came afterwards to Corcodizbue where hee was borne builded Cels and Monasteries for religious men contended with Falbe Fland King of Mounster A third Finan there was who was master of Ruadanus a great learned man and dwelt at Cluayn jarhaird in Meath Colmannus whose life Bale writeth at large was a godly learned man borne in Ireland the sonne of one Fiachra of the bloud Royall and highly commended of Beda hee was brought up after the Apostolike rules of Congellus he succeeded Finan in the Bishopricke of Farne alias Linsey In his time there was great stirre about the observation of Easter when some alledged custome and some urged the authoritie of Rome he pleaded the Gospell both against this stir and the like trouble that rose about the shaving of Priests crownes the which he reiected saith Beda and seeing that he could not prevaile forsooke his Bishopricke and went with certaine Scots and Saxons into the Hebrydes where he ended his dayes Beda writeth how that in the yeere 664. there fell strange accidents upon the eclipse of the Sunne which was the third of May in England and Ireland and a great mortalitie in both lands in the time of Finan and Colman the godly Bishops Gentle reader thou shalt heare himselfe speake The plague pressed sore that Iland of Ireland no lesse then England there were then as that time many of noble parentage and likewise of the meane sort of English birth in the dayes of Finan and Colman the Bishops who leaving their native soile had repaired thither either for divine literature or for more continencie of life whereof some immediately gave themselves to monasticall conversation others frequenting the Cels gave diligent eare to the lectures of the readers All which the Scots he meaneth the Irish men with most willing minde daily relieved and that freely yeelding unto them bookes to reade and masterly care without hire Among these there were two young men of great towardnesse of the Nobles of England Edelthun and Egbert the first was brother to Edilhun a man beloved of God who formerly had visited Ireland for learnings sake and being well instructed returned into his country was made Bishop of Lindisfarne and for a long time governed the Church with great discretion These men being of the monasterie of Rathmelfig and all their fellowes by the mortalitie either cut off or dispersed abroad were both visited with the sicknesse and to make short that which mine Author layeth downe at large Edelthun died thereof and Egbert lived untill he was fourescore and tenne yeeres old So farre Beda There was another Colmannus otherwise called Colmanellus an Abbot of the sept of the Neilles borne in Hoichle in Meth what time the King of Leinster with an huge armie wasted the North he became first Abbot of Conor in Vlster where the godly Bishop Mac Cnessey resteth From thence he came to the place where he was born and there saith his Legend he met with Eadus the sonne of Aimireach a King of Ireland Edus Flan a Lord of that country of the sept of the Neills his kinsman Saint Columba Cylle and Saint Cannicus the Abbot who received him ioyfully Edus Flan gave him a parcell of land to build upon and to inhabit called Fyd Elo afterwards called Colmans Elo where hee founded a Monasterie and now resteth himselfe Carantocus in the martyrologe Cartak was the sonne of Keredicus a King of Ireland a good Preacher the Irish called him Ceruagh his mother was a Britaine and was delivered of him in Wales Hee travailed over Ireland and Britaine King Arthur is said to have honoured him greatly and gave him a parcell of land where he builded a Church In his latter dayes he came to Ireland and died in a towne called after his name Chervac So much Capgrave There was another of that name an Abbot in France of whom Ionas maketh mention in the life of Columbanus but not of Irish birth Now to intermit a while from speaking of these learned men I finde that Aurelius Conanus who slue Constantine that succeeded King Arthur and raigned in his stead thirty three yeeres valiantly by force of Armes brought under his command as Gualterus Oxoniensis writeth Norwey Denmarke Ireland Island Gothland the Orchades and Ocean Ilands I finde also that Malgo the nephew of this Conanus who as it is in the English history succeeded Vortipore vanquished the Irish Pictes or Scots which the Britaines called y Gwydhil Pictiard which had over-runne the Isle of Man of them called Tyr Mon and slue Serigi their King with his owne hand at Llany Gwydhil that is the Irish Church at Holy-head so write Sir Iohn Price Knight and Humfry Lloyd in the description of Cambria Florilegus saith that he subdued sixe Ilands of the Ocean adioyning unto him which Harding thus reckoneth And conquered wholy the Isle of Orkenay Ireland Denmarke Iselond and eke Norway And Gotland also obeyed his royaltie He was so wise full of fortunitie When Careticus was King of Britaine who began his raigne Anno Dom. 586. the Saxons intending to make a full conquest of the land called to their aide for a number of Pirates and sea rovers that were mighty and strong and scoured the Seas and the Ilands whose Captaine was Gurmundus one calleth him an African Fabian writeth that he had two names and was called Gurmundus and Africanus howsoever I finde that hee was the King of Norweys sonne and for his successe in England referre the reader to that historie and for his behaviour in Ireland I will acquaint the courteous reader with what I finde in which the Writers noâ— not agree Cambrensis and Polycronicon followed bad presidents and were deceived Stanihurst stammereth writing one thing in English another thing in Latine the best record I finde is in Thadie Dowlinge Chancellour of Leighlin and Iames Grace of Kilkenny They write that Gurmund was in Ireland but no King or Conquerour that with strong hand he entred Leinster like a raging
is that say they the stones of your two foster brethren with that she cast up a wilde look and never beheld him cheerefully againe Ororic her Lord and husband being in pursuit of kerne theeves and outlawes that had mightily annoyed his people in the furthest part of his country she with all celerity supposing it a fit time sent for her lover Dermotte the message was no sooner delivered but hee was a horse backe posting to the Harlot to be short he tooke her away with him at which time O false heart she strugled she cryed as though she were unwilling and that hee forced her Ororic immediately heard of it gathered his forces together mustred his people craved ayde and among others wrote unto Roderick Monarch of Ireland as followeth Though I am not ignorant most renowned Prince that humane causes are to be weighed in the balance of patience and that a man endued with vertue will not effeminate himselfe by reason of the unconstant and mutable minde of a Harlot yet in so much this horrible crime whereof I am fully perswaded came to your eares before my messenger could deliver his letters a thing heretofore not heard of as farre as I remember not practised against any King of Ireland severity causeth me to call for justice when charity admonisheth me not to seeke revengement If thou behold the shame I confesse it redoundeth to me alone if you weigh the cause it is common to us both what confidence shall we repose in our subjects that are bound unto us in regard of our Princely command if this effeminate adulterer or rather queller of chastity shall escape unpunished for so abhominable a fact for the unchastised offences of Princes notoriously committed in the sight of al men breed a most pernitious imitation as precedents unto the people in summe you have sufficient experience of my good will and affection towards you you see mee wounded with the cruell darts of fortune vexed with infinite discommodities and now extremely driven to my utter shifts It remaines seeing I am wholly yours that not onely with counsell being requested but with armes being urged you revenge my quarrell this when you will and as you will not onely I aske but require at your hands Farewell The Monarch for some former quarrell against Dermot was all on fire and joyning forces with Ororic entred Leinster with fire and sword the people cry woe and alacke O bone in Irish now are wee punished for the lewdnesse of our Prince Dermot lulling himselfe in his lovers armes heareth the newes starteth upon a sodaine beholdeth his Lady hath no power to speake runneth forth calleth his men cryeth for aid throughout his country none gave â—are unto him the country thought now whereas they could not that God will be revenged on him for his exactions cruelty tyranny and all other villanies practised upon his subjects and especially for deflouring another mans wife when he saw himselfe quite forsaken voyd and destitute of all ayde he betooke himselfe to the sea and fled for England but what became of the Harlot I cannot learne belike shee hanged her selfe when she had set all the country in uprore Anno 1169. Iohn Clin and Iohn Stow are mine Authors now that Dermot is fled I am to insert a story out of the British Chronicles of Conwey and Strotflur Abbeyes afore I discourse of him which was in the same yeere that he tooke the sea how that Owen Gwyneth Prince of North-Wales had a sonne called Ryryd who in the right of his wife as it seemeth was Lord of Clochran in Ireland and another sonne begotten vpon an Irish woman called Howell and a third sonne called Madoc This Madoc finding his country in great contention and his brethren at civill warres prepared certaine ships with men and munition out of Wales and Ireland and sought adventures by seas he sailed west from the coast of Ireland so farre north that hee came to a land unknowne where he saw many strange things This land in the opinion of Humphrey Lloyde the great Antiquary of Britaine must needs be some part of that country of which the Spaniards affirme themselves to be the first discoverers since Hannos time For by reason and order of cosmographie this land to the which Madoc came must needs be sonne part of Nova-hispania or Florida whereupon it is manifest that the same country was long before discovered by Britaines and Irish men afore either Columbus or Americus Vespatius led any Spaniards thither Of the voyage and returne of this Madoc there be many fables the which I will not report He prepared ships for a second voyage and tooke with him men and women to inhabit that land therefore it is to be presupposed that he and his people inhabited part of those countries for it appeareth by Francis Loves that in Acusanus and other places the people honoured the Crosse whereby it may be gathered that Christians had been there before the comming of the Spaniards but because this people were not many they followed the manners of the land and used their language I am of opinion with others that the land whereunto Madoc came was some part of Mexico first of all for that the inhabitants of that land report their Rulers to have descended from a strange nation that came from a far country which thing is confessed by Mutesuma King of that country in his orations made for quieting of his people at his submission to the King of Castile Hernando Curtecius being then present which is laid downe in the Spanish Chronicles of the conquest of the West-Indies secondly the british words and names of places used in that country to this day doe argue the same as when they talke together they say Gwrando which is hearken or listen in British Also if you peruse Sir Humphrey Gilberts discovery they have a Bird which they call Pengwin in Brittish and Cornish a white-head but the Iland of Corroeso the Cape of Britaine the river of Gwyndoor and the white rocke of Pengwyn be British or Welch words whereby it appeareth that it was that country which Madoc and his people inhabited now remembring my selfe that my pen hath not carryed me so far unto forraigne countries by sea but that I expect Dermots returne by sea and by land into Ireland Dermot Mac Morogh came to Henry 2. in Normandie made his moane as formerly in substance is delivered craved aide for his restitution into his country being a King exiled although distressed and void of comfort unlesse hee might obtaine it at his Majesties hands the Kings hands being full of warres he granted him his favourable letters as followeth Henry King of England Duke of Normandie and Aquitaine Earle of Anjow c. unto all his subiects English Normans Welch and Scots and to all nations and people being his subiects greeting whereas Dermot Prince of Leinster most wrongfully as he enformeth banished out of his owne country hath craved our ayde therefore for
are manie we are but few in comparison of their number afore we give battaile there are 3. things as I take it requisite to be considered the cause wherefore we fight the number of both sides that they be somewhat equally matched and the place where both joyne battaile together I would not have any of my speeches drawn to discourage or dismay any valiāt mind To the first our parentage is knowne we are no base people our valour is tryed our enemy hath the proofe thereof we come not to steale but to be revenged of the theeves that murthered our men robbed us of our necessary provision Secondly where we find our company small and our side weake and the ground not fitting us for any advantage where force cannot further let policie take place my advice is that a begger or a Frier shall goe from us to the Irish campe and informe them that Sir Hugh Delacy came yesternight with a great force to Drogheda and that he saw two miles off a great army of horse and foot somewhat westerly of him which he supposeth to bee the English Army that marched all night from Tradaf towards Dundalke in the meane while my sonne Nico with twenty choice horsemen together with our lackies and horseboies for the greater shew upon our hackneis and garrans shall wheele Westwards on the right hand that it may concurre with the Fryers tale and give us a signe what we shall doe and we will march after to see the event when the enemy hath discried us we shall perceive by his stirring what he meanes to doe if they turne face to us and offer fight our foot shall recouer Dondalke afore theirs and with our horses wee will so handle the matter that we shall sustaine no great losse if they fly and take the river the sea comes in we shall overtake them afore halfe passe over All were well pleased with his device and followed the direction Nico. Saint Laurence with his company wheeles before Sir Iohn de Courcy a loofe followeth after Sir Roger Poer takes the rereward the enemy having discried them takes the river Sir Nico. gave the signe whereupon the English Army give a great shout and followeth their heeles the Irish breake their araie they tumble one upon another in the water the cariage drowns some the sea and the swiftnesse of the tyde take others away such as would not venter the water were slaine by the English Othanlan and his company that had passed the water seeing the slaughter of his men could not come to the rescues by reason of the salt water the Englishmen having quitted that place were directed by the Fryer to a foord on the left hand where they passed over and pursued the rest The Horsemen overtooke the Foot of the Irish and skirmished with them untill Sir Iohn de Courcy came by that time the sea likewise had stopped the Irish from flying at a great water a mile from the Lurgan on the Southside of Dundalk The Irish seeing themselves in this strait turne their faces choose rather to dye with the sword like men then to be drowned in the seas like beasts There were in that place some 6000. Irish and about 1000. English there was no advantage of ground it booted not to fly on any side the coward must in that case try himselfe a man the fight was sore no mercy but dead blowes The foot of the English drew backe Sir Iohn de Courcy their leader was left in the midst of his enemies with a twohanded sword washing and lashing on both sides like a Lion among sheepe saith my Author Nicolas posteth to his father Amoric that was in chase of ths scattred horsemen of the Irish and cried alas father mine uncle Sir Iohn is left alone in the midst of his enemies and the foot have forsaken him with that Sir Amoric lighted killed his horse and said here my sonne take charge of these horsemen and I will lead on the foot company to the rescue of my brother Courcy come on fellow souldiers saith he let us live and dye together He gave the on-set upon the foot of the Irish rescued Sir Iohn Courcy that was sore wounded and with cruell fight in manner out of breath with the sight of him the souldiers take hart and drive the Irish to retreit the slaughter on both sides was great few of the Irish and fewer of the English were left alive The Irish got them to the Fewes and the English to Dundalke but who got the best there is no boast made Not long after Sir Iohn de Courcy went into England where the King in regard of his good service made him Lord of Conoght and Earle of Vlster upon his returne saith Stanihurst which was in the Canicular daies he fought at the Bridge of Ivora a cruell battaile and prostrated his enemies with great honour and for that I find litle written thereof I thought good thus lightly to passe it over as others before me have done After this he builded many Castles in Vlster made bridges mended high wayes repaired Churches and governed the Country in great peace untill the dayes of King Iohn where I shall have further cause to discourse of him Amids these tumults in the North Miles Cogan bestirred himselfe in the West he passed the Shannon into Conoght with 540. men where saith mine Author never Englishman entred before whereupon the Conoght men drove before them all their cattle into the fastnesses carried with thē as much as they could fired the rest with their Townes Villages Houses and Cottages Milo marched as far as Tuam where he rested 8. dayes and finding man and beast fled and the Country barren of victualls he returned towards the Shannon and by the way met with Roderic the Monarch which lay in ambush with three Companies waiting his comming At their meeting they skirmished a long while and fought a cruell fight where the enemy lost many and Milo but three men then hee passed the river and came safely to Dublin Anno William Fitz Adelme the Kings Lievtenant is called into England Hee was a man that did no honour to the King neither good to the Country whom every good man in his life time detested and all Irish Chronicles after his death have defamed In his roome the King appointed Hugh Delacy Deputy of Ireland and joyned in Commission with him Robert Poer Seneschal of Wexford and Waterford Not long after the King sent into Ireland Miles Cogan and Robert Fitz Stephens with others and gave them in regard of their service all South Mounster to with the Kingdome of Corke in Fee for ever to be equally divided betweene them except the City of Corke and one Cantred thereunto adjoyning also he gave unto Philippe de Bruse all North Mounster to wit the Kingdome of Lymerick After they had pacified Dermot Mac Carty Prince of Desmond quieted the Country and divided their territories they conducted Philippe de Bruse to Lymerick to
land he tooke to wife in the I le of Cyprus the Lady Berengaria daughter to Garsias some say Sanctius King of Nauarre and died without issue when he had raigned nine yeeres nine moneths and two and twenty dayes It is noted by the Antiquaries that upon the death of his father he had three notable windfals the first was the Crowne of England the second was his fathers treasure which he found at Salisbury amounting to nine hundred thousands pound in coyne besides Plate precious stones Iewels and apparell lastly in the Coffers of Ieffrey Ridley Bishop of Elye who dyed intestate he found towards his coronation 3260. pound in silver five markes in gold which was better for his coronation was most Royall Iohn Comyn Archbishop of Dublin was at it Mathew Paris in Latine and Holinshed in English have penned it verbatim Will. K. of Scots did him homage and when he was the second time crowned King bare a sword before him King Richard the first yeere of his raigne gave the Lady Isabell sole daughter and heire of Richard surnamed Strangbow Earle of Penbroke to William Maxfield Lord Maxfield and Earle Marshall of England Anno 1189 This William his surname was not Marshall as Sir Iohn Plunket his collection hath laid downe but Maxfield his descent I finde thus with William the Conquerour there came into England to his ayde one Walter Maxfield a Norman that was his Marshall this Walter had issue William William had issue Walter Walter had issue Iohn Iohn had issue this William Maxfield that married Isabell the daughter of Strangbow who was made Earle Marshall of England Earle of Penbroke in Wales and Prince of Leinster in Ireland in the right of his wife This William was in great favour with King Richard the first that gave him the Lady Isabell to wife and honoured him so at his coronation that he bare a regall Scepter before the King in the top whereof was set a Crosse of gold and when the King with full determination passed over into Normandie and from thence into the Holy Land he assigned him the third governour of the Realme Iohn Earle of Morton Anno 1199. after the death of his brother Richard sent this William among others into England to set all things in a readinesse for his coronation the which being the 27. of May and yeere aforesaid gave him his full creation to the Earledome of Penbroke and girded him with the sword not long after King Iohn sent him with others as Embassadors to the French King with sundry other imployments he was also in great favour with Henry 3. as shall be shewed when I come to his raigne He had five sonnes and five daughters his sonnes all succeeded him in the Earldome of Penbroke and office of Marshalsie together with the Principality of Leinster and dyed all without issue The daughters were all honourably matched in the life time of their father and brethren and had his territories and possessions in Wales and Ireland orderly divided among them the which they and their posterity peaceably enioyed This William Earle Marshall the elder came to Ireland Anno 1207. hee builded the Castle of Kilkenny and gave the towne a Charter with priviledges wich they enjoy to this day hee founded there also the Monasterie of the blacke Fryers and ended the way of all flesh at London Anno 1220. and lyeth buried in the temple of his Lady Isabell at Tinterne in Wales William Marshall his eldest sonne succeeded him both in the office of Marshall and Earldome of Penbroke and Ogie and Principalitie of Leinster he granted a Charter to the towne of Kilkenny Anno 1223. sixt of Aprill with the testate of Thomas Fitz Antony Lord of Thomas stowne Seneschall of Leinster Fulkoe Carnae Walter Pursell William Grace Haman Grace Amnar Grace and others he ended his dayes at Kilkenny Anno 1231. and resteth in the Monastery there which his father had formerly founded Againe of this William I have seene another Charter exemplified Anno 1329. by King Edward the third with an inspexim Edwardus Dei gratia Rex Angliae Dominus Hiberniae Dux Aquitanie omnibus Ballivis Ministris omnium villarum villatorum Lagenie ceteris quibuscunque deijsdem partibus salutem Supplicavit nobis superior et communitas villae de Kilkenny quod cum Willielmus nuper Comes Mariscallus et Pembrochie tempore quo idem Comes extiterat Domini totius terrae Lageniae concesserit Burgensibus et Communitati ville predicte qui pro tempore fuerint diversas libertates inter quas videlicet quod ipsi in perpetuum per totam Lageniam terram potestatēin suam tam villa quā alibi essent quieti de theulonio lastagio poritagio de omnibus aliijs consuetudinibus quibuscunque quam quidem cartam inspeximus c. Teste Iohanne Darcy Iusticiario nostro Hibernie apud Kilkenny 8. die Iulij anno regninostri 3. per billam ipsius Iusticiarij Yet Holinshed writeth that this William Marshall the younger deceased at London and lyeth buried by his father in the new Temple Richard Marshall the second brother succeeded he was Earle Marshall of England Earle of Penbroke in Wales and Ogie in Normandie and Prince of Leinster in Ireland In the yeere 1233. and the Moneth of Aprill in a battell nigh Kildare upon the great Heath called the Curragh fighting against the Oconors hee tooke his deaths wound whereof shortly he dyed Hee lieth buried by his brother William in the blacke Fryers at Kilkennye which was the foundation of William Earle Marshall his father Henry the third lamented his death and protested that he lost then the worthiest Captaine of his time His tombe with the tombe of eighteene Knights that came over at the Conquest and resting in that Abbey at the suppression of the Monasterie was defaced and inhabitants there turned them to their private uses and of some they made swine-troughs so as there remaineth no Monument in the said Abbey save one stone whereupon the picture of a Knight is portraied bearing a shield about his necke wherein the Cantwels armes are insculped and yet the people there call it Ryddir in Curry that is the Knight slaine at the Curraghe Iohn Clyn guardian of the Fryers there in his Annals of Ireland writeth thus Post incarnatum lapsis de virgine natum Annis millenis tribus triginta ducent is In primo mensis Aprilis Kildariensis Pugna die Sabbati fuit in tristitia facti Acciderant stallo pugnae Comiti Mariscallo And upon his Tombe Hic Comes est positus Richardus vulnere fossus Cujus sub fossa Kilkennia continet ossa After the decease of Richard Gilbert Marshall the third brother was Earle Marshall of England Earle of Penbroke and Ogie and Prince of Leinster Anno 1239. King Henry the third held his Christmas at Winchester where there rose a grudge betweene the King and this Earle Gilbert by reason that this same Earle with his servants having tip-staves
in their hands comming to the Court were not suffered to enter within the gates but were kept backe by the Porters and others of which injury when hee complained the King made him an overthwart answer Whereupon the Earle not well pleased therewith estranged himselfe from the Court and went into the North country so that thenceforth he and his brother Walter gave small attendance upon the King and to end with this Earle Gilbert it fell out on a time in a Turnay which hee had attempted without the Citie of Hereford contrary to the Kings pleasure that his unruly horse cast him so that of the hurt which he tooke with the fall he shortly after departed this life in the yeere 1241. and was buried in the new temple Church at London hee had married the Lady Margaret the sister of Alexander King of Scots who by her had no issue she also dyed Anno 1245. Walter Marshall succeeded Gilbert in all the former honours and possessions both in England and Ireland who because he had procured the turnament wherein his brother was slaine hardly obtained of the king the same He departed this life at Godrike Castle by Monmouth and was buried at Tintern Anno 1245. leaving no issue behind him Anselme Marshall the fift sonne of William Earle Marshall succeded Walter hee was the last of the Maxfields and died without issue Hee had married Mathildis or Mawd daughter of the Earle of Hereford anc because hee had entred without doing of homage unto the King his wife after his decease could have no dowry wherof among the statutes of England I find the cause by especial words thus overruled· When any dyeth and his heire entreth into the Land that his Ancesters held of the King the day that he died before he hath done homage to the King and received seisin of the King hee shall give no free hold thereby and if hee dyed seised during that time his wife shall not be indowed of the same land as came late in urc by Mawd the daughter of the Earle of Hereford wife of Anselme the Marshal Who after the death of Walter Marshall of England his brother tooke his seisin of the Castle and mannor of Strogill and died in the same Castle before hee had entred by the King and before hee had done homage unto him whereupon it was agreed that his wife should not be indowed because that her husband had not entred by the King but rather by trusion This Anselme died in England and was buried at Tinterne After the death of these five brethren Florilegus writeth thus All the sonnes of William the great Marshall it is not knowne what sinne required the same according to the Prophecy of the Countesse their mother without issue left behind them as shadowes departed out of this world yet all successively became Earles even as their mother by a Propheticall spirit foreshewed and so the Noble sheild or buckler of the Marshalls dreadful to so many and so great enemies of England vanished away Mathew Paris wrote the story at large The aforesaid William as Warlike and stout called Marshall as if hee had beene Mars his Seneschall while in Ireland hee gave himselfe to slaughter and burning and got to himselfe large possessions he tooke away by strong hand and injuriously from an holy Bishop two mannors or Lordships belonging to his Church and presumptuously usurped them as though he might by just title possesse them as if he had wonne them with the sword The Bishop after many admonitions and receiving many froward answers thundred against him and not without cause the sentence of Excommunication the which the Earle despised and pleaded for excuse the warlike season keeping injuries upon injuries Whereupon not without advisement one Maister Gervasius de Melckeria framed of him this distinction and shrowded himselfe in his person Sum quem Saturnum sibi sensit Hibernia Solem Anglia Mercurium Normania Gallia Martem Iam whom Ireland Saturne hight and England Sol me cals Amids the Normans Mercury and Mars among the Gauls The meaning in a word is how that he in his time had tamed the wild Irish and had beene the shining beame of honour unto the English as an Ambassadour to pacifie the Normans and an invincible Knight among the French nation but forwards with Paris the aforesaid Earle held those mannors all his life time and annexed them unto his dominions Within a few yeeres after the Earle ended the way of all flesh and was buried in the new Temple at London the Bishop hearing of this for he was the Bishop of Fernes a Cistertian Monke by birth Irish and famous for Sanctity not without great paine in travaile he went unto the King who then was in London exhibited a grievous complaint of the injury done unto him and how that hee had justly excommunicated the Earle and humbly besought the King that by his soveraigne authority and Princely mandat and also for the good of the said Earle Williams soule he would see his mannors restored unto him that in so doing though he were dead yet might reape the benefit of absolution The King with this was moved and willed the Bishop to repaire to the Earles grave and absolve him and he would diligently labour for his satisfaction the Bishop together with the King went to his Tombe and in the hearing of al that were present as if they had been both alive said O William that here lyest interred and wrapped in the bonds of Excommunication if the thing which thou hast injuriously taken away from my Church bee restored by the king or by thine heire or by some one of thy kindred or friends with competent satisfaction I absolve thee o her wise I doe ratifie the said sentence that thou being ever wrapped in thy sinnes maiest remaine damned in hell The King hearing this was moved and sharply rebuked the immoderat rigour of the Pontificall Prelate To whom the Bishop replied my Lord ann dread soveraigne marvaile not though I be out of patience for he hath spoiled my Church to his great commoditie The King then secretly conferring with William the eldest sonne of this Earle and heire to the whole and now invested in the inheritance and Earledome and certaine others his brethren besought them by the restoring the mannors unjustly taken away mercifully to deliver their fathers soule To whom William the heir made answer I doe not beleeve neither is to be credited that my father tooke them injuriously for that which is gotten by the sword may lawfully be enjoyed for if that old and doting Bishop hath given a wrong sentence let the curse light upon his owne pate I will not weaken my estate nor diminish the inheritance wherein I am invested my father dyed seized thereof and I have rightly entred Vnto these words all the brethren yeelded their consents The King being then of tender yeeres and under Tutor would not give cause of heavinesse unto so great and Noble a personage when the Bishop
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
sides and the King of Connaught slaine Raphaell Holinshed in his Irish collection thinketh that there were slaine at that time above two thousand persons The King of England hearing thereof was mightily displeased with the Lord Iustice and sent for him into England to yeeld reason why he would permit such shamefull enormities under his governement Robert Vfford substituted Robert Fulborne as before satisfied the King that all was not true that hee was charged withall and for further contentment yeelded this reason that in policie he thought it expedient to winke at one knave cutting off another and that would save the Kings Coffers and purchase peace to the land whereat the King smiled and bid him returne to Ireland Anno 1279. Stow is mine Author King Edward commanded groats of foure pence a piece pence halfe pence and farthings to be coyned and to be currant through England and Ireland not decrying the old whereupon saith he these verses were made Edward did smite round penny halfe penny farthing The crosse passes the bond of all throughout the ring The Kings side was his head and his name written The crosse side what Citie it was made in coyned and smitten The poore man ne to Priest the penny frayses nothing Men give God aye the least they feast him with a farthing A thousand two hundred fourescore yeeres and moe On this money men wondred when it first began to goe Anno 1280. the Citie of Waterford saith Clyn through some foule mischance was all set on fire others report that some Merchant stranger being wronged as they thought by the Citizens brought bagges of powder out of their ships and threw them in the night season in at their sellers windowes and coales of fire after them and spoyled the City in that sort that it was long after ere they could recover themselves Anno 1281. Robert Fulborne Bishop of Waterford was by direction from the King ordained Lord Iustice of Ireland This yeere there was a great rebellion in Connaught and in upper Ossory and in Archloe which cost many mens lives but the ringleaders were cut off Adam Cusack slue William Barret and his brethren which contended about lands In Connaught Hogken Mac Gill Patricke was cut off in Vppsory Murtough Mac Muroch with Art his brother lost their heads at Wickloe another saith at Artchloe so Clyn and Dowlinge doe report Anno 1283. it is remembred by Clyn and others that a great part of Dublin was burned Campanile Capitulum sanctae Trinitatis saith mine Author the belfrie or steeple and Chapter house of the blessed Trinity with the Dormiture and Cloyster Others write that certaine Scots to be revenged upon some Citizens for wronging of them set Skinner-Row a fire and by that meanes the fire ranne into Christ Church but the citizens of Dublin therein greatly to bee commended before they went about to repaire their owne private houses agreed together to make a collection for repayring the ruine of that antient Church Anno 1284. flourished Ieffery or as Clyn writeth Galfridus de sancto Leodegario Bishop of Ossorie the second founder of the Cathedrall Church of Setus Canicus and the first founder of the Colledge of the Vicars of the same Church who gave unto the Colledge and vickars of the same Church for the maintenance of divine Service his Manse and lodging with the edifices thereunto adjoyning the rectory of Kilkesh and revenue de manubrinnio one marke sterling of the Abbot of Duiske for the land of Scomberlowaie with other revenues The said Ieffery by combate the combatants I finde not recorded anno 1284. recovered the Mannor of Sirekeran in Elly now Ocarolls country He builded part of the Mannors of Aghboo and Dorogh he builded a great part of the Church of Saint Canicus formerly begunne by Hugh Mapilton his Predecessor hee exchanged the towne Scomkarthie for the towne of Killamerry with William Marshall the Earle of Penbroke in his kinde of devotion he injoyned the collegiat Vicars of Kilkenny to celebrate the universary and aniversary of the reverend fathers his predecessors Walter Barkeley Galfrid Turvill Hugh Mapilton and others and his successors and Canons in the said Church of Ossory He established other things for the good of the Burgesses of Crosse ..... in the Irish towne of Kilkenny as in the foundation of the Burgesses there more at large doth appeare he dyed Anno 1286. and lyeth buried before the Chappell of our Lady in the Cathedrall Church Thus farre the Collections of Doctor Hanmer the Continuation following is taken out of the Chronicles of Henry Marleburrough HENRY MARLEBVRROVGH'S CHRONICLE OF IRELAND ANno 1285. the Lord Theobald Butler fled from Dublin and died shortly after and the Lord Theobald Verdon lost his men and horses going towards Ophali and the next morning Girald Fitz Maurice was taken prisoner and Iohn Samforde was consecrated Archbishop of Dublin and the Lord Ieffery Genuill fled and Sir Gerard Doget and Ralph Petit were slaine Anno 1287. deceased Richard Decetir Girald Fitz Maurice Thomas de Clare Richard Taff and Nicholas Telinge Knights Anno 1288. In England a bushell of Wheate was at foure pence And Fryer Stephen Fulburne Lord Iustice of Ireland dyed And Iohn Samford Archbishop of Dublin was made Lord Iustice. And the Lord Richard Burgh Earle of Vlster besieged Theobald Verdon in the Castle of Aloan and came to Trymm with a great power by the working of Walter Lacy. Anno 1290. Was the chase or discomfiture of Ophaly and divers Englishmen were slaine And Mac Coghlan slue Oâ—olaghlin And William Bourgh was discomfited at Delvin by Mac Coghlan And Gilbert Earle of Glocester married the daughter of King Iohn le Bayloll King of Scotland And Sir William Vescy was made Lord Iustice of Ireland Anno 1294. Deceased Iohn de Samford Archbishop of Dublin and Iohn Fitz Thomas and Iohn de la Mare tooke prisoners Richard Bourgh Earle of Vlster and William Bourgh in Meath And the Castle of Kildare was taken and by the English and Irish the whole countrie was wasted And Calwagh burnt all the rolles and tallyes of that countie And Richard was delivered out of the Castle of Leye for his two sonnes And Iohn Fitz Thomas with a great armie came into Meath Anno 1295. William Dodinsell Lord Iustice of Ireland dyed and the Lord Thomas Fitz Maurice was made Lord Iustice. Anno 1296. Fryer William de Hothum was consecrated Archbishop of Dublin Anno 1298. The Lord Thomas Fitz Maurice dyed and an agreement was made betwixt the Earle of Vlster and the Lord Iohn Fitz Thomas and Sir Iohn Wogan was made Lord Iustice of Ireland Anno 1299. William Archbishop of Dublin dyed and Richard de Feringes was consecrated Archbishop of Dublin Anno 1302. The King of England Edward the first went into Scotland and there Sir Iohn Wogan Lord Iustice of Ireland and the Lord Iohn Fitz Thomas with many others met with him Anno 1305. King Edward made the
much hurt to the Welch men and brought away the shrine of Saint Cubius and placed it in the Church of the holy Trinitie in Dublin The same yeere on the Eeven of the feast of the blessed Virgin Iames Butler Earle of Ormond dyed at Raligauran whose death was much lamented whilest hee was Lord Iustice of Ireland unto whom succeeded Girald Earle of Kildare Anno 1406. in the seaventh yeere of King Henry on Corpus Christi day the citizens of Dublin with the country people about them manfully vanquished the Irish enemies and slue divers of them and tooke two Ensignes bringing with them to Dublin the heads of those whom they had slaine The same yeere the Prior of Conall in the Plaine of Kildare fought valiantly and vanquished two hundred of the Irish that were well armed slaying some of them and chasing others and the Pryor had not with him but twenty English men and thus God assisteth those that put their trust in him The same yeere after Michaelmas came into Ireland Scroope Deputie Iustice to the Lord Thomas of Lancaster the Kings Sonne Lord Lievetenant of Ireland The same yeere dyed Innocent the seaventh to whom succeeded Gregorie in the Popedome The same yeere a Parliament was holden at Dublin on the feast of Saint Hillary which in Lent after was ended at Trym and Meiler Birmingham slue Cathole O Conghir in the end of Frebruary and there dyed Sir Ieffery Vaulx a Noble Knight in the Countie of Carlogh Anno 1407. a certaine most false fellow an Irish man named Mac Adam Mac Gilmori that had caused forty Churches to be destroyed who was never baptized and therefore hee was called Corbi tooke prisoner Patricke Savage and received for his ransome two thousand markes and afterwards slue him together with his Brother Richard The same yeere in the feast of the exaltation of the holy Crosse Stephen Scroope Deputy to the Lord Thomas of Lancaster the Kings sonne Lord Lievtenant of Ireland with the Earles of Ormond and Desmond and the Prior of Kilmainan and divers other Captaines and men of warre of Meath set from Dublin and invaded the land of Mac Murch where the Irish had the better part of the field for the former part of the day but afterwards they were valiantly rescued by the said Captaines so that Onolad with his sonne and divers others were taken prisoners But then and there being advertised that the Burkens and Okeroll in the County of Kilkenny had for the space of two dayes together done much mischiefe they rode with all speed unto the Towne of Callan and there encountring with the adversasaries manfully put them to flight slue Okeroll and eight hundred others and it was averred by many that the Sunne stoodstill for a space that day till the Englishmen had ridden 6. miles which was much to be wondred at The same yeere Stephen Scrope went over into England and Iames Butler Earle of Ormond was elected by the Country L. I. of Ireland The same yeere in England neere unto Yorke was slaine Henry Percy Earle of Northumberland and the Lord Bardolf and the Bishop of Bangor were taken prisoners Anno 1408. The said Lord Iustice held a Parliament at Dublin in which the Statutes of Kilkenny and Dublin were established and the Charter granted under the grear Seale of England against Purveiors The same yeere the morrow after Lammas day the Lord Thomas of Lancaster the Kings sonne Lord Lievtenant of Ireland landed at Carlingford and in the weeke following he came unto Dublin and arrested the Earle of Kildare comming to him with three of his familie hee lost all his goods being spoiled and rifled by the Lord Lievtenant his servants and himselfe kept still in the Castle of Dublin till he had paid three hundred markes fine The same yeere on the day of Saint Marcell the Martyr the L. Stephen Scrope died at Tristledermot The same yeere the said L. Thomas of Lancaster at Kilmainan was wounded and hardly escaped death and after caused summons to be given by Proclamation that all such as ought by their tenures to serve the King should assemble at Rosse and after the Feast of Saint Hillary he held a Parliament at Kilkenny for a tallage to be granted and after the 13. of March he went over into England leaving the Prior of Kilmainan his Deputy in Ireland This yeere Hugh Mac Gilmore was slaine in Cragfergus within the Church of the Fryers Minors which Church hee had before destroyed and broken downe the Glasse-windowes to have the Iron barres through which his enemies the Savages entred upon him Anno 1409. Of King Henry the fourth in Iune Ianico de Artois with the Englishmen slue fourescore of the Irish in Vlster The same yeere on the day of Saint Iohn and Paul Alexander the fifth of the Order of Fryers Minors was consecrated Pope and Pope Gregory and Antipope Clemens were condēned for heretickes and by these meanes unity was made in the Church The same yeere a heretick or Lollard of London was burned because he did not beleeve in the sacrament of the altar Anno 1410. Pope Alexander died on the day of the Apostles Philippe and Iacob at Bononia to whom succeeded Iohn the XXIII Anno 1411. On Thursday before Septuagesima marriage was celebrated betwixt William Preston and the daughter of Edward Paris and on Saint Valentines even and day marriages were celebrated between Iohn Wogan and the daughter of Christopher Preston and Walter de la Hide and the second daughter of the same Christopher with a great deale of charges Anno 1412. About the feast of Tiburtius and Valerianus Oconthird did much mischiefe in Meath and tooke a hundred and three score Englishmen The same yeere Odoles a Knight and Thomas Fitz Maurice Sherife of Limerick slue each other The same yeere on the nineth Kalends of Iune there died Robert Mountaine Bishop of Meath to whom succeeded Edward Dandisey sometimes Archdeacon of Cornward The same yeere in Harvest the Lord Thomas of Lancester Duke of Clarence went over into France and with him went the Duke of Yorke the Earle of Ormond and Green-Cornwall with many others The same yeere on Saint Cutberts day King Henry the fourth departed this life To whom succeeded Henry the fifth his eldest sonne Anno 1413. On the fifth Ides of Aprill namely the first Sunday of the Passion of our Lord A. being the Dominicall letter Henry the fifth was crowned King of England at Westminster The same yeere on the first of October there landed in Ireland at Clontarf Iohn Stanley the Kings Lievtenant in Ireland he departed this life the 18. of Ianuary The same yeere after the death of Iohn Stanly Lievtenant Thomas Crawly Archbishop of Dublin was chosen Lord Iustice of Ireland on the 11. Kalends of February the morrow after Saint Mathias day a Parliament began at Dublin and continued for the space of 15. daies In which time the Irish burned all that stood in their way as their usuall custome was in
times of other Parliaments whereuppon a tallage was demaunded but not granted Anno 1414. The English slue of the Irish of the Omordris and Odemsis neer to Kilka Thomas Crawly Archbishop of Dublin then Lord Iustice of Ireland in Tristledermot praying in Procession with his Clergy and his men with the helpe of those of the Country slue one hundred of the Irish enemies In the feast of Saint Gordian and Epimachus the English of Meath were discomfited and there Thomas Manrevard Baron of Skrine was slaine and Christopher Flemnig and Iohn Dardis taken prisoners and many others were slaine by Oconthir and the Irish. On Saint Martins Eve Sir Iohn Talbot Lord Furnivall the Kings Lievtenant in Ireland landed at Dalkey Anno 1415 In the moneth of November a right noble man that walled the suburbs of Kilkenny departed this life and after Hallonide Fryer Patricke Baret Bishop of Fernes a Canon of Kenlis dyed and was buried there Anno 1416. On the feast day of Saint Gervasius and Prothasius the Lord Furnivall Lord Iustice of Ireland had a sonne borne at Finglasse about this time Stephen Flemming Archbishop of Armagh a venerable man died after whom succeeded Iohn Suaing And the same time dyed the Lord and Fryer Adam Leins of the Order of the Preaching Fryers Bishop of Ardmagh On the day of Saint Laurence the Martyr the Lord Furnivals sonne Thomas Talbot that was borne at Finglasse departed this life and was buried in the Quire of the Fryers Preachers Church in Dublin About the same time the Irish fell upon the Englishmen and slue many of them among whom Thomas Balimore of Baliquelan was one The Parliament which the last yeere had beene called and holden at Dublin was this yeere removed to Trim and there began the 11. of May where it continued for the space of 11. dayes in the which was granted unto the L.L. a subsidy of foure hundred markes Anno 1417. Vpon May Eve Thomas Granly Archbishop of Dublin went over into England and deceased at Faringdon but his body was buried in the New Colledge at Oxford This man is greatly praised for his liberality he was a good almes-man a great Clerk a Doctor of Divinity an excellent Preacher a great builder beautifull courteous of a sanguine complexion and of a tall stature in somuch as in his time it might be said unto him Thou art fairer then the sons of men grace and eloquence proceeded from thy lips He was 80. yeeres of age when he died and had governed the Church of Dublin almost 20. yeeres in great quiet Anno 1418. The Annunciation of our Lady was in Easter weeke and shortly after the Lord Deputy spoiled the tenants of Henry Crus and Henry Bethat also at Slane upon the feast day of S. Iohn and S. Paul the Earle of Kildare Sir Christopher Preston and Sir Iohn Bedlow were arrested and committed to ward within the Castle of Trim because they sought to commune with the Prior of Kilmaynan Vpon the 29. of Iune Mathew Husseil Baron of Galtrim deceased and was buried in the Covent of the Fryers Preachers of Trim. Anno 1419. upon the eleventh of May dayed Edmund Brel sometime Major of Dublin and was buried at the Fryers Preachers of the same City A Royall Councell was holden at the Naas where were granted unto the Lord Lievtenant 300. markes At the same time died Sir Iohn Loundres Knight The same yeere upon Cene thursday Othoill tooke fowre hundred Cowes belonging unto Balimore breaking the peace contrary to his oath The fourth Ides of May Mac Morthe chiefe Captaine of his Nation and of all the Irish in Leinster was taken prisoner And the same day was Sir Hugh Cokesey made Knight The last of May the Lord Lievtenant and the Archbishop of Dublin with the Major rased the Castle of Kenini The morrow after the feast of Processus and Martinianus the Lord William de Burgh and other Englishmen slue five hundred of the Irish and tooke Okelly On the feast day of Mary Magdalen the Lord Lievtenant Iohn Talbot went over into England leaving his Deputy there the Archbishop of Dublin carying along with him the curses of many because hee being runne much in debt for victuall and divers other things would pay little or nothing at all About Saint Laurence day divers dyed in Normandy as Fryer Thomas Butler that was Prior of Kilmainan and many others Whom Fryer Iohn Fitz Henry succeeded in the Priory The Archbishop of Dublin being Lord Deputy made an assault upon Scohies and slue thirtie of the Irish neere unto Rodiston Also the thirteenth of February Iohn Fitz Henry Prior of Kilmainan departed this life and William Fitz Thomas was chosen to succeed in his place was confirmed the morrow after Saint Velentines day Also the morrow after the Lord Iohn Talbot Lord Furnivall delivered up his place into the hands of the Lord Richard Talbot Archbishop of Dublin who was afterward chosen to be Lord Iustice of Ireland Anno 1420. about the fourth des of Aprill Iames Butler Earle of Ormond Lord Lievetenant of Ireland landed at Waterford and shortly after he caused a combat to be fought betwixt two of his cousins of whom one was slaine in the place and the other was carried away sore wounded unto Kilkenny On Saint Georges day the same Lord Lievetenant held a Councell at Dublin and there summoned a Parliament and after the midst thereof he made great preyes upon O Rely Mac Mahon Mac Gynoys And the seventh of Iune the Parliament began at Dublin and there were granted to the Lord Lievetenant seaven hundred markes And that Parliament continued for sixteene dayes and was adjourned againe to Dublin untill Munday after Saint Andrewes day And in the said Parliament were reckoned up the debts of the Lord Iohn Talbot late Lord Lievetenant which amounted to a great summe Also on the morrow after Michaelmas day Michael Bodley departed this life Vpon Saint Francis Eeve dyed Fryer Nicholas Talbot Abbot of the Monastery of Saint Thomas the Martyr at Dublin whom Fryer Iohn Whiting succeeded The morrow after the feast day of the Apostles Simon and Iude the Castle of Colmolin was taken by Thomas Fitz Girald And on Saint Katherines Eeven Buttler Sonne and heire unto the Earle of Ormond was borne and the Munday after Saint Andrewes day the Parliament was begun at Dublin and continued for thirteene dayes and there were granted unto the Lord Lievetenant three hundred markes and then againe the Parliament was adjourned untill Munday after Saint Ambrose day Then rumours were spread abroad that the Lord Thomas Fitz Iohn Earle of Desmond was departed this life at Paris upon Saint Laurence day and that he was buried in the Covent of the Fryers Preachers there the King of England being there present After whom succeeded his Vncle Iames Fitz Girald whom he had three severall times renounced alledging that he was an unthrift and had wasted his Patrimony both in Ireland and England and that hee gave or would
that having beene once so low brought and thoroughly subjected they afterwards lifted up themselves so strongly againe and sithence doe stand so stiffely against all rule and government Iren. They say that they continued in that lowlinesse untill the time that the division between the two houses of Lancaster and Yorke arose for the Crowne of England at which time all the great English Lords and Gentlemen which had great possessions in Ireland repaired over hither into England some to succour their Friends here and to strengthen their partie for to obtaine the Crowne others to defend their lands and possessions here against such as hovered after the same upon hope of the alteration of the kingdome and successe of that side which they favoured and affected Then the Irish whom before they had banished into the mountaines where they lived onely upon whitt meates as it is recorded seeing now their lands so dispeopled and weakened came downe into all the plaines adjoyning and thence expelling those few English that remained repossessed them againe since which they have remained in them and growing greater have brought under them many of the English which were before their Lords This was one of the occasions by which all those Countreyes which lying neere unto any Mountaines or Irish desarts had beene planted with English were shortly displanted and lost As namely in Mounster all the lands adjoyning unto Slewlogher Arlo and the bog of Allon In Connaght all the Countries bordering upon the Curlues Mointerolis and Orourkes Countrey In Leinster all the lands bordering unto the Mountaines of Glanmalour unto Shillelah unto the Brackenah and Polmonte In Vlster all the Countreyes neere unto Tirconnel Tyrone and the Scottes Eudox. Surely this was a great violence but yet by your speach it seemeth that onely the Countreyes and valleyes neere adjoyning unto those mountaines and desarts were thus recovered by the Irish but how comes it now that we see almost all that Realme repossessed of them was there any more such evill occasions growing by the troubles of England Or did the Irish out of those places so by them gotten breake further and stretch themselves out thorough the whole land for now for ought that I can understand there is no part but the bare English Pale in which the Irish have not the greatest footing Iren. But out of these small beginings by them gotten neare to the mountaines did they spread themselves into the Inland and also to their further advantage there did other like unhappy accidents happen out of England which gave heart and good opportunity to them to regaine their old possessions For in the raigne of King Edward the fourth things remained yet in the same state that they were after the late breaking out of the Irish which I spake of and that noble Prince began to cast an Eye unto Ireland and to minde the reformation of things there runne amisse for he sent over his brother the worthy Duke of Clarence who having married the heire of the Earle of Vlster and by her having all the Earledome of Vlster and much in Meath and in Mounster very carefully went about the redressing of all those late evills and though he could not beate out the Irish againe by reason of his short continuance yet hee did shut them up within those narrow corners and glynnes under the mountaines foote in which they lurked and so kept them from breaking any further by building strong holdes upon every border and fortifying all passages Amongst the which hee repaired the Castle of Clare in Thomond of which Countrey he had the inheritance and of Mortimers lands adjoyning which is now by the Irish called Killaloe But the times of that good King growing also troublesome did lett the thorough reformation of all things And thereunto soone after was added another fatall mischeife which wrought a greater calamity then all the former For the said Duke of Clarence then Lord Lieutenant of Ireland was by practise of evill persons about the King his brother called thence away and soone after by sinister meanes was cleane made away Presently after whose death all the North revolting did set up Oneale for their Captaine being before that of small power and regard and there arose in that part of Thomond one of the O-Briens called Murrogh en-Ranagh that is Morrice of the Ferne or wast wilde places who gathering unto him all the reliques of the discontented Irish eftsoones surprised the said Castle of Clare burnt and spoyled all the English there dwelling and in short space possessed all that countrey beyond the River of Shanan and neere adjoyning Whence shortly breaking forth like a suddaine tempest he over-ran all Mounster and Connaght breaking downe all the holds and fortresses of the English defacing and utterly subverting all corporate Townes that were not strongly walled for those he had no meanes nor Engines to overthrow neither indeed would hee stay at all about them but speedily ran forward counting his suddennesse his most advantage that he might overtake the English before they could fortifie or gather themselves together So in short space hee cleane wyped out many great Townes as first Inchequin then Killalow before called Clariford also Thurles Mourne Buttevant and many others whose names I cannot remember and of some of which there is now no memory nor signe remaining Vpon report whereof there flocked unto him all the scumme of the Irish out of all places that ere long he had a mighty Army and thence marched foorth into Leinster where he wrought great out-rages wasting all the Countrey where he went for it was his policie to leave no hold behinde him but to make all plaine and waste In the which he soone after created himselfe King and was called King of all Ireland which before him I doe not reade that any did so generally but onely Edward le Bruce Eudox. What was there ever any generall King of all Ireland I never heard it before but that it was alwayes whilst it was under the Irish divided into foure and sometimes into five kingdomes or dominions But this Edward le Bruce what was hee that could make himselfe King of all Ireland Iren. I would tell you in case you would not challenge me anon for forgetting the matter which I had in hand that is the inconvenience and unfitnesse which I supposed to be in the lawes of the Land Eudox. No surely I have no cause for neither is this impertinent thereunto for sithence you did set your course as I remember in your first part to treate of the evils which hindered the peace and good ordering of that Land amongst which that of the inconvenience in the lawes was the first which you had in hand this discourse of the over-running wasting of the Realme is very materiall thereunto for that it was the begining of al the other evils which sithence have afflicted that land opened a way unto the Irish to recover their possession to beat out the English which
Countrey of warre as it is handled and allwayes full of Souldiours they which have the government whether they finde it the most ease to the Queenes purse or the most ready meanes at hand for victualing of the Souldiour or that necessity inforceth them thereunto doe scatter the Army abroad in the Countrey and place them in Villages to take their victuals of them at such vacant times as they lye not in Campe nor are otherwise imployed in service Another kinde of Cesse is the imposing of provision for the Governors house-keeping which though it be most necessary and be also for avoyding of all the evills formerly therein used lately brought to a composition yet it is not without great inconveniences no lesse then here in England or rather much more The like Cesse is also charged upon the Countrey sometimes for victualling of the Souldiours when they lye in Garrison at such times as there is none remayning in the Queenes store or that the same cannot be conveniently conveyed to their place of Garrison But these two are not easily to be redressed when necessity thereto compelleth but as for the former as it is not necessary so is it most hurtfull and offensive to the poore country and nothing convenient for the Souldiours themselves who during their lying at Cesse use all kinde of outragious disorder and villany both towards the poore men which victuall and lodge them as also to all the Country round about them whom they abuse oppresse spoyle afflict by all the meanes they can invent for they will not onely not content themselves with such victuals as their hostes nor yet as the place perhaps affords but they will have other meate provided for them and Aqua vitae sent for yea and money besides laide at their trenchers which if they want then about the house they walke with the wretched poore man and his silly wife who are glad to purchase their peace with any thing By which vile manner of abuse the countrey people yea and the very English which dwell abroad and see and sometimes feele this outrage growe into great detestation of the Souldiours and thereby into hatred of the very government which draweth upon them such evills And therefore this you may also ioyne unto the former evill customes which we have to reprove in Ireland Eudox. Truly this is one not the least and though the persons by whom it is used be of better note then the former roguish sort which you reckoned yet the fault me thinkes is no lesse worthy of a marshall Iren. That were a harder course Eudoxus to redresse every abuse by a marshall it would seeme to you very evill surgery to cut off every unsound or sicke part of the body which being by other due meanes recovered might afterwards doe very good service to the body againe and haply helpe to save the whole Therefore I thinke better that some good salve for the redresse of the evill bee sought forth then the least part suffered to perish but hereof wee have to speake in another place Now we will proceede to other like defects amongst which there is one generall inconvenience which raigneth almost throughout all Ireland that is the Lords of land and free-holders doe not there use to set out their land in farme or for tearme of yeares to their Tennants but onely from yeare to yeare and some during pleasure neither indeede will the Irish Tennant or husbandman otherwise take his land then so long as he list himselfe The reason hereof in the Tennant is for that the Land-lords there use most shamefully to racke their Tennants laying upon them Coigny and Livery at pleasure exacting of them besides his Covenants what he pleaseth So that the poore husbandman either dare not binde himselfe to him for longer tearme or thinketh by his continuall liberty of change to keepe his Land-lord the rather in awe from wronging of him And the reason why the Land-lord will no longer covenant with him is for that he dayly looketh after change and alteration and hovereth in expectation of new worlds Eudox. But what evill commeth hereby to the Common-wealth or what reason is it that any Land-lord should not set nor any Tennant take his land as himselfe list Iren. Marry the evils which commeth hereby is great for by this meanes both the Land-lord thinketh that he hath his Tennant more at commaund to follow him into what action soever hee shall enter and also the Tennant being left at his liberty is fit for every occasion of change that shall be offered by time and so much also the more ready and willing is he to runne into the same for that hee hath no such state in any his houlding no such building upon any farme no such coste imployed in fensing or husbanding the same as might with-hold him from any such willfull course as his Lords cause or his owne lewde disposition may carry him unto All which hee hath forborne and spared so much expence for that he had no firme estate in his Tenement but was onely a Tennant at will or little more and so at will may leave it And this inconvenience may be reason enough to ground any ordinance for the good of the Common-wealth against the private behoofe or will of any Landlord that shall refuse to graunt any such terme or estate unto his Tennant as may tende to the good of the whole Realme Eudox. Indeede me thinkes it is a great willfullnes in any such Land-lord to refuse to make any longer farmes unto their Tennants as may besides the generall good of the Realme be also greatly for their owne profit and availe For what reasonable man will not thinke that the Tenement shal be made much better for the Lords behoofe if the Tennant may by such good meanes bee drawne to build himselfe some handsome habitation thereon to ditch and inclose his ground to manure and husband it as good Farmours use For when his Tennants terme shal be expired it will yeeld him in the renewing his lease both a good fine and also a better rent And also it shall be for the good of the Tennant likewise who by such buildings and inclosures shall receive many benefits first by the handsomenesse of his house he shall take more comfort of his life more safe dwelling and a delight to keepe his said house neate and cleanely which now being as they commonly are rather swyne-styes then houses is the cheifest cause of his so beastly manner of life and savage condition lying and living together with his beast in one house in one roome in one bed that is cleane strawe or rather a foule dunghill And to all these other commodities hee shall in sort time finde a greater added that is his owne wealth and riches increased and wonderfully inlarged by keeping his Cattle in inclosures where they shall allwayes have fresh pasture that now is all trampled and over-runne warme covert that now lyeth open to all weather safe
enterprise Eudox. You have very well me thinkes Irenaeus plotted a course for the atcheiving of those warres now in Ireland which seemes to aske no long time nor great charge so as the effecting thereof bee committed to men of sure trust and sound experience aswell in that Country as in the manner of those services for if it bee left in the hands of such rawe Captaines as are usually sent out of England being thereunto onely preferred by friendship and not chosen by sufficiency it will soone fall to the ground Iren. Therefore it were meete me thinkes that such Captaines onely were thereunto employed as have formerly served in that Country and been at least Leivtenants unto other Captaines there For otherwise being brought and transferred from other services abroad as in France in Spaine and in the Low-Countryes though they be of good experience in those and have never so well deserved yet in these they will be new to seeke and before they have gathered experience they shall buy it with great losse to her Majesty either by hazarding of their companies through ignorance of the places and manner of the Irish services or by loosing a great part of the time which is required hereunto being but short in which it might be finished almost before they have taken out a new lesson or can tell what is to be done Eudox. You are no good friend to new Captaines It seemes Iren. that you barre them from the credit of this service but to say truth me thinkes it were meete that any one before he came to bee a Captaine should have beene a Souldiour for parere qui nescit nescit imperare And besides there is great wrong done to the old Souldiour from whom all meanes of advancement which is due unto him is cut off by shuffling in these new cutting Captaines into the place for which he hath long served and perhaps better deserved But now that you have thus as I suppose finished all the warre and brought all things to that lowe ebbe which you speake of what course will you take for the bringing in of that reformation which you intend and recovering all things from this desolate estate in which mee thinkes I behold them now left unto that perfect establishment and new common-wealth which you have conceived of by which so great good may redound unto her Majesty and an assured peace bee confirmed for that is it whereunto wee are now to looke and doe greatly long for being long sithence made weary with the huge charge which you have laide upon us and with the strong indurance of so many complaints so many delayes so many doubts and dangers as will hereof I know well arise unto the which before wee come it were meete me thinkes that you should take some order for the Souldiour which is now first to bee discharged and disposed of some way the which if you doe not well fore-see may growe to as great inconvenience as all this that I suppose you have quit us from by the loose leaving of so many thousand Souldiours which from thence forth will be unfit for any labour or other trade but must either seeke service and imployment abroad which may be dangerous or else perhaps imploy themselves heere at home as may bee discommodious Iren. You say very true and it is a thing much mislyked in this our Common-wealth that no better course is taken for such as have beene imployed in service but that returning whether maymed and so unable to labour or otherwise whole and sound yet afterwards unwilling to worke or rather willing to set the hang-man on worke But that needeth another consideration but to this which wee have now in hand it is farre from my meaning to leave the Souldier so at randome or to leave that waste Realme so weake and destitute of strength which may both defend it against others that might seeke then to set upon it and also to keepe it from that relapse which I before did fore-cast For it is one speciall good of this plot which I would devise that 6000. Souldiers of these whom I have now imployed in this service and made thoroughly acquainted both with the state of the Countrey and manners of the people should henceforth bee still continued and for ever maintayned of the Countrey without any charge to her Majestie and the rest that either are olde and unable to serve any longer or willing to fall to thrift as I have seene many Souldiers after the service to prove very good husbands should bee placed in part of the landes by them wonne at such rate or rather better then others to whom the same shall be set out Eudox. Is it possible Irenaeus can there be any such meanes devised that so many men should be kept still in her Majesties service without any charge to her at all Surely this were an exceeding great good both to her Highnes to have so many olde Souldiers alwayes ready at call to what purpose soever she list to imploy them and also to have that land thereby so strengthened that it shall neither feare any forraine Invasion nor practise which the Irish shall ever attempt but shall keepe them under in continuall awe and firme obedience Iren. It is so indeed And yet this truely I doe not take to be any matter of great difficultie as I thinke it will also soone appeare unto you And first we will speake of the North part for that the same is of more weight and importance So soone as it shall appeare that the Enemy is brought downe and the stout Rebell either cut off or driven to that wretchednesse that hee is no longer able to holde up his head but will come in to any conditions which I assure my selfe will bee before the end of the second Winter I wish that there bee a generall Proclamation made that whatsoever Out-lawes will freely come in and submit themselves to her Majesties mercy shall have liberty so to doe where they shall either finde that grace they desire or have leave to returne againe in safety upon which it is likely that so many as survive will come in to sue for grace of which who so are thought meet for subjection and fit to be brought to good may be received or else all of them for I thinke that all wil be but a very few upon condition and assurance that they will submit themselves absolutely to her Maiesties ordinance for them by which they shall be assured of life and libertie and be onely tyed to such conditions as shall bee thought by her meet for containing them ever after in due obedience To the which conditions I nothing doubt but that they will all most readily and upon their knees submit themselves by the proofe of that which I have seene in Mounster For upon the like Proclamation there they all came in both tagg and ragg and when as afterwardes many of them were denyed to be received they bade them doe
of Clare is like to escheat to her Maiesty for the rebelliō of their present possessors The which two counties of Sligo Maio are supposed to containe almost 3000. plow-lands the rent whereof rateably to the former I valew almost at 6000l. per annum The countie of Roscoman saving that which pertaineth to the house of Roscoman some few other English there lately seated is all one and therefore it is wholly likewise to escheate to her Majesty saving those portions of English inhabitants and even those English doe as I understand by them pay as much rent to her Majesty as is set upon those in Vlster counting their composition money therewithall so as it may all run into one reckoning with the former two counties So that this county of Roscoman containing 1200. Plow-lands as it is accompted amounteth to 2400 li. by the yeare which with the former two counties rent maketh about 8300l. for the former wanted somewhat But what the escheated lands of the county of Gallway and Letrim will rise unto is yet uncertaine to define till survey thereof be made for that those lands are intermingled with the Earle of Clanricardes and others lands but it is thought they be the one halfe of both those counties so as they may be counted to the value of one whole county which containeth above 1000. plough-lands for so many the least county of them all comprehendeth which maketh 2000 li. more that is in all ten or eleven thousand pounds The other 2. counties must remaine till their Escheates appeare the which letting passe yet as unknowne yet this much is knowne to be accompted for certaine that the composition of these two counties being rated at 20. shil every plowland will amount to above 2000. pounds more all which being laide together to the former may be reasonably estimated to rise unto 13000 pounds the which summe together with the rent of the escheated lands in the two last countyes which cannot yet be valued being as I doubt not no lesse then a thousand pounds more will yeeld pay largely unto 1000. men and their victuallers and 1000. pounds over towards the Governour Eudox. You have me thinkes made but an estimate of those lands of Connaght even at a very venture so as it should be hard to build any certainty of charge to be raised upon the same Iren. Not altogether yet upon uncertainties for this much may easily appeare unto you to be certaine as the composition money of every plowland amounteth unto for this I would have you principally to understand that my purpose is to rate all the lands in Ireland at 20. shil every plowland for their composition towards the Garrison The which I know in regard of being freed from all other charges whatsoever will be readily and most gladly yeelded unto So that there being in all Ireland as appeareth by their old records 43920. plowlands the same shall amount to the summe likewise of 43920. pounds and the rest to be reared of the escheated lands which fall to her Majesty in the said Provinces of Vlster Connaght and that part of Leinster under the Rebells for Mounster wee deale not yet withall Eudox. But tell me this by the way doe you then lay composition upon the escheated lands as you doe upon the rest for so mee thinkes you reckon alltogether And that sure were too much to pay 7. Nobles out of every plowland and composition money besides that is 20. shil out of every plowland Iren. No you mistake me I doe put onely 7. Nobles rent and composition both upon every plowland escheated that is 40. shil for composition and 6. shil 8. pence for Cheiferie to her Majestie Eudox. I doe now conceive you proceede then I pray you to the appointing of your Garrisons in Connaght and shew us both how many and where you would have them placed Iren. I would have 1000. laide in Connaght in 2. Garrisons namely 500. in the county of Mayo about Clan Mac Costilagh which shall keepe all Mayo and the Bourkes of Mac William Eighter The other 500. in the county of Galway about Garrandough that they may containe the Conhors and the Bourkes there the Kellies and Murries with all them there-abouts for that Garrison which I formerly placed at Loughearne will serve for all occasions in the County of Sligo being neere adjoyning thereunto so as in one nights march they may bee almost in any place thereof when neede shall require them And like as in the former places of Garrisons in Vlster I wished three corporate townes to be planted which under the safeguard of that strength should dwell and trade safely with all the Countrey about them so would I also wish to be in this of Connaght and that besides there were another established at Athlone with a convenient ward in the Castle there for their defence Iren. What should that neede seeing the Governour of Connaght useth to lye there alwayes whose presence will bee a defence to all that Towneship Iren. I know he doth so but that is much to be disliked that the Governour should lye so farre of in the remotest place of all the province whereas it were meeter that he should be continually abiding in the middest of the charge that he might both looke out alike unto all places of his government and also be soone at hand in any place where occasion shall demand him for the presence of the Governour is as you said a great stay and bridle unto those that are ill disposed like as I see it is well observed in Mounster where the dayly good thereof is continually apparant and for this cause also doe I greatly mislike the Lord Deputies seating at Dublin being the outest corner of the Realme and least needing the awe of his presence whereas me thinkes it were fitter since his proper care is of Leinster though he have care of all besides generally that he should seate himselfe at Athie or there-abouts upon the skirt of that unquiet countrey so that he might sit as it were at the very maine maste of his Ship whence he might easily overlooke and sometimes over-reach the Moores the Dempsies the Connors O-Carroll O-Molloy and all that heape of Irish nations which there lye hudled together without any to over-awe them or containe them in dutie For the Irishman I assure you feares the governement no longer then he is within sight or reach Eudox. Surely me thinkes herein you observe a matter of much importance more then I have heard ever noted but sure that seemes so expedient as that I wonder that heretofore it hath beene overseene or omitted but I suppose the instance of the Citizens of Dublin is the greatest lett thereof Iren. Truely then it ought not so to be for no cause have they to feare that it will be any hinderance to them for Dublin will bee still as it is the key of all passages and transportations out of England thitherto no lesse profit of those Cittizens then
them placed at the Bantry where is a most fit place not onely to defend all that side of the west part from forraine invasion but also to answere all occasions of troubles to which that Countrey being so remote is very subject And surely there also would be planted a good towne having both a good haven and a plentifull fishing and the land being already escheated to her Majesty but being forcibly kept from her by one that proclaimes himselfe the Bastard Son of the Earle of Clancar being called Donell Mac Carty whom it is meete to foresee to For whensoever the Earle shall die all those lands after him are to come unto her Majesty he is like to make a foule stirre there though of himselfe no power yet through supportance of some others who lye in the wind and looke after the fall of that inheritance Another hundred I would have placed at Castle Mayne which should keepe all Desmond and Kerry for it answereth them both most conveniently Also about Kilmore in the county of Corke would I have 2. hundred placed the which should breake that nest of theives there and answere equally both to the county of Limericke and also the county of Corke Another hundred would I have lye at Corke aswell to command the towne as also to be ready for any forraine occasion Likewise at Waterford would I place 2. hundred for the same reasons and also for other privy causes that are no lesse important Moreover on this side of Arlo neere to Muskery quirke which is the Countrey of the Burkes about Kill-Patricke I would have two hundred more to be garrisond which should skoure both the white Knights country and Arlo and Muskery quirk by which places all the passages of Theives doe lye which convey their stealth from all Mounster downewards towards Tipperary and the English pale and from the English pale also up unto Mounster whereof they use to make a common trade Besides that ere long I doubt that the county of Tipperary it selfe will neede such a strength in it which were good to be there ready before the evill fall that is dayly of some expected And thus you see all your Garrisons placed Eudox. I see it right well but let me I pray you by the way aske you the reason why in those Citties of Mounster namely Waterford and Corke you rather placed Garrisons then in all others in Ireland For they may thinke themselves to have great wrong to bee so charged above all the rest Iren. I will tell you those two Citties above all the rest doe offer an in-gate to the Spaniard most fitly But yet because they shall not take exceptions to this that they are charged above all the rest I will also lay a charge upon the others likewise for indeed it is no reason that the corporate townes enioying great franchizes and priviledges from her Majesty and living thereby not onely safe but drawing to them the wealth of all the land should live so free as not to be partakers of the burthen of this Garrison for their owne safety specially in this time of trouble and seeing all the rest burthened and therefore I will thus charge them all ratably according to their abilities towards their maintenance the which her Majesty may if she please spare out of the charge of the rest and reserve towards her other costes or else adde to the charge of the presidency in the North. Waterford C. Corke L. Limericke L. Galway L. Dinglecush X. Kinsale X. Yoghall X. Kilmallock X. Clonmell X. Cashell X. Fedard X. Kilkenny XXV Wexford XXV Tredagh XXV Rosse XXV Dundalke X. Mollingare X. Newrie X. Trim X. Ardee X. Kells X. Dublin C. In all 580. Eudox. It is easie Irenaeus to lay a charge upon any towne but to foresee how the same may be answered and defrayed is the cheife part of good advisement Iren. Surely this charge which I put upon them I know to bee so reasonable as that it will not much be felt for the port Townes that have benefit of shipping may cut it easily off their trading and in land townes of their corne and cattle neither doe I see but since to them especially the benefit of peace doth redound that they especially should beare the burthen of their safeguard and defence as wee see all the townes of the Low-Countryes doe cut upon themselves an excise of all things towards the maintenance of the warre that is made in their behalfe to which though these are not to be compared in richesse yet are they to bee charged according to their povertie Eudox. But now that you have thus set up these forces of Soldiers and provided well as you suppose for their pay yet there remaineth to fore-cast how they may bee victualled and where purveyance thereof may bee made for in Ireland it selfe I cannot see almost how any thing is to bee had for them being already so pittifully wasted as it is with this short time of warre Iren. For the first two yeares it is needefull indeede that they bee victualled out of England thoroughly from halfe yeare to halfe yeare afore-hand All which time the English Pale shall not bee burdened at all but shall have time to recover themselves and Mounster also being reasonably well stored will by that time if God send seasonable weather bee thoroughly well furnished to supply a great part of that charge for I knowe there is great plenty of Corne sent over Sea from thence the which if they might have sale for at home they would bee glad to have money so neere hand specially if they were streightly restrayned from transporting of it Thereunto also there will bee a great helpe and furtherance given in the putting forward of husbandrie in all meete places as heereafter shall in due place appeare But heereafter when things shall growe unto a better strength and the Countrey bee replenished with Corne as in short space it will if it bee well followed for the Countrey people themselves are great plowers and small spenders of Corne then would I wish that there should bee good store of Houses and Magazins erected in all those great places of garrison and in all great townes as well for the victualling of Souldiers and Shippes as for all Occasions of suddaine services as also for preventing of all times of dearth and scarcitie and this want is much to bee complayned of in England above all other Countreyes who trusting too much to the usuall blessing of the Earth doe never fore-cast any such hard seasons nor any such suddaine occasions as these troublous times may every day bring foorth when it will bee too late to gather provision from abroad and to bring it perhappes from farre for the furnishing of Shippes or Souldiers which peradventure may neede to bee presently imployed and whose want may which GOD forbid hap to hazard a Kingdome Eudox. Indeede the want of those Magazins of victualls I have oftentimes complayned of in England and wondered
all be amended Therfore now you may come unto that generall reformation which you spake of and bringing in of that establishment by which you said all men should be contained in duty ever after without the terror of warlike forces or violent wresting of things by sharpe punishments Iren. I will so at your pleasure the which me thinkes can by no meanes be better plotted then by ensample of such other Realmes as have beene annoyed with like evills that Ireland now is and useth still to bee And first in this our Realme of England it is manifest by report of the Chronicles and auncient Writers that it was greatly infested with Robbers and Out-lawes which lurking in Woods and fast places used often to breake foorth into the high-wayes and sometimes into small villages to robbe and spoyle For redresse whereof it is written that King Alured or Aldred did divide the Realme into Shires and the Shires into Hundreds and the Hundreds into Lathes or Wapentackes and the Wapentackes into Tythings So that tenne Tythings make an Hundred and five made a Lathe or Wapentake of which tenne each one was bound for another and the eldest or best of them whom they called the Tythingman or Borsolder that is the eldest pledge became surety for all the rest So that if any one of them did start into any undutifull action the Borsolder was bound to bring him forth who joyning eft-soones with all his Tything would follow that loose person thorough all places till they brought him in And if all that Tything fayled then all that Lathe was charged for that Tything and if that Lathe fayled then all that Hundred was demaunded for them and if the Hundred theh the Shire who joyning eft-soones together would not rest till they had found out and delivered in that undutifull fellow which was not amesnable to Law And heerein it seemes that that good Saxon King followed the counsell of Iethro to Moyses who advised him to divide the people into Hundreds and to set Captaines and wise men of trust over them who should take the charge of them and ease of that burthen And so did Romulus as you may read divide the Romanes into Tribes and the Tribes into Centuries or Hundreths By this ordinance this King brought this Realme of England which before was most troublesome unto that quiet State that no one bad person could stirre but he was straight taken holde of by those of his owne Tything and their Borsholder who being his neighbor or next kinsman were privie to all his wayes and looked narrowly into his life The which institution if it were observed in Ireland would worke that effect which it did in England and keep all men within the compasse of dutie and obedience Eudox. This is contrary to that you said before for as I remember you said that there was a great disproportion betweene England and Ireland so as the lawes which were fitting for one would not fit the other How comes it now then that you would transfferre a principall institution from England to Ireland Iren. This law was not made by the Norman Conqueror but by a Saxon King at what time England was very like to Ireland as now it stands for it was as I tolde you annoyed greatly with Robbers and Out-lawes which troubled the whole state of the Realme every corner having a Robin Hood in it that kept the woods and spoyled all passengers and Inhabitants as Ireland now hath so as me thinkes this ordinance would fit very well and bring them all into awe Eudox. Then when you have thus tythed the Communalty as you say and set Borsolders over them all what would you doe when you came to the Gentle-men would you holde the same course Iren. Yea marry most especially for this you must know that all the Irish almost boast themselves to be Gentlemen no lesse then the Welsh for if he can derive himselfe from the head of any Sept as most of them can they are so expert by their Bardes then hee holdeth himselfe a Gentleman and thereupon scorneth to worke or use any hard labour which hee saith is the life of a Peasant or Churle But thenceforth becommeth either an horse-boy or a Stocah to some Kerne inuring himselfe to his weapon and to the gentlemanly-trade-of stealing as they count it So that if a gentleman or any wealthy man Yeoman of them have any Children the eldest of them perhaps shall be kept in some order but all the rest shall shift for themselves and fall to this occupation And moreover it is a common use amongst some of their Gentlemens sonnes that so soone as they are able to use their Weapons they straight gather to themselves three or foure straglers or Kearne with whom wandring a while up and downe idlely the Countrey taking onely meate hee at last falleth unto some bad occasion that shall be offered which being once made knowne hee is thenceforth counted a man of worth in whome there is courage whereupon there draw to him many other like loose young men which stirring him up with incouragement provoke him shortly to flat Rebellion and this happens not onely sometimes in the sonnes of their Gentle-men but also of their Noble-men specially of them who have base Sonnes For they are not onely not ashamed to acknowledge them but also boaste of them and use them to such secret services as they themselves will not be seene in as to plague their Enemyes to spoyle their Neighbours to oppresse and crush some of their owne too stubburne Free-holders which are not tractable to their wills Eudox. Then it seemeth that this ordinance of tithing them by the pole is not onely fit for the Gentle-men but also for the Noble-men whom I would have thought to have beene of so honourable a minde as that they should not neede such a kinde of being bound to their allegiance who should rather have held in and stayde all the other from undutifulnesse then neede to bee forced thereunto themselves Iren. Yet so it is Eudoxus but because that Noble-men cannot be tythed there being not many tythings of them and also because a Borsolder over them should be not onely a great indignitie but also a danger to adde more power to them then they have or to make one the commander of tenne I holde it meeter that there were onely sureties taken of them and one bound for another whereby if any shall swerve his sureties shall for safe-guard of their Bonds either bring him in or seeke to serve upon him and besides this I would wish them all to bee sworne to her Majestie which they never yet were but at the first creation and that Oath would sure contayne them greatly or the breach of it bring them to shorter vengeance for God useth to punish perjurie sharpely So I reade that there was a corporall Oath taken in the raignes of Edward the Second and of Henry the Seventh when the times were
specially to be looked unto But because by husbandry which supplyeth unto us all things necessary for food wherby we chiefly live Therefore it is first to be provided for The first thing therefore that wee are to draw these new tythed men into ought to be husbandry First because it is the most easie to be learned needing onely the labour of the Body Next because it is most generall and most needfull then because it is most naturall and lastly because it is most enemy to warre and most hateth unquietnes As the Poet saith bella execrata colonis for husbandry being the nurse of thrift the daughter of industrie and labour detesteth all that may worke her scathe and destroy the travaile of her hands whose hope is all her lives comfort unto the Plough therefore are those Kearne Stocaghes and Horse-boyes to bee driven and made to imploy that ablenesse of Bodie which they were wont to use to theft and villainy hencefoorth to labour and industry In the which by that time they have spent but a little paine they will finde such sweetenesse and happy contentment that they will afterwardes hardly bee haled away from it or drawne to their wonted lewde life in theeverie and roguerie And being once thus inured thereunto they are not onely to bee countenanced and encouraged by all good meanes but also provided that their children after them may be brought up likewise in the same and succeede in the roomes of their Fathers To which end there is a Statute in Ireland already well provided which commaundeth that all the sonnes of husbandmen shall be trained up in their Fathers trades but it is God wot very slenderly executed Eudox. But doe you not count in this trade of husbandry pasturing of cattle and keeping of their Cowes for that is reckoned as a part of husbandrie Iren. I know it is and needefully to bee used but I doe not meane to allow any of those able bodies which are able to use bodily labour to follow a few Cowes grazeing But such impotent persons as being unable for strong travaile are yet able to drive Cattle to and fro to their pasture for this keeping of Cowes is of it selfe a very idle life and a fit nurserie for a Thiefe For which cause you remember I disliked the Irish manner of keeping Boolies in Summer upon the mountaines and living after that savage sort But if they will algates feede many Cattle or keepe them on the Mountaines let them make some townes neare to the Mountaines side where they may dwell together with neighbours and bee conversant in the view of the world And to say truth though Ireland bee by nature counted a great soyle of pasture yet had I rather have fewer Cowes kept and men better mannered then to have such huge increase of Cattle and no increase of good conditions I would therefore wish that there were some ordinances made amongst them that whosoever keepeth twentie Kine should keep a Plough going for otherwise all men would fall to pasturage and none to husbandry which is a great cause of this dearth now in England and a cause of the usuall stealthes in Ireland for looke into all Countreyes that live in such sort by keeping of Cattle and you shall finde that they are both very barbarous and uncivill and also greatly given to warre The Tartarians the Muscovites the Norwegians the Gothes the Armenians and many other doe witnesse the same And therefore since now wee purpose to draw the Irish from desire of warre and tumults to the love of peace and civility it is expedient to abridge their great custome of hardening and augment their trade of tillage and husbandrie As for other occupations and trades they need not bee inforced to but every man to bee bound onely to follow one that hee thinkes himselfe aptest for For other trades of Artificers will be occupied for very necessitie and constrayned use of them and so likewise will merchandize for the gaine thereof but learning and bringing 〈◊〉 in liberall Sciences will not come of it selfe but must bee drawne on with streight Lawes and ordinances And therefore it were meete that such an act were ordained that all the Sonnes of Lords Gentlemen and such others as are able to bring them up in learning should be trayned up therein from their Child-hoods And for that end every Parish should be forced to keepe a pettie Schoole-master adjoyning unto the Parish Church to bee the more in view which should bring up their children in the first Elements of Letters And that in every Countrey or Baronie they should keepe an other able Schoole-master which should instruct them in Grammer and in the Principles of Sciences to whom they should be compelled to send their youth to bee disciplined whereby they will in short space grow up to that civile conversation that both the children will loath their former rudenesse in which they were bred and also their Parents will even by the ensample of their young Children perceive the foulenesse of their owne behaviour compared to theirs for Learning hath that wonderfull power in it selfe that it can soften and temper the most sterne and savage nature Eudox. Surely I am of your minde that nothing will bring them from their uncivile life sooner then learning and discipline next after the knowledge and feare of GOD. And therefore I doe still expect that you should come thereunto and set some order for reformation of Religion which is first to bee respected according to the saying of CHRIST Seeke first the Kingdome of Heaven and the Righteousnesse thereof Iren I have in minde so to doe but let me I pray you first finish that which I had in hand whereby all the ordinances which shall afterwardes bee set for Religion may abide the more firmely and bee observed more diligently Now that this people is thus tythed and ordered and every one bound unto some honest trade of life which shall bee particularly entered and set downe in the tything Booke yet perhappes there will bee some stragglers and runnagates which will not of themselves come in and yeeld themselves to this order and yet after the well finishing of the present warre and establishing of the Garrisons in all strong places of the Countrey where their wonted refuge was most I suppose there will few stand out or if they doe they will shortly bee brought in by the Eares But yet afterwardes lest any one of them should swerve or any that is tyed to a trade should afterwardes not follow the same according to this institution but should straggle up and downe the Countrey or mich in Corners amongst their Friends idlely as Carrowes Bardes Iesters and such like I would wishe that a Provost Marshall should bee appointed in every Shire which should continually walke about the Countrey with halfe a dozen or halfe a score horsemen to take up such loose persons as they should finde thus wandering whome hee should punish by his owne
authority with such paines as the person shall seeme to deserve for if hee be but once so taken idlely roguing hee may punish him more lightly as with stockes or such like but if hee bee found againe so loytering hee may scourge him with whippes or rodds after which if hee bee againe taken let him have the bitternesse of Marshall lawe Likewise if any reliques of the olde rebellion bee found by any that either have not come in and submitted themselves to the Law or that having once come in doe breake forth againe and walke disorderly let them taste of the same cuppe in Gods Name for it was due to them for their first guilt and now being revived by their later loosenesse let them have their first desert as now being found unfit to live in the Common-wealth Eudox. This were a good ordinance but mee thinkes it is an unnecessary charge and also unfit to continue the name or forme of any Marshall-Law when as there is a proper Officer already appointed for these turnes to wit the Sheriffe of the Shire whose peculiar Office it is to walke up and downe his Bayli-wicke as you would have a Marshall to snatch up all those Runnagates and unprofitable members and to bring them to his Gaole to bee punished for the same Therefore this may well be spared Iren. Not so me thinkes for though the Sheriffe have this authority of himselfe to take up all such stragglers and imprison them yet shall hee not doe so much good nor worke that terrour in the hearts of them that a Marshall will whom they shall know to have power of life and death in such cases and specially to bee appointed for them Neither doth it hinder that but that though it pertaine to the Sheriffe the Sheriffe may doe therein what hee can and yet the Marshall may walke his course besides for both of them may doe the more good and more terrifie the idle Rogue knowing that though he have a watch upon the one yet hee may light upon the other But this proviso is needefull to bee had in this case that the Sheriffe may not have the like power of life as the Marshall hath and as heretofore they have beene accustomed for it is dangerous to give power of life into the hands of him which may have benefit by the parties death as if the said loose liver have any goods of owne the Sheriffe is to seize thereupon whereby it hath come to passe that some who have not deserved iudgement of death though otherwise perhaps offending have beene for their goods sake caught up and carryed straight to the bough a thing indeed very pittifull horrible Therefore by no meanes I would have the Sheriffe have such authority nor yet to imprison that Lozell till the Sessions for so all Gaoles might soone be filled but to send him to the Marshall who eftsoones finding him faultie shall give him meete correction and ridd him away forthwith Eudox. I doe now perceive your reason well but come wee now to that whereof wee earst spake I meane to Religion and religious men what order will you set amongst them Iren. For Religion little have I to say my selfe being as I said not professed therein and it selfe being but one so as there is but one way therein for that which is true onely is and the rest is not at all yet in planting of Religion thus much is needefull to bee observed that it bee not sought forcibly to bee impressed into them with terrour and sharpe penalties as now is the manner but rather delivered and intimated with mildenesse and gentlenesse so as it may not be hated before it be understood and their professors despised and rejected And therefore it is expedient that some discreete Ministers of their owne Countrey-men bee first sent over amongst them which by their meeke perswasions and instructions as also by their sober lives and conversations may draw them first to understand and afterwards to imbrace the doctrine of their salvation for if that the auncient godly Fathers which first converted them when they were Infidells to the Faith were able to pull them from Idolatry and Paganisme to the true Beliefe in CHRIST as S. Patricke and S. Columb how much more easily shall godly teachers bring them to the true understanding of that which they already professed wherein it is great wonder to see the oddes which is betweene the zeale of Popish Priests and the Ministers of the Gospell for they spare not to come out of Spaine from Rome and from Remes by long toyle and daungerous travayling hither where they know perill of death awayteth them and no reward or richesse is to bee found onely to draw the people unto the Church of Rome whereas some of our idle Ministers having a way for credite and estimation thereby opened unto them and having the livings of the Countrey offered unto them without paines and without perill will neither for the same nor any love of God nor zeale of Religion nor for all the good they may doe by winning Soules to God bee drawne foorth from their warme neastes to looke out into Gods harvest which is even ready for the sickle and all the Fields yellow long agoe doubtlesse those good olde godly Fathers will I feare mee rise up in the day of judgement to condemne them Eudox. Surely it is great pitty Iren. that there are none chosen out of the Ministers of England good sober and discreet men which might be sent over thither to teach and instruct them and that there is not asmuch care had of their soules as of their Bodies for the care of both lyeth upon the Prince Iren. Were there never so many sent over they should doe smal good till one enormity be taken from them that is that both they bee restrayned from sending their yong men abroad to other Vniversities beyond the Sea as Remes Doway Lovaine and the like and others from abroad bee restrayned for comming into them for they lurking secretly in their houses and in corners of the Countrey doe more hurt and hinderance to Religion with their private perswasions then all the others can doe good with their publique instructions though for these latter there be a good Statute there ordained yet the same is not executed as for the former there is no law nor order for their restraint at all Eudox. I marvaile it is no better looked unto and not only this but that also which I remember you mentioned in your abuses concerning the profits and revenewes of the Lands of Fugitives in Ireland which by pretence of certaine colourable conveyances are sent continually over unto them to the comforting of them and others against her Majestie for which here in England there is good order taken and why not then aswell in Ireland For though there be no Statute there yet enacted therefore yet might her Majestie by her onely prerogative seize the fruites and profites of those Fugitives Lands into
her handes till they come over to testifie their true alleagiance Iren. Indeede shee might so doe but the comberous times doe perhappes hinder the regard thereof and of many other good intentions Eudox. But why then did they not mend it in peaceable times Iren. Leave we that to their grave considerations but proceed we forward Next care in Religion is to build up and repayre all the ruined Churches whereof the most part lye even with the ground and some that have bin lately repayred are so unhandsomely patched and thatched that men doe even shunne the places for the uncomelinesse thereof therefore I would wishe that there were order taken to have them built in some better forme according to the Churches of England for the outward shewe assure your selfe doth greatly drawe the rude people to the reverencing and frequenting thereof What ever some of our late too nice fooles say there is nothing in the seemely forme and comely order of the Church And for the keeping and continuing them there should likewise Church-wardens of the gravest men in the parish be appointed as they bee here in England which should take the yearely charge both hereof and also of the Schoole-houses which I wish to be built neere the said Churches for maintenance of both which it were meete that some small portion of lands were allotted sith no more Mortmaines are to be looked for Eudox. Indeede me thinkes it would be so convenient but when all is done how will you have your Churches served and your Ministers maintained since the livings as you say are not sufficient scarce to make them gownes much lesse to yeeld meete maintenance according to the dignity of their degree Iren. There is no way to helpe that but to lay 2. or 3. of them together untill such time as the Countrey grow more rich and better inhabited at which time the Tythes and other obventions will also be more augmented and better valued But now that we have thus gone through all the 3. sorts of trades and set a course for their good establishment let us if it please you goe next to some other needefull points of other publicke matters no lesse concerning the good of the Common-wealth though but accidentally depending on the former And first I wish that order were taken for the cutting and opening of all places through woods so that a wide way of the space of 100. yards might be layde open in every of them for the safety of travellers which use often in such perillous places to be robbed and sometimes murdered Next that Bridges were built upon the Rivers and all the fordes marred and spilt so as none might passe any other way but by those Bridges and every Bridge to have a gate and a gate-house set thereon whereof this good will come that no night stealths which are commonly driven in by-wayes and by blinde fordes unused of any but such like shall not be conveyed out of one country into another as they use but they must passe by those Bridges where they may either be haply encountred or easily tracked or not suffered to passe at all by meanes of those gate-houses thereon Also that in all straights and narrow passages as betweene 2. boggs or through any deepe foord or under any mountaine side there should be some little Fortilage or wooden Castle set which should keepe and commaund that straight whereby any Rebells that should come into the country might be stopped that way or passe with great perill Moreover that all High wayes should be fenced and shut up on both sides leaving onely 40. foote breadth for passage so as none should be able to passe but through the high wayes whereby theeves and night Robbers might be the more easily pursued and encountred when there shall be no other way to drive their stolne cattle but therein as I formerly declared Further that there should bee in sundry convenient places by the high wayes townes appointed to bee built the which should be free Burgesses and incorporate under Bayliffes to be by their inhabitants well and strongly intrenched or otherwise fenced with gates on each side thereof to be shut nightly like as there is in many places in the English pale and all the wayes about it to be strongly shut up so as none should passe but through those townes To some of which it were good that the priviledge of a market were given the rather to strengthen and inable them to their defence for there is nothing doth sooner cause civility in any countrie then many Market townes by reason that people repairing often thither for their needes will dayly see and learne civill manners of the better sort Besides there is nothing doth more stay and strenghthen the Country then such corporate townes as by proofe in many Rebellious hath appeared in which when all the countryes have swerved the townes have stood fast and yeelded good releife to the Souldiours in all occasions of services And lastly there is nothing doth more enrich any country or Realme then many townes for to them will all the people drawe and bring the fruits of their trades aswell to make money of them as to supply their needefull uses and the Countrymen will also be more industrious in tillage and rearing of all husbandry commodities knowing that they shall have ready sale for them at those townes and in all those townes should there be convenient Innes erected for the lodging and harbouring of Travellers which are now oftentimes spoyled by lodging abroad in weake thatched houses for want of such safe places to shroude them in Eudox. But what profit shall your market townes reape of their market when as each one may sell their corne and cattle abroad in the country and make their secret bargaines amongst themselves as now I understand they use Iren. Indeede Eudoxus they doe so and thereby no small inconvenience doth rise to the Common-wealth for now when any one hath stolne a Cowe or a Garron he may secretly sell it in the country without privity of any wheras if he brought it to a market towne it would perhaps be knowne and the theife discovered Therefore it were good that a straight ordinance were made that none should buy or sell any cattle but in some open market there being now market townes every where at hand upon a great penalty neither should they likewise buy any corne to sell the same againe unlesse it were to make malt thereof for by such ingrosing and regrating wee see the dearth that now commonly raigneth here in England to have beene caused Hereunto also is to bee added that good ordinance which I remember was once proclaimed throughout all Ireland That all men should marke their cattle with an open severall marke upon their flanckes or Buttockes so as if they happened to be stolne they might appeare whose they were and they which should buy them might thereby suspect the Owner and be warned to abstaine from buying them of a suspected
person with such an unknowne marke Eudox. Surely these ordinances seeme very expedient but specially that of free townes of which I wonder there is so small store in Ireland and that in the first peopling and planting thereof they were neglected and omitted Iren. They were not omitted for there were through all places of the Country convenient many good townes seated which thorough that inundation of the Irish which I first told you of were utterly wasted and defaced of which the ruines are yet in many places to be seene and of some no signe at all remaining save onely their bare names but their seates are not to be found Eudox. But how then commeth it to passe that they have never since beene recovered nor their habitations reedified as of the rest which have beene no lesse spoyled and wasted Iren. The cause thereof was for that after their desolation they were begged by Gentlemen of the Kings under colour to repaire them and gather the poore reliques of the people againe together of whom having obtained them they were so farre from reedifying of them as that by all meanes they have endeavoured to keepe them waste least that being repaired their Charters might be renewed and their Burgesses restored to their lands which they had now in their possession much like as in those old monuments of Abbeyes and religious houses we see them likewise use to doe For which cause it is judged that King Henry the eight bestowed them upon them conceiving that thereby they should never bee able to rise againe And even so doe these Lords in these poore old corporate townes of which I could name divers but for kindling of displeasure Therefore as I wished many corporate townes to be erected so would I againe wish them to be free not depending upon the service nor under the commaund of any but the Governour And being so they will both strengthen all the Country round about them which by their meanes will be the better replenished and enriched and also be as continuall houldes for her Majesty if the people should revolt or breake out againe for without such it is easie to forrage and over-run the whole land Let be for ensample all those Free-boroughes in the Low-Countryes which are now all the strength thereof These and other like ordinances might be delivered for the good establishment of the Realme after it is once subdued and reformed in which it might afterwards be very easily kept and maintained with small caâ—e of the Governours and Councell there appointed so as it should in short space yeeld a plentifull revenue to the Crowne of England which now doth but sucke consume the treasure thereof through those unsound plots and changefull orders which are dayly devised for her good yet never effectually prosecuted or performed Eudox. But in all this your discourse I have not marked any thing by you spoken touching the appointment of the principall Officer to whom you wish the charge and performance of all this to be committed Onely I observed some fowle abuses by you noted in some of the late Governours the reformation whereof you left of for this present place Iren. I delight not to lay open the blames of great Magistrates to the rebuke of the world and therefore their reformation I will not meddle with but leave unto the wisedome of greater heads to be considered only thus much I will speake generally thereof to satisfie your desire that the government and cheife Magistracy I wish to continue as it doth to wit that it be ruled by a Lord Deputy or Iustice for that it is a very safe kinde of rule but there withall I wish that over him there were placed also a Lord Lieutenant of some of the greatest personages in England such a one I could name upon whom the eye of all England is fixed and our last hopes now rest who being intituled with that dignity and being here alwayes resident may backe and defend the good course of that government against all maligners which else will through their cunning working under hand deprave and pull backe what ever thing shall be begun or intended there as we commonly see by experience at this day to the utter ruine and desolation of that poore Realme and this Leiutenancie should be no discountenancing of the Lord Deputy but rather a strengthning of all his doings for now the cheife evill in that government is that no Governour is suffered to goe on with any one course but upon the least information here of this or that hee is either stopped and crossed or other courses appointed him from hence which he shall run which how inconvenient it is is at this houre too well felt And therefore this should be one principall in the appointing of the Lord Deputies authority that it should bee more ample and absolute then it is and that he should have uncontrouled power to doe any thing that he with the advisement of the Councell should thinke meete to be done For it is not possible for the Councell here to direct a Governour there who shall be forced oftentimes to follow the necessitie of present actions and to take the suddaine advantage of time which being once lost will not bee recovered whilst through expecting direction from hence the delayes whereof are oftentimes through other greater affaires most irkesome the oportunityes there in the meane time passe away and great danger often groweth which by such timely prevention might easily bee stopped And this I remember is worthily observed by Machiavel in his discourses upon Livie where he commendeth the manner of the Romans government in giving absolute power to all their Councellors and Governours which if they abused they should afterwards dearely answere And the contrary thereof he reprehendeth in the States of Venice of Florence and many other principalityes of Italy who use to limit their cheife Officers so strictly as that thereby they have oftentimes lost such happy occasions as they could never come unto againe The like whereof who so hath beene conversant in that government of Ireland hath too often seene to their great hinderance and hurt Therefore this I could wish to be redressed and yet not so but that in particular things he should be restrained though not in the generall government as namely in this that no offices should bee sould by the Lord Deputy for money nor no pardons nor no protections bought for reward nor no beoves taken for Captainries of Countryes nor no shares of Bishopricks for nominating of Bishops nor no forfeytures nor dispensations with poenall Statutes given to their servants or friends nor no selling of licences for transportation of prohibited wares and specially of corne and flesh with many the like which neede some manner of restrainte or else very great trust in the honorable disposition of the Lord Deputy Thus I have Eudoxus as briefly as I could and as my memorie would serve me run through the state of that whole Country both
Church a Sanctuary for their Corne and in neede to take thereof at reasonable prices Little good did Fitz Aldelin and lesse vvas like to doe because hee delighted to crosse his Peeres and vvas of them stopped in his course of government Hugh de Lacye vvas made Protector generall over the Land But Miles Cogan Philip de Bruise Fitz Stephens Power and diverse other more preferred to severall countreyes under him This Lacye builded a sort of castles and forts throughout all Leinster and Meth and the next sixe yeares continually devout gentlemen erected sundry Abbeyes as the Abbey of Roseglasse of Donbrothy by Hervy a Welchman one of the speciall conquerours of Ireland vvho himself after that entred into religion in Trinity Priory at Canterbury The Abbeyes of Geripont and Choro Benedicti the Abbey de lege Dei vvith repayring of many Chappels Chauncells Bell-houses High-vvayes and Bridges Then dyed Saint Laurence Archbishop of Divelin to vvhom succeeded Iohn Comyn an Englishman brought up in the Abbey of Evesham Founder of Saint Patrickes in Divelin vvhich vvas before that time a Parish Church novv by the said Archbishop endovved vvith Prebends Viccars Clearkes Chorists and many notable possessions for their maintenance vvhereout from time to time have proceeded Clergy-men of greatest learning reputation in the Diocese Divers contentions were raised betwixt Christs Church and it for antiquity wherein they of S. Patrickes are no doubt inferiour as shall appeare They are both written Cathedrall Churches and both are the Bishops Chapiter in vvhose election they both ought to convent within the Church of the blessed Trinity called Christs Church which in all records hath the preheminency of place The party that disturbeth this order of election forfeiteth by deede to th'Archbishop of Divelin 200. pounds This foundation was much enriched by King Iohn The same yeare died the yong King Henry reconciled to his father but preparing warre against his brother Richard Duke of Aquitain soon after also deceased Ieffry his other son Duke of Brittaine Thus were left Richard his inheritour and Iohn afterwards Earle of Glocester heretofore surnamed without land to whom the father conveyed all his interest and Lordship of Ireland sent him thither honourably accompanied being then but twelue yeares old and with him in speciall trust Giraldus Cambrensis Clerke a diligent searcher of the antiquities of Ireland surely well learned and in those dayes counted Eloquent About the young Earle were servants and counsellours three sorts first Normans great quaffers lourdens proud belly swaines fed with extortion and bribery to whom hee most relyed secondly the English brought with him meetly bold Thirdly the English found in the land whom being best worthy and most forward in all good services hee least regarded hereof sprang parties and disdaine and to the knights that hardiest were and readiest of courage no small discomfort to the enemies a spurre With the brute of his arrivall at Waterford the Kings of Thomond Desmond and Connaght put themselves in the bravest manner they could to meete him and to submit their countries to his Grace before them came the Irish Franklyns with rich presents and as they are very kind hearted where they list to shew obedience made unto the Childe their Lord the most joy and gladnesse that might be and though rudely yet lovingly and after the custome of their country offred to kisse him with such familiarity as they used towards their Princes at home Two of the Guard Normans pick-thankes shooke and tare the Clownes by the glibs beards unmannerly and churlishly thrust them out of the presence whom they should have instructed curteously born with The Irish thus rejected went against the fore-named Kings opened the rebukes and villanyes done to them for their meekenes that their Lord whom they thought to honour was but a Boy peevish and insolent governed by a sort of flatterers younglings and prowlers That sithence to them that buxome were and tractable such despite and dishonour that terme they have borrowed of the Spaniards was proffered so soone little good should the states of Ireland looke for in continuance when the English had once yoked and penned them in their clouches This report lightly alienated the mindes of those Princes not yet very resolute and turned them home with great oathes and leagues entred among themselves caused also the mightiest Captaines elsewhere to sticke together while their lives lasted and for no manner earthly thing to slacke the defence of their auncient liberties Immediately walked abroad mutinyes of broyle commotion so that the young Earle and his army were content to commit the tryall thereof to Lacy Bruise Courcy Fitz Gerald and the rest himselfe departing away the same yeare he came and leaving the Realme a great deale worse bestedde then he found it From the Conquest hitherto Giraldus Cambrensis and from hence to the yeare 1370. I am specially holpen by certaine briefe extracts whose author is namelesse and therefore I quote him by the name of Philip Flatsbury who wrote them and enriched them with collections of his owne for Gerald the father of the Earle of Kildare then being An. 1517. Lacy the rather for these whisperings did erect and edifie a number of Castles well and substantially provided in convenient places one at Derwath vvhere diverse Irish prayed to be set on worke for hyre Sundry times came Lacy to quicken his labourers full glad to see them fall in ure with any such exercise wherein might they once be grounded taste the svvetenesse of a true mans life he thought it no small token of reformation to be hoped for which cause he visited them often and merrily would command his Gentlemen to give the labourers example in taking paines to take their instruments in hand and to worke a season the poore soules looking on and resting But this game ended Tragically while each man was busie to try his cunning some lading some plaistering some heaving some carving the Generall also himselfe digging with a pykeaxe a desperate villaine of them he whose toole the Generall used espying both his hands occupied and his body with all force inclining to the blow watched his stoope and clove his head with an axe little esteeming the torments that ensued This Lacy was conquerour of Meth his body the two Archbishops Iohn of Divelin and Mathew of Cashell buryed in the monastery of of Becktye his head in S. Thomas abbey at Divelin The next yeare was builded the abbey of Ines in Vlster and soone after the abbeyes of Iugo Dei and of Comer and then the abbey of Knockmoy or de Colle victoriae by Cathel Cronderg King of Connaght CAP. II. The Titles of the Crowne of England to every part of Ireland and to the whole diverse wayes I Will begin with the pedigree of VVilliam Earle marshall for thereupon depend many recordes in Ireland and the Queenes
the childe first into Scotland then into France and misdoubting the French into Italy vvhere Cardinall Pole his neere kinsman preserved him till the raigne of Edward the sixt vvith vvhom hee entred into high favour and obtayned of him his olde Inheritance of Meinothe Lastly by meanes of the said Cardinall and Sir Anthony Browne Lord Mountague whose sister hee marryed a woman worthy of such a brother Queene Mary Founder and restorer of many Noble houses repealed his attainder and set him in his fathers Earledome wherein since that time he hath shewed himselfe sundry wayes officious and serviceable towards his Common-wealth and the Crowne of England beside other good qualities of honour and curtesie they repute him heere for the best horseman in these parts of Christendome With this escape of yong Fitz Gerald the Lord Leonard Gray his Vncle on the mothers side was held suspect the same was one speciall article urged against him when hee lost his head Anno 1542. Sir VVilliam Skevington a vvorthy Governour and among all vertues very just of his vvord deceased Lord Deputy at Kilmaynam the Lord Leonard Gray succeeded him Oneale and Odonill colourably required a parley vvith the Deputy but in the vvay as they rode they burned the Navan and the tovvne of Ardee Wherefore the Deputy vvith the helpe of the Maior of Divelin Iames Fitz Symonds and the Maior of Droghedagh and the English pale met them flighted them slevv 400. of their trayne and there the Maior of Divelin for notable service in that journey vvas knighted Sir Anthony Seintleger Knight of the Garter Lord Deputy He summoned a Parliament vvherein the Geraldines vvere attainted Abbeyes suppressed the King named supreme head and King of Ireland because he recognized no longer to hold it of the Pope At this Parliament appeared Irish Lords Mac Gilpatricke Lord Barry Mac Cartimore O-Brene and diverse more vvhom follovved Con Oneale submitting himselfe to the Kings Deputy and after to the King himselfe vvho returned him richly plated created him Earle of Tyrone his base sonne Matthew Oneale Baron of Donganon As for Shane Oneale the onely sonne of his body mulier begotten hee vvas then little esteemed and of no proofe The same time Iames Earle of Desmond came to the King and vvas of him both Princely entertained and revvarded CAP. X. Edward the 6. Mary and Elizabeth BEfore the decease of Henry the 8. Seintleger was twice in England leaving at both times Sir VVilliam Brabason Lord Iustice. In his second returne An. 1546. Sir Edward Bellingham Captaine generall landed at Waterford and skowred the coast where Omore and Ocomore used to prey This yeare the city of Divelin obtained a Charter for two Sheriffes in stead of Bayliffes The Geraldines Out-lawes were taken and executed Bellingham appointed Lord Deputye erected a Mint within the Castle of Divelin which quickely wearyed them for want of fuell Andrew Brereton with 300. horsemen and 40. footemen inhabited the North as farre as Lecale where hee with 35. horsemen gave the charge upon 240. Scotts that from the out Islandes came to succour the Irish and wasted the Countrey In one yeare hee cleered those quarters that the Kings subiects might passe in peace Sir Frauncis Bryan the Kings Mynion was left Lord Iustice vvhile Bellingham repayred into England vvhere he dyed a man made up by service in the vvarres by continuall toyle therein diseased and feebled but of courage a lyon to his dying day true as steele as farre from flattery as from hearing flatterers an exceeding fervent Protestant very zealous and carefull in tendring the vvealth of Ireland vvherein the countrey giveth him the praise over all his predecessours and successours vvithin memory he spent his vvhole allovvance in hospitality calling the same his deare Masters meate none of his ovvne cost Letters commendatory offered him by the Councell vvhen Brian had vvrought his trouble before the nobility of England hee rejected as vaine and superfluous professing that if of his owne innocencie he could not uphold him hee would never seeke other shift then Credo resurrectionem mortuorum for quoth he well they may kill mee but they shall never conquer mee Sowre he was and thundering in words indeed very temperate applyed himselfe altogether to severity Lordlinesse and terrour Brian dyed within sixe weekes and Brabason became Lord Iustice till Saintleger the fourth time was sent over Deputye To him crept Mac Cartye that had lately roved and denyed his obedience with an halter about his necke and got his pardon Vpon Saintleger came Sir Iames Croftes of whose bounty and honourable dealing towards them they yeeld at this day a generall good report Crofts tarryed in office two yeares and left Sir Thomas Cusack who dyed five houres before the writing heereof and Gerald Ailmer while they both were coursing Oneale from Dundalke Queene Mary established in her Crowne committed her government once more to Saintleger whom sundry Noblemen pelted and lifted at till they shouldered him quite out of all credite He to be counted forward and plyable to the taste of King Edward the sixt his raigne rymed against the Reall Presence for his pastime and let the papers fall where Courtiers might light thereon vvho greatly magnified the pith and conveyance of that noble sonnet But the originall of his own hand-vvriting had the same firmely though contrary to his ovvne Iudgement vvandering in so many hands that his adversary caught it and tripped it in his vvay the spot vvhereof he could never vvipe out Thus vvas he removed a discreete Gentleman very studious of the State of Ireland enriched stout enough vvithout gall While the Deputy staggered uncertaine of continuance the Tooles and the Cavenaghes vvaxed cockish in the Countie of Divelin rangeing in flockes of seven or eight score on vvhom set forth the Marshall and the Sheriffes of Divelin Buckley and Gygen vvith the citties helpe and over-layde them in sudden skirmishes of which threescore were executed for example Thomas Earle of Sussex Lord Deputy with whom came his Brother in law Sir Henry Sidney Treasurer This Deputy to the inestimable benefite of the Realme brought under obedience the disordered countreyes of Leix Slewmarge Ofalie Irrye and Glinmalire then late possessed by the Oconnore Omores Odempsyes and other Irish rebels Hee molested Iames Mac Conell the Scottish Islander that in those dayes joyned with the Irish and disquieted Vlster In which voyage Divelin assisted the Governour with a faire company conducted by Iohn Vsher Sheriffe and Patrick Buckley He held a Parliament wherein it was made high Treason to retaine Scots for souldiours and fellony to contract with them matrimony At his returne from England in which time Sir Henry Sidney vvas Lord Iustice hee pursued the Scots to their Ilands and there entred did them much skathe vvanne himselfe full great commendation of hardinesse sayled backe vvith the glory of that adventure vvherein I trovv tvvo more