calling for a cup of wine was answered that there stood a bowle of wine upon the table he forgetting that he had formerly washed therein dranke it up insomuch that the standers by said What fellow is this more like a brute beast then a man that drinketh his owne bloud and eateth his owne flesh Gillemore hearing this tooke it to heart notwithstanding dissembling his griefe and anger the next night conveyed himselfe away and submitting himselfe to his father delivered unto him the state of the strangers which turned to their great disadvantage and hinderance Shortly after the day of battaile was appointed where the strangers were overthrowne and as they say seven score thousand men slaine The Irish had supplies and extraordinary meanes at home the strangers could not come by it the Irish plaid with them at all advantages the woods and the bogs defended them as occasion served This battaile with the preambles and circumstances continued one whole yeere the strangers had no shipping to flee unto for succour the ground was unknowne unto them their lodging and fare was cold hard and scant so as their hardinesse could not hold out their end was lamentable and the honour was bequeathed to the Irish nation The Princes of Ireland having thus with great successe foiled their enemies delivered their people from utter overthrow and quieted the land rested themselves a while Afterward partly for recompence of good service and partly for safegard of the land appointed the Danes whom they had formerly hired who also unto that time had served them truely over the whole land to prevent forraigne invasion forewarned by the field of Fentra and the former attempts these Commanders with their particular places of command I thought good to impart to the courteous reader Osker Mac Oshen Mac Fin with his Souldiers kept the haven of Dublin Fian Mac Fenrasse kept the Winde-gates Wony Etagh Mac Cas Foule kept Wicklo Creyon Mac Wony kept Arcklow Eye Onagh Mac Kellenkas kept Weixford Dono Mac Kayder kept Rosse Fellum Mac Eye Keyge kept Dungarvan Bresell Mac Eydow kept O Keylle Gaero Mac Doheyere kept Corke Ollen Aye Nyarg Mac Bressell kept Kynsale Collo Mac Keilt kept Dingle Koysse Con Keor Mac Bren Mac Foyll kept Fentra Osker Mac Cromkeyn kept Trallie Don Dowe Mac Reymowre being a King over the sept of Fin Mac Koyle kept Lymnagh that is Limericke Eye Boge Mac Fin kept Inyskagh Coll Kroytt kept Corke Vaysken Eye Mac Sroy kept Canborne Eye clone Drylinge kept Donrys Oveyragh Bressell Mac Eye Begge kept Galloway Deyre Dovenagh Magher Morne kept Inysbresyn Eye O row Mac Fin kept Kleere Collow Daver kept small Iland Enos Dayrk kept Koymaghtbe Enos Maygh Ercoipie kept Galley Feartagh Mac Ferolagh kept Moyc Low Magh Mac Karbren kept Sligo Smerger Drought kept Bondroys Keyll Croagh Kede Gonagh O Navnyd Assero Brasell Mac Doyer kept Donagall Mogh Small Mac Smoyll kept Fanyd Eey Mac Kehow kept Loughfoyle Darawryd Rowrer kept Bonban Sperenagh Claw kept Knockfergus Magh love kept Ardolloe Donogh Mac Dermotte Evne kept Ardglas Art Oge Mac Morne kept Dondorme Eye Mac Carra Meyke Morne kept Carlingford Flaas Fere Leyfroke Greffey Fin Mac Koyll kept Don dalke Rey ne Roysklaygh Mac Fin Mac Koyll kept Drogheda Shealvagh Mac Dermotte Doyn kept Gormanston Covuloe Mac Wowdyrge kept Irelands eye Derlleys Mac Dovgar kept Howth These were the chiefe Commanders by direction from Fin Mac Koyll who tooke farther order that Beacons should be set up in sundry places of the land where in time of danger they might have direction for reliefe and draw to a head for their defence which order continued unto the field of Kaghcaro otherwise called Ardkagh or Ardkath the occasion whereof was as followeth In the time of Karbre Lifeacher Monarch of Ireland the Danish Captaines with their bands and garrisons waxed insolent and outragious they weighed not what Prince or people said they grew strong and rich not caring what they did they brought vp fond customes of their owne devising oppressing the people and disdaining the gentle admonitions of the Kings and Nobilitie of the land Among themselves they decreed that no Maid should marry without their license that none should hunt the Hare Otter Foxe Wolfe Marterne or Deare but should pay them what they pleased to rate it at and that none should use any other pastime without their privitie The Kings and Nobilitie of the land called a Parliament endevouring to reforme these abuses charging them to surcease from their outrages or to leave the land The Danes answered that they came in with the sword held by the sword and with the sword they would be driven away The day of battaile was appointed to be fought at Amaghery Ongallin now called Margallin in Westmeath though the field be called Ardkagh which is by interpretation a set field The Danes sent to Denmarke intimating their griefe and lamentable estate craving aide of the King and that he would be pleased to send his sonne to be their Generall who according to their request shortly after landed with tenne thousand stalworth souldiers so the old phrase runneth and they comming together made up twenty and eight thousand and seven hundred The Kings of Ireland with their forces were threescore and five thousand The Danes or Norwegians being valiant and venterous hastened to the battaile at the day appointed The Kings in like sort with their forces hearing that their enemies approched set themselves in battaile array and came to a place where they all kissed the ground readie to dye one with another and gave after their manner such a crie as if heauen and earth met together and therewith somewhat amazed their enemies so that the place to this day is called Balle-Nangartha in English Garrestowne The strangers placed themselves on the South-west side of the hill that the forces of the Kings being on the other side somewhat beneath them might not easilie discrie their Armie they appointed their worst men for their Rereward that seeing the Voward valiantly encountring and prevailing they might thereby be the more encouraged They placed their rascals on their jades nagges and labouring garrons on the top of an hill where at this day is a little Mote in remembrance thereof giuing them in charge that when the forces of the land espied them and drew neere they should retire to the maine battaile for refuge and succour they hoped by these meanes that the Kings when they saw so great a company flee would breake their order and array to pursue them and so lay themselves open to utter ouerthrow and then was their intent to have made the King of Denmarkes sonne King of the land and to have enioyed the Realme to them and their posteritie for euer The Kings of Ireland being seven in number tracing a while on the top of an hill which therefore was called after that the hill of Trase now Hol-trase divided themselves into two battailes
the inhabitants of the county towne of Corke being tyred with perpetuall oppressions of their Irish borderers complained themselves in a generall writing directed to the Lord of Rutheland and Corke the Kings Deputy and to the Councell of the Realme then assembled at Divelin which Letter because it openeth the decay of those partes and the state of the Realme in times past I have thought good to enter here as it was delivered me by Francis Agard Esquire one of her Majesties privy Councell in Ireland It may please your wisedomes to have pittie of us the Kings poore subjects within the county of Corke or else we be cast away for ever for where there was in this countie these Lords by name besides Knights Esquiers Gentlemen and Yeoman to a great number that might dispend yearelie 800. pounds 600. pounds 400. pounds 200. pounds 100. pounds 100. markes 20. pounds 20. markes 10. pounds some more some lesse to a great number besides these Lords following First the Lord Marquesse Caro his yearely revenues was besides Dorzey Hauen and other Creekes 2200. pounds sterling The Lord Barnevale of Bearehaven his yearely revenues was beside Bearehaven and other Creekes 1600. pounds sterling The Lord Vggan of the great Castle his yearely revenues was besides havens and creekes 1300. pounds sterling The Lord Balram of Emforte his yearely revenues was besides havens and creekes 1300. pounds sterling The Lord Courcy of Kilbretton his yearely revenues besides havens and creekes 1500. pounds sterling The Lord Mandevil of Barrenstelly his yearely revenues besides havens and creekes 1200. pounds sterling The Lord Arundell of the strand his yearely revenues besides havens and creekes 1500. pounds sterling The Lord Baron of the Guard his yearely revenues besides havens and creekes 1100. pounds sterling The Lord Sleynie of Baltimore his yearely revenue besides havens and creekes 800 pounds sterling The Lord Roche of Poole-castle his yearely revenue besides havens and creekes 1000. pounds sterling The Kings Majesty hath the Lands of the late young Barry by forfeiture the yearely revenue whereof besides two rivers and creekes and all other casualties is 1800. pounds sterling And at the end of this Parliament Your Lordship with the Kings most noble Councell may come to Corke and call before you all these Lords and other Irish men and binde them in paine of losse of life lands and goods that never any of them doe make warre upon another without licence or cōmandement of you my Lord Deputy the Kings Councell for the utter destruction of these parts is that onely cause and once all the Irish men and the Kings enemies were driven into a great valley called Glanehought betwixt two great mountaines called Maccorte or the leprous Iland and their they lived long and many yeares with their white meat till at the last these English Lords fell at variance among themselves and then the weakest part tooke certaine Irish men to take his part and so vanquished his enemy and thus fell the English Lords at variance among themselves till the Irish men were stronger then they and drave them away and now have the whole country under them but that the Lord Roche the Lord Courcy and the Lord Barry onely remaine with the least part of their auncestors possessions and young Barry is there upon the Kings portion paying his Grace never a penny Rent Wherefore we the Kings poore subjects of the Citty of Corke Kinsale and Yowghall desire your Lordship to send hither two good Iustices to see this matter ordered and some English Captaines with twenty English men that may be Captaines over us all and we will rise with them to redresse these enormities all at our owne costs And if you doe not we be all cast away and then farewell Mounster for ever And if you will not come nor send we will send over to our Liege Lord the King and complaine on you all Thus farre the letter And at this day the Citty of Corke is so encumbred with unquiet neighbours of great power that they are forced to watch their gates continually to keepe them shut at service times at meales from sunne set to sunne arising nor suffer any stranger to enter there with his weapon but to leave the same at a lodge appointed They walke out for recreation at seasons with strength of men furnished they match in wedlocke among themselves so that welnigh the whole citty is allyed together It is to be hoped that the late sent over Lord President of Mounster Sir Iohn Parrot who hath chosen the same place to abide in as having greatest neede of a Governour resident would ease the inhabitants of this feare and scourge the Irish Outlawes that annoy the whole region of Mounster Henry the 4. in the 10. yeare of his raigne gave the Sword to the Citty of Divelin which Citty was first governed as appeareth by their auncient seale called Signum propositurae by a Provost and in the 14. yeare of H. the 3. by a Major two Bayliffes which Bayliffes were changed into Sheriffes by Charter of Edward the 6. an 1547. This Majorality both for state and charge of that office and for the bountifull hospitality exceedeth any Citty in England except London While Henry the 5. reigned I finde lieutenants and deputyes of Ireland specially remembred Iohn Talbott of Hollamshire Lord of Furnyvall Thomas de Lancaster Senischa of England and Stephen le Scroope his Deputy Iohn Duke of Bedford then also Lord Keeper of England and the noble Earle of Ormond Sir Iames Butler whose grandsire was Iames surnamed the chast for that of all vices hee most abhorred the sinne of the flesh and in subduing of the same gave notable example In the red Moore of Athye the sun almost lodged in the West and miraculously standing still in his epicycle the space of three houres till the feat was accomplished and no pit in that bogge annoying either horse or man on his part he vanquished Omore and his terrible Army with a few of his owne and with the like number Arthur Mac Murrough at whose might and puissance all Leinster trembled To the imitation of this mans worthinesse the compiler of certaine precepts touching the rule of a Common-wealth exciteth his Lord the said Earle in diverse places of that Worke incidently eftsoones putting him in minde that the Irish beene false by kinde that it were expedient and a worke of Charity to execute upon them willfull and malicious transgressours the Kings Lawes somewhat sharpely That Odempsye being winked at a while abused that small time of sufferance to the injury of the Earle of Kildare intruding unjustly upon the Castle of Ley from whence the said Deputy had justly expelled him and put the Earle in possession thereof that notvvithstanding their oathes and pledges yet they are no longer true then they feele themselves the vveaker This Deputye tamed the Obriens the Burckes Mac-banons Ogaghnraghte Manus Mac
Leinster craved him to extend his Princely favour toward him Gillomer on the other side complained of the wrong done him by Vter-Pendragon and the Britaines namely how they had slaine his subiects wasted his country and carried away his rare monuments concluding that hee was willing of himselfe to be revenged of them much more finding this opportunitie Caxton saith he came with fifteene thousand Irish to aide Passent against the Britaines the Armie was great for with Passent came Germans Irish and Saxons and arrived at Menevia now called Saint Davids at which time Aurelius Ambrosius being sicke of poyson by the procurement of Passent of which he died Vter-Pendragon was appointed Generall of the field met with the invaders fought a bloudy battaile where many fell on both sides and in the end slue Passent and Gillomer and ouerthrew the Germans Irish and Saxons and was crowned King of England I doe finde in Antiquaries together with Florilegus Fabian Caxton Holinshed and Fleminge men of great iudgement that the Pictes and Scots in the dayes of King Arthur who succeeded his father Vter-Pendragon ioyned with the Saxons and drew to their aide Gillomer second of that name King of Ireland so that Arthur sent for Howell his sisters sonne King of little Britaine in France who came with fifteene thousand fighting men and ioyning forces with Arthur foyled the Pictes Scots and Saxons vanquished the Irish King and chaced him into Ireland and the yeere following viz. five hundred twenty and five in revenge of the former aide hee came into Ireland offered King Gillomer battaile hee then being Monarch of Ireland as Caxton and the book of Houth record assembled the Princes and Nobles of the land and it is said that King Anguish came to the field with five thousand horse but Arthur constrained them to yeeld and to acknowledge by doing their fealtie to hold the Realme of Ireland of him Whereof Harding saith The somner next Arthur went to Ireland With battaile sore forefoughten y conquered And of the King had homage of that land To hold of him so was he of him feared And also gate as Chronicles have us lered Denmarke Friseland Gâ—tland and Norwey Iseland Groenland the Isle of Man and Orkney The booke of Houth recordeth that anno Dom. 519. Arthur summoned to a speciall feast of solemnitie of the round Table Gillomer the Monarch of Ireland and King Anguish with the Princes and Nobles of the land where they continued during the whole time of the solemnitie In which triumph it is recorded that Garret King of Orkeney sonne to King Lotho and nephew to Arthur being one of King Arthurs Knights together with his two brethren performed most valiant exploits encountred with Anguish King of Ireland Goranus King of Scotland Cador Duke of Cornewall and with other Princes and wanne great honour This Anguish claimed tribute from Marke King of Cornewall that formerly was wonne by combate and sent Morogh whom Caxton calleth Marhaus the Queene of Leinsters brother who was also one of King Arthurs Knights to demand it he was a valiant Gentleman often tryed and ever quitted himselfe with honour The Frenchmen calleth him Le Morhoult d'Ireland and a Citizen of London thus blazoneth his Armes In silver shield on fesse of peeces five throughout the same He bare a Lyon Rampant red and arme greene whose name Might seeme to signifie in truth each mighty enterprise A prey most fit for his courage as is the Irish guise Marke King of Cornewall denieth the tribute offereth the combate and Sir Tristram undertaketh it for him Morogh for himselfe pleaded that he was to encounter with none unlesse he were a King or Queene a Prince or Princesse sonne the circumstances being considered and agreed upon the combatants meete and fiercly fight the battaile was a long time doubtfull in the end Sir Tristram gave Sir Morogh with his sword a sore blow that a piece of the edge stucke in his scull whereupon the combate ended Morogh returned into Ireland and shortly after died of the wound This doth Caxton and the booke of Houth deliver at large But I may not end thus with Sir Tristram he also was sore wounded with a Speare whose head was venomed and could not be cured untill that by counsaile he repaired to the country where the venome had beene confected Whereupon he came to Ireland and to King Anguish his Court and having great skill upon the Harpe he recreated himselfe delighted the house and fell in loue with La Bell Isod the Kings daughter and she with him In processe of time the Queene had learned that he had given her brother Morogh his deaths wound and comparing the piece of the swords edge which was taken out of the skull with his sword found them to agree and banished him the land Not long after upon conference had with Marke King of Cornewall of marriage and commending the beautie and vertues of La Bel Isod spoken of before hee commeth to Ireland to intreate of marriage betweene King Marke and her And having effected his purpose taketh her with him to Cornewall where Marke espoused her with great ioy and solemnity but the old secret love betweene Tristram and her had taken such impression in both and so inflamed their hearts that it could not easily be quenched so that in processe of time Marke espied it and in his furious jealousie slue him as he played upon the Harpe to recreate La Bel Isod and thus as his love began with the Harpe so it ended at the Harpe it is recorded that Isod came to his grave and swouned She was saith mine Author so faire a woman that hardly who so beheld her could not chuse but be enamoured with her In Dublin upon the wall of the Citie is a Castle called Isods towre and not farre from Dublin a Chappell with a Village named Chappell-Isod the originall cause of the name I doe not finde but it is coniectured that her father King Anguish that doted on her builded them in remembrance of her the one for her recreation and the other for the good of her soule About the time that King Arthur raigned lived many famous men of Irish birth renowned for their great learning and sanctitie and commended by divers Antiquaries both at home and abroad to the posteritie But before I come to speake of them I must first make mention of Congellus a Britaine by birth who builded the Monasterie of Bangor not farre from West-Chester which was called the Colledge of Christian Philosophers and became the first Abbot thereof himselfe in the dayes of King Arthur anno Dom. 530. I make mention of him because Bernard in the life of Malachias reporteth this Colledge or Abbey which he built to have beene the head or principall Abbey of all the Monasteries in Europe the seminarie or bee-hive of many thousands of Monkes after the Apostolike manner getting their living with the sweate of their
kindely intreated and bounteously rewarded the Irish souldiers the which then in his second extremity was not forgotten With shippes men and munition out of Ireland he bent his course to Wales repaired to his old friend Griffith Prince of Wales where he was most welcome and shortly restored againe to his Earldome by the meanes and intreaty of certaine strangers which had lately there arrived out of Norway Camden writeth how that Anno 1066. Godred surnamed Cronan the sonne of Hiraldniger of Island invaded the I le of Man thence came into Ireland did the like unto Dublin and a great part of Leynster made great spoyle and went backe againe The British Chronicle reporteth of Dermot a King in Ireland that in Anno 1068. he was murthered but the manner hee sheweth not the commendation he giveth of him is this He was the worthiest and noblest Prince that ever ruled in Ireland Polychronicon reporteth how that Anno 1072. at Winsore before William the Conquerour and the Cleargie the controversie between the Archbishops of Canterbury and Yorke was heard at large and decided and that Bedaes historie was shewed where it appeared that from Austen the Monkes time till Bedaes death about 140. yeeres the Archbishop of Canterburie had primacie over all Great Britaine Ireland that he had held Councels by Yorke summoned Bishops of Yorke consecrated Bishops and punished Bishops of Yorke for their offences and iudicially removed them Philip Flatesburie a great Antiquarie whom Stanihurst followeth and Iames Grace of Kilkenny with Dowlinge his ioynt Collectour doe write how that Anno 1074. Patricke Bishop of Dublin was consecrated in Pauls Church in London by Lanfranke Archbishop of Canterburie upon commendatorie Letters of Teridionatus alias Terdilnacus Monarch of Ireland and Godericke King of Leinster and with teste of the Clergie and Laytie of that Diocesse of his lawfull and orderly election Further I finde recorded that it was the manner to consecrate Bishops in this sort and that the Monarch of Ireland in regard of his royall principalitie and title of honour with other priviledges belonging to his Monarchie had negative voyce in the nomination of Bishops throughout his Realme Secondly how the Archbishop of Canterbury took of him that was so consecrated a corporall oath of Canonicall obedience as his predecessours formerly used to him and his successors and lastly gave him letters testimoniall thereof to the Monarch and King of Leynster Cambrensis sheweth the reason of this consecration namely how that in Ireland as then there was no Archbishop but one Bishop consecrated another untill that Anno 1148. Iohannes Papiron a Priest Cardinall sent from Eugenius 3. together with Christian Bishop of Lismore Legate of all Ireland came to the land and brought with them foures Paales But of this more in another place The same Flattesburie writeth further how that the said Lanfranke in like sort consecrated Donatus Bishop of Dublin Anno 1085. About this time Godwin and Edmund sonnes to King Harold my Author is Thomas Walsingham Monke of Saint Albans which formerly had fled into Ireland for succour unto Dermotte Mac O Nell King of Ireland returned with 66. saile landed in Sommersetshire saith Stow where Brian the sonne of Eudo Duke of Brabant met them and gave them battaile wherein saith Stow the brethren gate the victory and the Irish men with many great preyes out of Cornewall and Devonshire returned into Ireland But Walsingham which seemeth more true writeth that it was a bloudie battaile wherein 1070. of the English and Normans with certaine of the Nobilitie of the land were slaine and the enemies with aide of their ships fled and brought heavy newes home to their deerest friends in Ireland It is very like that William the Conquerour immediately upon this sent great forces into Ireland to bee revenged of them for relieving or assisting his enemies for Stow writeth out of William of Malmsbury thus Lanfranck Archbishop of Canterbury being in such favour with King William that the said William thought not good to deny any thing that hee requested procured by his industrie that the said King left his ill custome of selling his prisoners which hee tooke in Ireland which was a thing hardly granted unto him and to Wolstan Bishop of Worcester the gaine that the King had by the sale of those Irish men was such The British Chronicle reporteth how that Anno 1087. and the last yeere of William Conquerour the sonnes of Blethlyn ap Convyn sometime King of Wales gathered their strength together against Rees ap â—yder who not being able to meete with them fled to Ireland and there he purchased to himselfe great friends and got an armie of Irish men and Scots to whom hee promised great rewards when he should obtaine his kingdome so landed in South-Wales with these strangers and when his friends heard thereof they drew unto him and the other came in all haste to vanquish him before hee had made a head and gathered forces together to bee short at Wechryd they gave battaile where they were discomfited and two of the brethren slaine to wit Madoc and Kirid and the other fled and forsooke the country As soone as Rees was in quiet possession of his country he sent away the Irish men with great rewards All the Lords of the Ilands sent messengers unto Murchard alias Moragh O Brien King of Ireland that it would please him to send them some worthy man of royall bloud to be their King during the nonage of Olanus the sonne sonne of Godred King of Man Whereupon he sent unto them one Dopnald Mac Tady whom hee deepely charged to governe that kingdome which of right appertained not to him with all kindenesse love and modesty but hee was no sooner warm in the kingdome but he forgot his instructions and the charge his Lord had given him he poled he pilled and practised all kinde of tyranny for the space of three yeers Then all the Lords of the Ilands rose in armes against him and banished him out of those parts so he fled into Ireland of whom they never heard any further newes Stanihurst findeth that Anno 1095. there came certaine Esterlings to the North side of Dublin adjoyning to the Liffie and seated themselves there so that of them to this day the place is called Ostomontowne and corruptly Oxmonton and the Parish Saint Michans of one Michanus a Dane and a Bishop which founded the Church unto whom Murchard or Moragh King of Leynster gave that parcell of land to that use The faire greene or Commune now called Ostmontowne-greene was all wood and hee that diggeth at this day to any depth shall finde the ground full of great rootes From thence Anno 1098. King William Rufus by licence of Murchard had that frame which made up the roofe of Westminster Hall where no English Spider webbeth or breedeth to this day Cambrensis in his Itinerarie of Cambria reporteth how that King William standing upon some high rocke in the
But I may not so leave my Prelates they synodically decreed as followeth that all the English men within the land whatsoever they were should bee manumised a worshipfull piece of worke and no thanke to them all for the English sword was then ready to cut off the Irish heads this reformation was but a sweeping of a house with a Foxes tayle The prosperous successes of Earle Richard surnamed Strangbow were no sooner effected but fame flyed abroad and flatterers carried it to Henry the seconds eares and made him jealous as Kings commonly are that a subject as Richard was should not onely in the right of his wife content himselfe with Leinster but most presumptuously without licence as the King alledged attempt the conquest of a kingdome where he formerly by grant of Adrian was interessed Whereupon the King in his iealous rage indeavouring to stop the Springs and Water-courses proclaimed We Henry c. Forbid and inhibit that from henceforth no shippe from any place of our dominioâ— shall traffique or passe into Ireland and likewise charge that all our subjects upon their dutie of allegiance which are there commorant shall returne from thence into England before Easter next following upon paine of forfeiture of all their lands and the persons so disobeying to be banished our land and exiled for ever The Earle seeing himselfe in this distresse being in perill to lose his friends and to want his necessaries out of his native soile by entercourse of Merchants calleth a Councell where it was agreed and concluded that Sir Reimond Legrosse should bee sent over to pacifie the King who then was in Aquitaine with these letters Most puissant Prince and my dread Soveraigne I came into this land with your Majesties leave and savour as farre as I remember to aide your servant Dermot Mac Morogh what I have wonne was with the sword what is given me I give you I am yours life and living at your command Vpon the receit of these letters there fell of all sides three disasters the King was mightily incensed against Earle Richard and therefore delayed Sir Reimond Legrosse and gave him no answer secondly the death of Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury troubled him exceedingly and to helpe the readers memory with the time it was as the rime delivereth Annus millenus centenus septuagenus Primus erat primas quo ruit ense Thomas The third was that Dermot Mac Morogh a most bountifull Prince died and was buried at Fernes Anno 1171. Hastulpus late Governour of Dublin of whom I have formerly spoken returneth and entreth the haven of Dublin with threescore saile to his aide of Ilanders Norwegians and Esterlings they forthwith landed and unshipped themselves and had to their Captaine saith Cambrensis one Iohn Wood some call him mad Iohn for the prankes he playd for wood and mad beare one sense Stanihurst calleth him Pewood Douling Heywood They were all mighty men of warre and well appointed after the Danish manner being harnessed with good Brigandines jackes and shirts of maile their Shields Bucklers and Targets were round and coloured red and bound about with iron and as they seemed in armes so were they no lesse in mindes iron-strong and mighty they marched in battaile array towards the East gate of the Citie Miles Cogan the Governour with a faire company yet but a handfull to the number of the enemy sallied forth and gave them battaile where both sides lost many a tall man Miles Cogan seeing himselfe overlaid with the furious rage and multitude of his adversaries gave backe and retired into the towne by this time Richard Cogan his brother had secretly issued out with a good company at the South posterne gate compassed the Danes and being at the foot of the rereward made mighty cry and shout whereat the Danes were amazed and the two brethren had the killing of them before and behinde The Danes brake their array threw their Armes away fled towards their ships where many also for haste were drowned In this skirmish Iohn Wood was slaine and Hastulphus taken prisoner and put to his ransome The prodigalitie of this Hastulphus was such that he contented not himselfe with life but braved and bragged of his exploits in the hearing of Miles Cogan and therewithall delivered that that attempt was nothing but a taste or proofe of the Irish valour and shortly they should see another manner of forces assault them What saith Miles Cogan is it not enough for him to have his life but he must threaten us with further rebellion goe take him and cut off his head And thus the blabbe of his tongue turned to his confusion Shortly after the Irish and country birth lying aloofe wayting for all opportunities and understanding of some unkindenesse and displeasure conceived by King Henry the second against Earle Richard and in that quarrell generally against all the Britaines and invaders of Ireland they put their heads together they plot they draw their draughts and devices to lay siege to recover the Citie of Dublin and the chiefest instrument was Laurence O Toole Archbishop of Dublin who wrote unto Roderic King of Connaght unto Gotred alias Godfrey King of Man and to all the Princes of Ireland that it would please them some in regard of neighbourhood othersome in regard of naturall affection unto their native soile and distressed country men of Irish birth put to their helping hand ioyne their forces together lay siege to the Citie of Dublin by sea and by land relieve their brethren rid them from the Britaines hands and restore them to their former liberty The Bishop for the good opinion that was held of his learning gravitie and sanctitie prevailed insomuch that Gotred King of Man came into the harbour of Dublin with thirty saile Roderic the Monarch and forces of Ireland came by land and incamped within sight of the towne Within the towne were Earle Richard Strangbow Maurice Fitz Gerald Reimond Legrosse lately arrived from out of England Miles Cogan Richard Cogan with other worthy men and Citizens to the number of thirty thousand fighting men As they were prepared for battaile as commonly one mischiefe falleth in the necke of another Donald the base sonne of Dermot Mac Morogh came in post to the Earle and delivered how that Robert Fitz Stephens in his Fort of Carreck by Wexford was besieged with three thousand men of Wexford and Kinsele by the conduct of Donald Prince of Limeric sonne in law to Dermot Mac Morogh who before time in his extremity and in the warres betweene him and Roderic the Monarch for chiefery at the request of Dermot Mac Morogh was relieved by Robert Fitz Stephens and so aided that he foiled his enemy and thus good is recompenced with evill In this perplexitie and doubtfull danger Maurice Fitz Gerald full of courage turneth him to the Earle and the martiall men in these words you most valiant men wee came not into this land neither were we procured hither to be idle or to live
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
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
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
doubt not but it fared the better in many respects for that holy mans prayer yet had it this condition notified hundred of yeares ere he was borne CAP. IIII. Of the Irish tongue and the name Hibernia Ireland I Finde it solemnely avouched in some of their pamphlets that Gathelus and after him Simon Brecke divised their language out of all other tongues then extant in the world But considering the course of enterchanging and blending speeches together not by invention of Arte but by use of talke I am rather led to beleeve seeing Ireland was inhabited within one yeare after the devision of the tongues that Bastolenus a braunch of Iapheth who first seased upon Ireland brought hither the same kinde of Speech some one of the seventie two Languages that to his family befell at the dissolution of Babell unto whom succeeded the Scithians Grecians Aegyptians Spaniards Danes of all which this tongue must needes have borrowed part but specially retaining the steps of Spanish then spoken in Granado as from their mightiest auncestors Since then to Henry Fitz Empresse the Conquerour no such invasion happened them as whereby they might be driven to infect their native language untouched in manner for the space of 1700. yeares after the arrivall of Hiberius The tongue is sharpe and sententious offereth great occasion to quicke apothegmes and proper allusions wherefore their common Iesters Bards and Rymers are said to delight passingly those that conceive the grace and propriety of the tongue But the true Irish indeede differeth somuch from that they commonly speake that scarce one among five score can either write read or understand it Therefore it is prescribed among certaine their Poets and other Students of Antiquitie Touching the name Ibernia the learned are not yet agreed Some write it Hibernia and suppose that the strangers finding it in an odde end of the world wet and frosty tooke it at the first for a very cold country and accordingly named it as to say the winter land Another bringeth a guesse of Irlamal of whom because I read nothing I neither build upon that conjecture nor controll it Thirdly they fetch it from Hiberus the Spaniard Most credibly it is held that the Spaniards their founders for devotion toward Spaine called then Iberia and the rather for that themselves had dwelled besides the famous river Iberus named this land Iberia for so Iohn Leland and many forraine Chroniclers write it or Ibernia adding the letter n. for difference sake there being a rich Citty which Ptolome recounteth called then Ibernis from Ibernia proceedeth Iberland or Iuerland from Iuerland by contraction Ireland for so much as in corruption of common talke wee finde that v with his vowell are easily lost and suppressed So wee say ere for ever ore for over ene for even nere for never shoole for shovell dile for divell At the same time it was also named Scotia in reverence of Scota the wife of Gathelus auncient Capitaine of those Iberians that flitted from Spaine into Ireland And the said Scota was olde grandame to Hiberus and Hirimon after the Scottish Chronicles who in any wise will have their Countrymen derived from the Irish and not from the Brittaines CAP. V. Dispositions of the People THE People are thus inclined religious franke amorous irefull sufferable of paines infinite very glorious many sorcerers excellent horsemen delighted with Warres great almes-givers passing in hospitalitie the lewder sort both Clarkes and Lay-men are sensuall and loose to leachery above measure The same being vertuously bred up or reformed are such mirrours of holinesse and austeritie that other Nations retaine but a shewe or shadow of devotion in comparison of them As for abstinence and fasting which these dayes make so dangerous this is to them a familiar kinde of chastisement In which vertue and diverse other how farre the best excell so farre in gluttonie and other hatefull crimes the vitious they are worse then too badde They follow the dead corpes to the grave with howlings and barbarous out-cryes pittyfull in apparance whereof grew as I suppose the Proverbe to weepe Irish. The uplandish are lightly abused to believe and avouche idle miracles and revelations vaine and childish greedy of prayse they bee and fearefull of dishonour And to this end they esteeme their Poets who write Irish learnedly and penne their sonnetts heroicall for the which they are bountifully rewarded But if they send out libells in disprayse thereof the Gentlemen especially the meere Irish stand in great awe They love tenderly their foster children and bequeathe to them a childes portion whereby they nourish sure friendshippe so beneficiall every way that commonly five hundreth kyne and better are given in reward to winne a noble mans childe to foster They are sharpe-witted lovers of learning capable of any studie whereunto they bend themselves constant in travaile adventerous intractable kinde-hearted secret in displeasure Hitherto the Irish of both sortes meere and English are affected much indifferently saving that in these by good order and breaking the same vertues are farre more pregnant In those others by licentious and evill custome the same faults are more extreame and odious I say by licentious and evill custome for that there is daylie tryall of good natures among them How soone they bee reclaymed and to what rare gifts of grace and wisedome they doe and have aspired Againe the very English of birth conversant with the brutish sort of that people become degenerate in short space and are quite altered into the worst ranke of Irish Rogues such a force hath education to make or marre It is further to bee knowne that the simple Irish are utterly another people then our Englishe in Ireland whome they call despitefully boddai Sassoni's and boddai Ghalt that is English and Saxon churles because of their English auncestors planted heere with the Conquest and sithence with descent hath lasted now 400. yeares Of this people therefore severally by themselves I must intreate Yet none otherwise then as they stand unfiled and serve their accustomed humours with whom I joyne all such as either by living neere them or by liking their trade are transformed into them CAP. VI. Of the meere Irish. TOuching the meere Irish I am to advertise my Reader that hee impute not to them the faults of their Auncestors which heere I have noted for two causes First that when the same are reade in Cambrensis Solinus or others he confounds not the times but may be able distinctly to consider their manners then different from these dayes Secondly that it may appeare how much Ireland is beholding to God for suffering them to be conquered whereby many of these enormities were cured and more might be would themselves be plyable In some corners of the land they used a damnable superstition leaving the right armes of their Infants males unchristened as they tearmed it to the intent it might give a more ungracious
forced pledges and Trowages of Oneale to keepe the Kings peace and diverse other exploytes did hee during his time of government which in particular rehearseth Flatsbury in his notes collected for Gerald Fitz Gerald Earle of Kildare Anno 1517. To him succeeded in office Sir Iohn Fitz Geffrey knight Geffrey Allan de la Zowche whom Earle Warren slevv to Zowch Stephen de longa spata who slevv Oneale in the streets of Down and there dyed Him followed William Den in whose time Mac Cartye played the devill in Desmond and to Den Richard Capell who envyed the Geraldines and was of them taken prisoner together with Theobald le Butler and Miles Cogan The king tooke up the variance and discharged Den preferring David Barrye to his roome who tamed the insolencie of Morrice Fitz Morrice cousin germane to Fitz Gâ—rald upon Barrye came Vfford upon Vfford Iames Audeley who dyed of a fall from his horse in Thomond and then for the time Fitz Morrice governed till the king sent over Sir Ieffrey de Genevill newly returned in pilgrimage from the Holy Sepulture Him called home againe Edward the first in the fourth yeare of his raigne and sent in his stead Robert Vfford the second time who made his Vice-gerent Fryar Fulborne Bishop of Waterford and resumed his charge at his next arryvall into Ireland At this time the citty of Divelin was miserably wasted with fire and the Bell-house of Christs Church utterly defaced which the citizens before they repayred their private harmes jointly came to succor collections made to redresse the ruines of that ancient building first begun by the Danes as I finde in a monument of that foundation continued by Sitricus Prince of Divelin at the motion of Donate then Bishop dedicated to the Blessed Trinity finished by Richard Earle Strangbow Fitz Stephens and S. Laurence the Archbishop and his foure successors Iohn of Evesham Henry Scorchbill Lord Iustice Lucas and lastly by Iohn de S. Paul which worke at the decay by fire and since many devout citizens of Divelin have beautified The same Strongbowes Tombe spoyled by fall of the roofe Sir Henry Sidney Lord Deputy restoreth at this present who hath also given a sightly countenance to the Quire by doing cost upon the Earle of Kildares Chappell over against the which he hath left a monument of Captain Randolfe late Colonell of Vlster Valiantly dead in that service Iohn Samford Archbishop of Divelin Lord Iustice VVilliam Vescy Lord Iustice who pursued Omalaghliâ—n king of Meth that soone after was slaine The Souldan of Babylon determined to vexe the Christians cities of the East Tripolis Tyrus Berinthus Sidon Ptolemais now parts of Turky vvhom to redeeme vvith their helpes to get againe the Holy Land Edward the first had foure yeeres past obtained by licence of Marâ—in the fourth and by confirmation oâ— Honorius his successor the vvhole tenth of all ecclesiastical revenues in Ireland for 7. yeares vvhereafter follovved a fifteene of the Temporalty And the same yeere Iohn Baliol Earle of Galvvay founded Baliol Colledge in Oxford made his homage to King Edward for his Kingdome of Scotland and to the Lord Iustice for his Earledome of Ireland Vescey vvas a sterne man and full of courage but rashe and impudent of his tongue he convented before him Iohn Earle of Kildare charged him vvith riots vagaryes unseasonable for that he ranged vvith his men abroad preyed upon privat enemies inordinatly for malice grudge not for advancement of the publique vveale vvhom the Earle as impatient as the other ansvvered thus By your honour and mine my Lord by king Edwards hand you vvould if you durst appeach me in plaine tearmes of â—elony for vvhereas I have the title and you the fleece of Kildare I wot well how great an eye sore I am in your sight who if I could bee hansomely trussed up for a fellon then might my young Master your sonne become a Gentleman Iustice Gentleman quoth he thou proud Earle the Vescyes were gentlemen before Kildare was an Earledome and before the Welch bankrupt thy Cousin feathered his Nest in Leinster But seeing thou darest me I will surely breake thy heart and with that word he called the Earle a notorious theefe murderer Then followed clattering of swords by Souldiours on both parties untill either side appeased his owne and the Lord Iustice leaving his Lieutenant VVilliam Hay sped over to the King whom immediately followed the Earle as fast as Vescey charged Kildare with fellony no lesse did Kildare appeach the Iustice of high treason and in tryall thereof he asked the Combate But when the listes royall were provided Vescey was slipt away into France and so disherited of all his lands in the county of Kildare which were bestowed upon the Earle of Kildare and his heires for ever The Earle waxed insolent upon this successe and squared with diverse Nobles English and Irish of the Land hee took prisoner Richard Earle of Vlster and him detained untill the Parliament then assembled at Kilkenny commanded his delivery and for that unrulinesse disseised the Geraldines of the Castle of Sligagh and of all his lands in Connaght VVilliam Doddingâ—ale Lord Iustice. This yere for the defence of Wales and commodity of Passengers to and from Ireland the King did coast upon the Isle of Anglisey called the mother of Wales and builded there the castle de bello marisco or Bewmarishe Thomas Fitz Morice Lord Iustice. Iohn VVogan Lord Iustice pacified the former strife betweene Vlster and Kildare and all the Geraldines with their associats together with Theobald Lord Butler gathered strength of men and met the kings army before Edinburgh wan the Citty slew 25. thousand Scots hampred Iohn Baliol king of the Scots in such sort that glad and faine was he to renew his homage CAP. V. Edward the second THomas Fitz Morice Lord Iustice. I will begin this Chapter with the modestie of a good Clerke Richard Havering who five yeares by dispensation had received the fruites and revenues of the Bishopricke of Divelin and long might have done had he beene so disposed But now feeling in sleep a waight upon his stomacke heavyer to his weening then any masse of mettall whereof to be released he vowed in his dreame all that ever he could make in this world Suddainely the next morne resigned the custodium of the Bishopricke and contented himselfe with other ecclesiasticall cures incident to his vocation The same yeare was the bane of the Templers in Ireland to whom succeeded the Knights of the Rhodes This profession began at Ierusalem by certaine Gentlemen that kept their abode next to the Temple there who till the Councell of Creetz increased not above the number of nine But thenceforth in little more then fiftie yeares being enriched by contribution of all Christian Realmes every where their houses were erected and endowed bountifully
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
in the yeere 432 and lyeth buried at Loghry in Ormund where there is a Church dedicated to his name and he is numbred among the Confessors of Ireland And to second this fable with two precedent lies the which I should haue begun withall in the front of this History as all Irish Antiquaries doe but that I would not abuse the reader being purposed beginning and ending to deliuer the truth I read as followeth Whereas in the yeere of the world 1525 Noah began to admonish the people of vengeance to come by a generall deluge for the wickednesse and detestable sinne of man and continued his admonition 120 yeeres building an Arke for the safegard of himselfe and his family one Cesara say they according vnto others Cesarea a Neece of Noah when others seemed to neglect this forewarning rigging a navy committed her selfe with her adherents to the seas to seeke adventures and to avoid the plagues that were to fall there arrived in Ireland with her three men Bithi Laigria and Fintan and fifty women within forty dayes after her arrivall the universall flood came upon them and those parts as well as upon the rest of the world and drowned them all in which perplexity of minde and imminent danger beholding the waves overwhelming all things before their eyes Fintan is said to have beene transformed into a Salmon and to have swoome all the time of the deluge about Vlster and after the fall of the water recovering his former shape to have lived longer then Adam and to have delivered strange things to the posterity so that of him the common speech riseth If I had lived Fintans yeeres I could say much But to let these fables passe The next plantation after Bartholanus as it is recorded amongst the collections of Irish antiquities is this in effect that Magog the sonne of Iaphet planted Colonies in Scythia neere the river of Tanais from whence about the yeere of the world two thousand three hundred and seventeene one Nemedus with his foure sonnes Starius Garbaneles Anvinus and Fergusius Captains over great companies of armed men were sent into this Island now called Ireland And passing by Graecia tooke with them such voluntaries as were willing to adventure with them they landed inhabited the Country and multiplied exceedingly although not without continuall warres which they held with the Giants of Chams posterity for the space of two hundred yeeres and odde In the end the Giants prevailing chased them out of the land so that they retired into Scythia and some to Greece This was about the yeere after the creation 2333 from which time the Giants kept possession of the land without forraigne invasion for many yeeres but yet in all that space their mindes not being set upon any goodnesse but altogether upon mischiefe they made no good lawes framed no common wealth they obeyed no Magistrate but fell at variance amongst themselues measuring all things by might and seditiously vexed each other In the yeere of the world 2416 and after the universall flood 750 yeeres as the Scottish History declareth one Gathelus the sonne of Nealus a Grecian upon displeasure for sundry rodes made into Macedonia and Achaia being exiled and banished his countrey with a great number of his adherents and complices went into Aegypt in the dayes of Moses where he found favour in the sight of King Pharaoh insomuch that he married with Scota his daughter continued there about 93 yeeres and multiplied exceedingly Iohannes Major Scotus calleth the verity of this History in question de hac prima profectione de Graecia Aegypto figmentum reor I am of opinion saith hee that this first going out of Greece and Aegypt is but fayned yet let us goe forward When Gathelus understood that the land was shortly for the wickednesse of the people to suffer great plagues he prepared a fleet shipped Grecians and Aegyptians hoised up saile and came upon the coast of Numidia now called Barbary thence they were put back to sea they went and came to the coast of Spaine now called Portingall as they say since that time of him called Port-gathell The inhabitants of the place resisted them gave them a sore battell and in the end after parlie Gathelus was intreated and by them directed to take his voyage into Galitia which eftsoones he did There in a short time they waxed so populous that the countrey could not sustaine them whereupon Gathelus called a Councell and being resolved what to doe tooke a great number of them with him to sea and arrived in Ireland and there grew into such estimation with the barbarous people that for knowledge especially in all languages having travelled many Countreys as is afore mentioned he was highly honoured For he not only enriched and beautified the Irish tongue but also as is said taught them letters sought up their antiquities and trained their youth in warlike exercises after the manner of the Grecians and Aegyptians from whence he descended Note here gentle reader before I wade further into this History three contrary opinions of this Gathelus the sonne of Nealus The Scottish Historiographers say it was 750 yeeres after the flood Thomas Walsingham Monke of S. Albons writeth it was 1000 yeeres and odde after the delivery of the children of Israel out of Aegypt which must be anno mundi 3455 to wit one 1000 yeeres after the former computation calling him a noble man of Scythia whom the Aegyptians banished out of Aegypt Iohn Harding a great Antiquary that knew best in his time the state of Scotland delivereth that Gathelus and Scota came to these parts after the birth of Christ in anno 75. This I give as a caveat referring unto the discreet reader the dissonance that I finde in the observation of times to bee considered of promising to lay downe faithfully euery thing as I finde the same as shall appeare in that which followeth And now to the history where we left It is said that this Gathelus of his wife Scota commanded that his followers Grecians and Aegyptians should be called Scoti that is Scottishmen And Hector Boëtius in the History of Scotland sticketh not to write that upon his marriage with Scota the foresaid commandement was published and that his followers in Aegypt Barbary Portingall Galitia and over Spaine were called Scoti But how true that is it may appeare by the Roman Histories which haue noted the accidents of those times in all which there is no mention of the Scots before the time of Constantius the Emperour which was about the yeere of Christ 310 who lyeth buried at York and was father to Constantine the great Paulus lovius writeth Scotland tooke that name upon the comming of a forraine and no great ancient nation No Latine writer before Marcellinus in Iulian the Emperours time which was about the yeere 362 remembreth the Scots neither doth it well appeare out of what Country the Scots first came into Albion when as by the Annals not only
other contained thirty and two or else for that it lieth in the midst of the land These encrochments Slanius annexed to his inheritance and Monarchy which Monarchy continued thus the space of thirty yeeres and then Slanius departed this life and was buried in a mountaine of Meth that beareth hitherto the name after him After his decease the Princes that before were subiect unto him began to gather heart stomached the matter and denied their obedience to his successour whereupon ensued continuall warre amongst them and especially about the land of Meth which strife of long time could not bee appeased yet in the space of thirty yeeres aforesaid of these brethren and their successors there were nine Kings In the neck of all these mischiefes and hurly burlies say the Irish antiquities there came a fleet of Scythians upon the coast landed their men in Ireland made claime to the land by a title of right which they pretended from their forefather Nemedus of whom mention is made before so that by partaking with the one side and the other all was in an uproare havock was made on each side with fire and sword in most miserable manner They spent themselves in pursuing one another with such outrage that they cared not what nation or what souldier they received to their aid to hold up or beat downe a side Both the one and the other sent for aid into the Ilands now called England and Scotland Orchades Hebrides c. and acquainted forrainers with their state so farre that they could never after be rid of them to wit the Britaines till in the end they yeelded unto them the upper hand as by conquests in processe of the history shall appeare Note gentle reader how that hitherto that is the yeere of the world 2828 and before the birth of Christ 1142 these North parts of the world as England Scotland Ireland with other Iles were possessed commanded and inhabited by the posterity of Iaphet and Cham the sonnes of Noah without any speciall name given to the lands or to the Commanders of them otherwise then Samothei Celtae Oceanes Neptunists and Albions although I have hitherto used the names now in ure for the plainer delivery of the history as if they had beene knowne before neither were any called Scots as Hector Boëtius would have it After the times of the former troubles which happened in Ireland upon the landing of the Scythians I finde nothing of Ireland till the dayes of Gurguntius the sonne of Belinus who began his raine according to the ordinary account anno mundi 3580 and reigned 19 yeeres over Britaine This King after his victory atchieved in Denmark for his tribute which they there had refused to pay him returning back toward Britaine met by the Iles of Orkeney with a navy of thirthy ships Stanyhurst saith 60 with men and women whose Generall was called Bartholin or Partholin in Ponticus Virunius Partolom in Flores Historiarum Partholaim in Gualter Oxoniensis Bartholome in Fabian Harding Grafton and Caxton Irlamal of whom they thinke the country to be called Ireland Gurguntius demanded of them what they were and the occasion of their travell their answer was they were Spaniards and had long beene on the seas seeking to finde some favourable Prince to assigne them a place of habitation for that their country was so populous that it could not containe them others write that for some disordered parts they were banished their country and where they found favour they would become subiects and hold of him as their soveraigne Lord. In this fleet with the Governor of Baion their Generall before named there were foure brethren of noble birth the sonnes of Milesius others say Miletus and others Milo the two chiefe of which were called Hiberus and Hermon And beside the former differences in the parents name Dowling writeth in his Irish collections that they were the sonnes of Iubal Hector Boëtius avoucheth they were the sonnes of Gathelus and Scota Stanihurst affirmeth that Scota was great or old grand-dame to Hiber and Hermon others write they were of the posteritie of Gathelus and Scota whereas Gathelus if there were any such was a Grecian and Scota an Egyptian Hiber and Hermon Spaniards see gentle Reader how these reports hang together Gurguntius being aduised by his Councell pittying their necessitie and wandring estate granted them the Iland now called Ireland to inhabite and that they should become tributaries to him and his successors the Kings of Britaine for ever For hee called to minde that the inhabitants were an unruly people and thought by this meanes to subdue them and quietly to enioy his tribute for it seemeth that the Britaine 's made claime to Ireland to which effect I reade in the Booke of Houth that Gurguntius came into Ireland and that the land many a yeare paid him truage and to other Kings of Britaine after him but as oft as they put foote in the land they got more knocks then pence saith an Irish Chronicler The King of Britaine hastening homeward gave them Pilots and safe conductors for their arivall and possession of the land Hiberus and Hermon after their arivall by the assent of all their associates divided the land betweene them the North to Hiber and the South to Hermon But ambition the mother of mischiefe would not long suffer them to enioy peace but rent their hearts with fierie dissention inflamed their mindes to desire one Soueraigne and absolute commander over the whole land they gather forces they muster their men they put on Armes and to battaile they goe in which field Hiberus was slaine though Hector Boetius write that he went into Spaine to succeed his father and Hermon became Monarch of all Ireland Hermon being thus sole ruler and governour to avoid the murmure of his people and the euill opinion in a manner of all men conceiued against him and peaceably to governe the land fell to purge himselfe and caused the occasion of the warres to be proclaimed that he bore armes against his naturall brother not of malice or desire of soveraigntie but in defence of his owne person and safety of his people and for proofe that his heart was farre from desire to rule alone he appointed certaine Captaines as Kings to command under him certaine Countries reserving unto himselfe one fourth part and the Country of Meth annexed to the Monarchie for the better maintenance of his princely estate By this meanes this Realme of Ireland in processe of time grew to five kingdomes the first Leinster on the East side or quarter called in Latine Lagenia and in Irish Cuige-Laghen The second Conaght on the west side of the kingdome called in Latine Connacia and in Irish Cuige-Chonoght The third Vlster which is the North part of Ireland named in Latine Vltonia and in Irish Cuigh-Vlladh The fourth Mounster South and South-west in Latine Momonia and in the country speech Cuige Mughan The fift and
after Bishop of Iuvaviens the name of which Bishopricke hee procured to bee changed and called it the Bishops See of Salisburgh where he builded a sumptuous Cathedrall Church and was the first founder thereof In his time one Boniface an English man and the Popes Legate in Germany tooke upon him to rebaptize contrary to the Canons of the Church such as had beene as hee thought formerly not rightly baptized Virgilius having had conference with Sydonius Archbishop of Bavaria opposed himselfe against him The matter came to hearing before Pope Zacharie who gave sentence that Virgilius was in the right and Boniface his Legate for all his great authority in the wrong opinion Hee prudently governed his Church some thirty yeeres and gave place to nature So farre Bale out of Gaspar Bruschius Learned Camden alledgeth out of Rhegino that in the time of Carolus magnus which must needs bee about the yeere 767. certaine Norwegians or Normans entred Ireland and were repulsed and further of them I have not read but in the British Chronicle of Caradoc Llancarvan I finde that Anno 799. the Danes came into England and destroyed a great part of Lindsey and Northumberland over-ranne the most part of Ireland and destroyed Rechreyn The accidents of the eight hundreth yeere after Christ now follow And first of all Functius offereth occasion to write how that Anno 820. Regnerus King of Denmarke invaded Britaine and how that his prosperous successes in Britaine Scotland and the Orchades puffed him up and emboldned him so much that he passed into Ireland slue the King of the land tooke the Citie of Dublin where hee remained an whole yeere and then returned to Denmarke Next commeth Turgesius his time to bee examined who was of Norwey and came with great power of Esterlings into Ireland vanquished King Edlumding or Edlimidus or in Irish Felim Mac Edmund and raigned thirty yeeres Here gentle reader observe certain errours or escapes whether of ignorance wilfulnesse or negligence I know not the which I finde betweene Cambrensis Polychronicon Fabian and others touching Gurmund and Turgesius First that Gurmund and Turgesius should be one man the end of them both by a generall consent of Writers reproveth that for Gurmund dyed in France and Turgesius was slaine in Ireland Secondly whereat Giraldus marvaileth how that the Antiquaries of England make mention of Gurmund but nothing of Turgesius and that the Writers of Ireland speake of Turgesius but little or nothing of Gurmund so that Turgesius by reason of his raigne and continuance was knowne unto them and Gurmund if he were here made small abode as I have formerly written and therefore became a man unknowne Thirdly that Turgesius should be Gurmunds deputie in Ireland or his brother as I reade in Fabian cannot possibly stand with the truth for on all sides it is agreed that Gurmund came to Britaine and ioyned with the Saxons against Careticus who began his raigne in Britaine anno 586. but as saith Cambrensis Turgesius Captaine of the Norwegians Danes or Esterlings came to Ireland in the daies of Fedlimidius which was 400. yeeres from the comming of the first Patricke into the land in the which time there had raigned thirty three Kings or Monarchs then this knot with facilitie may be untied for Patricke came to Ireland as I have formerly delivered An. 432. adde 400. to it then Turgesius came to Ireland Anno 832. But forward with the history When these Norwegians or Esterlings had got footing in the land to their content and planted themselves the space of thirty yeeres they builded Castles Fortes and Wardes they cast up Trenches Bankes and Ditches for safegard and refuge Toward the end of the terme before mentioned Turgesius was enamoured on a faire Gentlewoman the onely daughter of Omalaghlin King of Meth and desired her for his Concubine he practised with the father for obtaining of his purpose the father not willing to yeeld nor daring to displease resolved him thus Appoint the day the houre and the place and sequester your selfe from your Court and retinue and I will send my daughter unto you with twelve or sixteene Gentlewomen of the choice and beautifullest maidens of my country and take your choice of them if my daughter please you best she is at your command When the time appointed came and the Lecher longed to satisfie his filthy lust Omalaghlin attired his daughter in princely sort and sent her to King Turgesius with sixteene young men in womens attire which had long Skeines under their Mantles These young springals were faire beautifull effeminate and amiable to look upon they were brought to his chamber and presented before him he taketh the Gentlewoman by the middle and kisseth her the Striplings out with their Skeines and stabbed him having the Lady in his armes whereof he presently dyed whilst they fell upon a few loose and dissolute persons that were about him whom they killed every one Omalaghlin that lay in ambush all this while with certaine horsemen expecting the end of this exploit reioyced greatly when hee saw his daughter and her company make so speedy a returne and understanding that his practise was effected as he desired sent Scoutes and Cursitors Messengers and horses over the whole land declaring what had happened Immediately Meth and all Leinster are in Armes the Princes and Lords from euery place throughout Ireland repaired to Omalaghlin and being glad of liberty reioyced with him at the destruction of Turgesius and his Guard To make the story short for they made short worke with it they set upon the Norwegians and Danes killed them every mothers sonne that escaped not by flight seized upon all their possessions so as together with their lives they lost all their lands and goods and saith the Irish Chronicle tunc cepit conquestus Hibernicorum Then the Irish began to conquer This Omalaghlin King of Meath being in great trust credite and favour with Turgesius no man greater at that time demanded of him concealing the plot that lay hidden in his heart against the Norwegians by what meanes certaine ravenous and pestiferous fowle hee meant the Norwegians lately brought into the land which greatly annoyed the country might be destroyed Turgesius answered if they breed destroy their egges birds and nests which answer the Irish made good upon the Norwegians Not long after saith Cambrensis and Polychronicon after what They meane after the murthering of Turgesius and rooting out of all the Norwegians and Esterlings there came againe out of Norway and the Northerne Ilands as remnants of the former nation and whether they knew of themselves or by relation of their Parents and Ancestours the land to be fruitfull commodious thither they came not in warlike sort but in peaceable manner to use the trade of merchandise when they had entred certaine Ports and Havens of Ireland with the licence of the Princes of the land they builded therein divers Cities For the Irish nation they
speake of that time naturally given to idlenesse would not sulcate the seas neither give themselves to merchandise so that by one consent of the whole land it was thought good that some certaine nation by whose industrie the commodities of other regions wanting in Ireland might be hither transported should be suffered to dwell in some parts of the land Their Leaders and Captaines were three brethren Amelanus Sitaracus and Ivorus when they had first builded three Cities Dublin Waterford and Limericke the command of Dublin fell to Amelanus Waterford to Sitaracus Lymericke to Ivorus and from these by degrees in processe of time they gave themselves to build other Cities in Ireland This nation quae nunc Oasâ—mannica gens vocatur which now is called the Esterling nation or East men at their first comming demeaned themselves toward the Kings of the land in a most royall and peaceable mander but when the number multiplied of their owne kinne and they had fortified their Cities with wals and trenches they began to revive the old hatred that was hid in their hearts and obstinately to rebell They were called Oostmanni of their corrupt Saxon tongue as men of the East Of these and the former Norwegians the Irish tooke the use of the Sparthes now called Galloglas axes So farre Cambrensis verbatim and Polychron in substance Divers have diversly delivered their opinion and misreckoned themselves in their computation of yeeres when these Cities before spoken of were builded Stanihurst in his description of Ireland referreth it to the yeere 155. and that they were builded by Amelanus in another place he alledgeth it was after Gurmundus his dayes done in like sort by Amelanus It is such an errour as I cannot well impute it to the Printer Cambrensis and Polychronicon doe not lay down the yeere but the time about the yeere what beside is added is but fancie and conjecture for their testimony is the ground of all For where they write that these brethren came to Ireland after the death of Turgesius then it was after the yeere 862 wherein hee died but how soone or how long after there is no certaintie That they builded these Cities I doe not beleeve I had rather say with Stanihurst that they reedified them for those places were after a sort builded and inhabited many yeeres before their arrivall I take it that as Merchants they builded themselves dwelling houses walled the townes and made keyes to moore their shippes neither doe I hold it that every one severally builded a Citie but all three together with the aide of their country Merchants upon their arrivall in their safe Ports builded and planted their country people and rested not long for the Irish fell upon them and banished them out of the land for their riches pride and rebellion In the yeere 850. lived Patricke the Abbot of Ireland Abbot and Confessor For there were two Patrickes the first a very learned and godly man the second a Abbot and given to superstition and founder of the fabulous Purgatorie which goeth in Ireland under the name of Saint Patrickes Purgatorie so write Ranulphus Monke of Chester and Bale Bishop of Ossory though Stanihurst allow not of it but attribute it to the first Patricke and that without warrant In his time there rose a great rebellion in Ireland so that hee fled into Britaine and lyeth buried in Glastenbury The Martyrologe of Sarum reporteth that in Ireland they keepe the feast of Patricke the Abbot the 24. of August Stanihurst to further his credite delivereth that he wrote a booke of Homilies and certaine Epistles directed to the Irish. The sounder opinion is the which Stanihurst at unawares remembred out of Claudianus that the place there was in like sort as it is now in the time of Paganisme and was long before Saint Patrickes dayes And it seemeth to be after the manner of concavities in the bowels of the earth where the ayre entring naturally to avoid Vacuum and the winde following whisteleth and crieth like dolefull ghosts the silly ignorant and simple people being deceived through perswasion of covetous Priests that some soules and spirits doe penance there for their sinnes call it a Purgatorie And further we see by reason and daily experience in Miners that if any be much under grownd the dampnesse of the earth takes away their lively colour and makes them looke ghastly and if they continue any long while there the vitall spirits being barred of their usuall course they are mightily tormented cast into trances and distracted and being once delivered from the place report things at randon of heaven and earth beleeve them who list Albertus Krantz reckoning up reports given forth out of severall countries touching visions apparitions voyces illusions inserteth among them Patrickes Purgatorie in Ireland and concludeth that they are to be accounted among old Wives fables Antoninus alledgeth Vincentius for his Author how that in those dayes the historie de fossae sancti Patricij of Saint Patrickes pit or ditch was not of many allowed the reason is alledged for that it is there avouched that the soules in that Purgatorie goe not straight to heaven but into some terrestriall Paradice whereas the received opinion is saith he that there is no middle place betweene Purgatorie and the celestiall Paradice In the time of Alphred alias Alured King of West Saxons anno 872. as Fabian and Cooper have noted there was a grievous maladie raigning among the people called the euill ficus which also tooke the King so that say mine Authors an Irish maid came out of Ireland called Modwen whose Monasterie in time of rebellion was destroyed and cured the King In recompence whereof she had land given her in the North whereon two Monasteries were founded and now she resteth at Aundersey by Burloa Polychronicon and Holinshead report the historie as if Alphred had gone into Ireland unto her I alledge this historie to put the reader in minde how that formerly I have written of one Modwen who lived immediately after Saint Patricke and was of Irish birth about 400. yeeres agoe Were it not for the time by many circumstances they both should be one but to remove all doubts and to uphold the credite of antiquaries I will say they were two of one country birth and now rest in one place There was great amitie betweene Alphred or Alured before mentioned and Gregory King of Scots in whose time Anno 877. Grafton Cooper and Buchanan are mine Authors great troubles and misery fell upon Ireland the circumstances in briefe were these The Citizens of Dublin found themselves grieved and mightily wronged by the Scots of Galloway that whereas certaine tall ships of theirs were wind-driven thither the Scots fell upon them rifled them and thereof made a prey In revenge whereof the people of Dublin gathered Irish forces arrived there and preyed the country Gregory the King having intelligence thereof hastened with his forces to
encounter with them the Irish fearing the worse got them with their pillage aboard their shippes and hoised up sailes for Ireland Gregory prepareth his navy and shortly after arriveth in Ireland The King at that time saith Buchanan was but a childe whose name was Duncanus or Donatus or rather Dunachus the Protectors or chiefe commanders of the land about the King were Brian and Cornelius who had drawne the land into two factions The Irish hering of the comming of Gregory fortified themselves upon the river of the Band but there the Scots overthrew them Brian was slaine and Cornelius put to flight The Scots left them not so but pursued them preyed the country without resistance constrained the townes before them to yeeld and hearing by the way that Cornelius gathered all the forces of Ireland against them made ready to ioyn battaile in the which Cornelius and all his forces were foiled so that for a safeguard of his life hee fled to Dublin and his armie dispersed themselves abroad Gregory followed him laid siege to Dublin and by reason there were so many received within that fled from the field they could not long indure the strength of the puissant King of Scots without wherefore by generall consent of the Citizens Cormacke Bishop of Dublin opened the gates received the King of Scots without losse of any man of either side or damage of goods Immediately Gregory the King of Scots went to his cousin Duncan the young King saluted him and delivered unto him that he came not for his kingdome ne for gold nor silver ne for commodities of his country but onely to be revenged of them that had formerly injured his subiects And as for you said he cousin Duncan I beare you no malice without bloud I came into the Citie of Dublin without bloud I will depart recompence of the Citizens of Dublin I seeke none the inhabitants betweene this and the Band have satisfied me and my people let the Citizens pay it them againe and make no more such rash attempts into Scotland With this they lovingly departed and continued friends to the great honour of the King of Scots After this Anno 897. poore Ireland had another scourge for saith Caradoc Llancarvan in his British Chronicle and likewise Polichronicon this country was destroyed with strange wormes having two teeth so that there was neither corne nor grasse nor food for man or beast for all was consumed that was greene in the land at the season of the yeere The nine hundreth yeere followeth The Saxons that divided Britaine as formerly hath been declared into many kingdomes began now to grow weake in their estate and the Danes that troubled in a manner all Christendome were falling to naught yet Anno 905. saith the British Chronicle the Danes entred Ireland preyed spoyled and fired the country slue in the field Garmot so he calleth him alias Cormac Monarch of Ireland and the sonne of Cukeman a man both godly and religious and also Kyrvalt sonne of Morgan King of Leinster Then they roved round about England hulling upon the seas and landing where they espied advantage destroyed with fire and sword as much as lay in them Anno 911. they came againe into Ireland saith Cooper holding on in their former outrages Anno 913. saith Carodoc the men of Dublin with great forces came to Anglesey preyed and destroyed the Iland and returned to Ireland the cause I finde not but that sea and land was bent to mischiefe the fire upon the land and piracie upon the sea Anno 925. the second yeere of the raigne of Adelstane the base sonne of Edward the first called Edward Senior King of West-Saxons was a great armie gathered by the said Adelstane against Hawlaffe King of Ireland the sonne of Suthricus and a Painym saith Polychronicon who came with the whole power of the Scots and Danes against him and gave him battaile at Brimesturie where Adelstane had the victory and slue the said King Hawlaffe and the King of Scots and five Kings of the Danes and Normans and twelve Earles so that he brought all the land of England and Scotland into subjection which none of his Predecessours had ever attempted So farre out of Caradoc in the British Chronicle Polychronicon writeth of Hawlaffe that he was the sonne of Sitricus and had married the daughter of Constantine King of Scots and by his aide entred the mouth of the river of Humber with a strong navy and when both armies had encamped themselves Hawlaffe used this policie He tooke a Harpe and in Harpers attire went to Adelstanes Tent where he harped and viewed their diâ—t disposition and behaviour tooke money for his musicke which in heart he disdayned he secretly as he thought hid the money in the ground and went away A souldier that sometime served Hawlaffe espied it and told Adelstane the whole why saith Adelstane diddest not thou acquaint me sooner he answered O King the faith I owe thee now sometime I ought to Hawlaffe if I had beene false to him thou wouldst have suspected me afterwards but now remove thy Tent for he will suddenly come upon thee For all the haste that Adelstane made Hawlaffe came in the night slue a certaine Bishop and his company that were fleeing and many others hee hasted to Adelstanes Tent but he was provided and in armes and at the breake of the day set upon his enemies and foiled them as formerly is delivered Anno 926. Saxo Grammaticus Albertus Krantz and others are mine Authors Knutus and Herald sonnes to Gormo King of Denmarke following the steps of their fathers gave themselves to Piracie roved crossed and hulled upon the seas all was fish that came to their nets they arrived in Ireland and laid siege to Dublin The King of Leinster sent especially and laid an ambush within a mile of Dublin and whilst the Danes scaled the wals without the Citizens manfully defended themselves within and others were carelesse of themselves abroad one of the espials levelled an arrow at Knutus and gave him such a wound that he shortly dyed thereof The Danes prevailed but their ioy upon his death was turned into sorrow Gormo the father so intirely loved this Knutus his sonne that he vowed whosoever brought him newes of the death of his sonne Knutus for recompence should die the death Thira daughter to Edward the Martyr saith Functius the mother being a Christian though Gormo were a bloudy Infidell having certaine intelligence of the death of Knutus durst not reveale it but used this policie shee caused instead of her husbands princely robes wherewith he was on a morning to make himselfe ready mourning cloathes to bee laid before him and such funerall exequies as were used to be prepared for the witnessing of the sorrow and griefe conceived for the departure of some deare friend woe is me saith Gormo now my sonne Knutus is dead this I gather by these circumstances Then answered Thira the
so much as we have received him unto our protection grace and favour whosoever within our Realmes subiects unto our command will ayde and helpe him whom wee have embraced as our trustie friend for the recovery of his land let him be assured of our favour and licence in that behalfe Dermot returned ioyfully with these letters and came to Bristoll where at that time Richard surnamed Strangbow Eare oâ— Penbroke and Chepstow lay hee shewed his letters caused them at severall times publikely to be read conferred with Earle Richard and concluded to give the Earle his sole daughter and heire in marriage and his whole interest in the kingdome of Leinster after his decease Richard undertooke of the other side to effect all his desire As Dermot wayted for a winde it came in his minde for the shorter cut into Ireland to goe by land into Saint Davids where he was refreshed and greatly pittied by the Bishop there and concluded in like sort as with the Earle before with Robert fitz Stephens and Moris Fitz Gerald by the mediation of the good Bishop there to restore him unto his kingdome upon condition that hee should give them and theirs for ever the towne of Wexford and two cantreds of land next adjoyning upon this hee tooke shipping secretly came to Fernes and lived privately among the Clergie all that winter expecting performance of promises out of England Anno 1170. Abbatia de Castro Dei was founded in the same yeere and the first day of May so writeth Stow Robert Fitz Stephens with David Barrie and Hervie de Monte Mariscospie of Strangbow his nephew according to his promise with thirty Knights threescore Esquires well mounted and three hundred foot being Archers well appointed of his owne kindred and trayning up in feates of armes and the choice souldiers of all Wales landed at the Bann not farre from Wexford hereupon the rime runneth At the Creeke of Bagganbun Ireland was lost and wonne Here some allude unto the blinde Prophecie of Merlin that hee should meane this noble Warrior and worthy Knight where he saith A Knight biparted shall first enter with force of Armes and breake the bounds of Ireland this they would have understood of Robert Fitz Stephens an English man borne in Normandie and of Nesta his mother daughter to Râ—es ap Tuyder Prince of South Wales so I finde in Cambrensis but if Merlin had foresight in this I had rather take his Prophecie verified in respect of his Armes and Ensignes which were biparted being of two sundry changes namely party par pale gules and ermine a saltier counterchanged for commonly all Prophecies have their allusions unto Armes and by them they are discovered though at the first not so apparant before the event thereof take place The next day after in the same place landed Morice Prendergast whom Stanihurst calleth Prendelgast de Rofensi Walliae Demetiae Provinciâ as Cambrensis writeth the which I take to be about Milford in South-Wales accompanied with ten Knights and a great number of Archers in most gallant sort in two ships Immediately Robert Fitz Stephens directeth his letters to Dermot who could scarce reade them for joy of their arrivall and sent forthwith his base sonne Donald with five hundred men to salute them and hasteneth after himselfe with all speed off goeth his poore mantle wherein hee obscurely shrowded himselfe on goeth his princely attire the Irish men follow him the fame thereof is spread over the whole land such as before in his distressed state flatly forsooke him now runne and flatter and fawne upon him to be short they meete they confirme the former leagues with oathes and ioyne forces together and they march towards Wexford to lay siege to the towne the townesmen a fierce wilfull people to the number of 2000. sally forth with full purpose to give them battaile in the field but when they heard the Trumpets sound the horses neyghing and beheld their glittering Armes the ratling of their furniture horse and men in compleat Armes and all most comely in battaile array the like of them not formerly seene neither heard of they alter their mindes they retire into the towne they make fast their gates and fire the suburbs Fitz Stephens came to the wals filled the trenches with armed men and appointed his Archers to levell at the wals and turrets if occasion were offered the townesmen manfully defended themselves threw over the wals great stones and pieces of timber hurt many and made them voyd the place among whom a couragious Knight called David Barrye adventured to scale the walles but with a great stone which fell upon his head-piece he was cast downe to the ditch and carried away by his fellowes with safeguard of his life upon this they goe to the sea strand and fired all the ships and vessels which they found there The next day after upon better advice and deliberation they approach unto the wals and gave a new assault the townesmen within beganne to distrust their state being upon this sudden arrivall of the strangers not sufficiently provided of men munition and victuals to encounter with them and remembring againe how most unnaturally they had rebelled against their Prince and Soveraigne they sent messengers to Dermot to intreate for peace alas it was farre from the heart the which was granted and tooke of them pledges and hostages for the performance thereof Lastly Mac Moragh according to his former promise gratified these first adventures hee gave unto Robert Fitz Stephens and Morrice Fitz Gerrald who was as yet in England the towne of Wexford and the territories thereunto adioyning and unto Hervie de Monte Morisco two cantreds on the sea side betwixt Wexford and Waterford Dermot Mac Moroch and his company now take heart they encrease their Army with Wexford men and become 3000. strong The next iourney they bend their course towards Ossory where one Donald or Mac Donell was Prince whom Dermot hated deadly and for this cause Donald suspected Dermots sonne and heire to have much familiaritie with his wife and therefore in his jealous humour apprehended him imprisoned him and pulled out both his eyes but say they though sight failed him his feeling did not for she loved him the more in so much that she satisfied his lust and ranne away after him When Robert Fitz Stephens and the Gallants of Britaine entred the country they found neither dastards nor cowards but valiant men with horse and foot they found the country fast with woods bogges and paces trenched and plashed yet the valour of the adventurers was such presuming upon former fortunes to have the like future successes with loose wings drove them out of the woods and bogges into the plaine and champion land where the horsemen with their speares overthrew them and the foote finding them groveling runne them thorow and ended their dayes the Gallowglasses followed and cut off their heads And here Dermot Mac Morogh is mightily condemned he being originally for exaction
English men had the vantage of a great hedge and ditch of the one hand and a bogge on the other to gall the enemies horses where no horse could enter within them Odonell seeing the Horsmen to be but a few commanded his foot and maine battaile to make a stand untill hee sent them word to march on meaning to make short worke with the Horsemen and so to breake the necke of the strength of the battaile the Horsemen joyne battaile the Archers gall Odonels horses with arrowes whom the English launce slew not the horse unsadled and when the English quiver was empty the archer with his sword haught the horses and dispatched the men that were unhorsed and cast to the ground Odonels horsemen being somewhat discomfited retired Sir Amoricus cals upon Courcy and Poer to bring on the foote who metting with the foote and maine battaile of the Irish that expected newes from Odonell fought most fiercely No instrument of Warre could be heard the cry of both sides pierced the clouds the gald horses grievously complained the maimed souldiers groueling on the ground and gasping for breath gave pittifull groanes the Irish flang darts and stones the English shoote arrowes the Irish with sparthes and galloglasse axes the English with speares and swords encounter on both sides most valiantly the splints of brokē staves fly about their eares and eyes sparkles of fire from their swords and targets and the blowes upon their helmets yeelded the sound of hammers working upon anviles both sides deserved honor and singular commendations the slaughter was great on both sides and continued long many of the English were slaine and a number of the Irish were left alive they determined to make an end of the English that day the rere of the Irish march couragiously the English had the bog of the one side and the ditch of the other and the entrance to them was ful of heads legs and armes dead corps armor and horses dead and lying a long striving with death that they could not approch whereupon they broke their battaile aray dispersed themselves and from the paces entred the plaines Sir Amoric watching his opportunity called Ieffrey Montgomery his sisters sonne and standard bearer and said Have not we quitted our selves like men this day and shall wee dishonour the field so much as to suffer yonder company to escape our hands come advance your Standard let us wheele about and give the on-set Montgomery replied it seemes strange unto mee to see your stomach passe your strength we have wonne honour advisedly and shall we now rashly lose it of seven score we have but forty horses left the rest are wounded tired and not fit for service then said Amorich give me the Standard I will beare it my selfe if that be your pleasure saith Mountgomery you shall not heareafter charge me with cowardise under this Standard have I got honour and under this Standard if God so so please I will dye With this they wheeled about and overtooke the foot of the Irish being loden with armes and wearied with fight with their launces they strooke them to the ground they gave the on-set a fresh upon the horsemen which were about 200. and had Connor O Laghlin to their leader who retreated in battaile array ready to answer the fight Sir Amoricus in that skirmish was twice vnhorsed and by his men lift up againe afterwards in a filthy foord he was unhorsed againe and his horse slaine under him whereupon some of his troope lighted stood very stoutly by him tooke weapons out of the dead mens hands that lay along the way kept the Foord from horse and man untill Sir Iohn de Courcy came to the rescue at which time many of the Irish were slaine and the rest fled away thus in the end God gave the victory unto the English men after the losse of many a brave man and especially Lyonell Saint Laurence nephew to Amoricus whose death was greatly lamented When they had buried their dead and gathered their armes they returned to Dune The Midsummer following Courcy fought the second battaile nigh the walles of Dune saith Stanihurst and overthrew fifteene thousand men in Vlster And saith the booke of Houth after that field Vlster men had small stomacke to give any onset upon the English men yet I finde the field to have beene bloudy of both sides and that Sir Amoricus was sore wounded laid under a hedge eating hony suckles for his reliefe where he left much bloud and was carried away betweene foure men his wounds were so many and so dangerous that no Physitian or Surgeon could promise life the space of nine dayes yet in the end recovered Next unto him was his sonne Sir Nicholas Saint Laurence a most valiant Knight so sore wounded in nine severall places that he was once left for dead but at length recovered to the great comfort of his friends The third battaile that Sir Iohn de Courcy fought was in Ferng against eleaven thousand Irish men the occasion was thus Courcy had builded many Castles throughout Vlster and especially in Fern where Mac Mahon dwelled this Mac Mahon with solemne protestations vowed to become a true and faithfull subiect gave Courcy many gifts and made him his Goship which is a league of amitie highly esteemed in Ireland Whereupon Courcy gave him two Castles with their demeanes to hold of him Within one moneth after this Mac Mahon returning to his vomit brake downe the Castles and made them even with the ground Sir Iohn de Courcy sent unto him to know the cause that moved him to fall to this villanie his answer was that he promised not to hold stones of him but the land and that it was contrary to his nature to couch himselfe within cold stones the woods being so nigh where he might better warme himselfe with other slender and scornefull answers Courcy to be revenged of him saw no better course then to prey his country mustred his men entred the land and swept all the cattell before him The prey was so great that it could not be driven unlesse it were devided into three parts and to that end this company in like sort was proportioned betweene the foremost of the voward and the last of the rereward there was three miles distance the paces were narrow the way miry and boggy with thicke bushes on either side the Irish being as I said before eleven thousand in number stood upon all advantages had their espials upon them divided themselves likewise and stept in betweene every of the English companies and upon a sudden made such a cry and gave such a shout that the woods rang thereof and the Cowes ranne like divels upon the drivers and overthrew horse and man so that there were more slaine and trode under foot in the mire and dirt of the English men by the Cowes then by the sword of the rebels Vpon this cry all the Cowes were lost and the men fell to blowes where the Irish being
understood this hee was more waspish and moved with the countenance of the sonnes then with the former iniury of the father and turning him to the King spake aloud what I have said I have said what I have written I have written never to be blotted out To be short the Bishop with great sorrow departed and in bitternesse prophecied of the ill successe of the children who dyed and lived in great honour all the dayes of their lives but these matters we are to referre to the secret iudgement of God After the decease of these five brethren five Earles and five Princes of Leinster leaving no issue behinde them the five daughters their sisters Ioane Mathilda Isabell Sibilla and Eva being honourably matched had their fathers and brethrens possessions and territories in Ireland orderly divided amongst them Ioane the eldest daughter of William Earle Marshall and eldest sister of the five brethren before spoken of was married to Warren de Mountchensen who in right of her had allotted unto him the County of Wexford they had issue one daughter Ioane that was married Anno 1247. to William de Valence a Norman the sonne of Hugh Brune Earle of March and Turryn Vicount of Curce c. hee was halfe brother to King Henry the third by Queene Isabell daughter and heire of Amerie Earle of Angolesm the widdow of King Iohn This William in the right of his wife was Earle of Penbroke and Lord of Wexford and died Anno 1296. he had issue two sonnes and two daughters William de Valence Owdomare alias Aimer de Valence Isabell and Ioane William succeeded his father in the Earldome of Penbroke and Lordship of Wexford and died without issue Aymer his brother after him was Earle of Penbroke and Lord of Wexford and died without issue whereupon the inheritance fell to the two sisters Isabell and Ioane Isabell was married to Iohn Hastings Lord Hastings of Abergevenny who in the right of his wife had one halfe of the county of Wexford allotted unto him and had issue Elizabeth which married Reynold Lord Gray of Ruthin Ioane the second sister was married to Iohn Lord Comyn who in her right had the other halfe of Wexford and he had issue two daughters Elizabeth and Ioane Elizabeth married Richard Lord Talbot and Ioane was married to David Earle of Atholl in Scotland and thus the County of Wexford was divided Mathilda or Mawde the second daughter of William Earle Marshall of England had the county of Cattelough alias Carlogh assigned unto her she was married to Hugh Bigod Earle of Norfolke father of Ralph Bigod whose daughter and heire Isabell was married to Sir Gilbert Lacy who had issue Margery and Mawd Margery was married to Iohn Lord Verdon of whom the Earle of Shrewesbury and the Earle of Essex are descended Mawd married Ieffery Genivill father to Peter Genivill whose daughter and heire was married to Roger Mortimer Lord of Wigmore and the first Earle of March Isabell the third daughter of William Earle Marshall of England had to her portion the county of Kilkenny She was married to Sir Gilbert de Clare Earle of Glocester and Herford whose discent is before spoken of Hee was slaine by the Scots in King Edward the seconds time and died without issue I have seene a Charter granted by him to the towne of Kilkenny Gilbert Clare Earle of Glocester and Herford to our Seneshall of Kilkenny and to our treasurer of the same greeting know you that we for the common profit of the towne of Kilkenny of our especiall favour have granted to our loving Burgesses of the same towne c. the whole in substance is that none shall sell victuals there but it shall be prized by the officers of our towne After the decease of Sir Gilbert Clare then the Earledomes of Glocester and Herford and the County of Kilkenny fell betweene his three sisters begotten upon Isabell aforesaid to wit Elenor Margaret and Elizabeth Elenor was married to Hugh Spencer the younger Margaret was married to Peter Gaveston and after his death to Hugh Lord Audely Elizabeth was married first to William Lord Burgh Earle of Vlster the second time to Ralph Roch Baron of Farmoy thirdly to Theobald Lord Verdon and lastly to Roger Damary and had issue by every one of them Sibilla the fourth daughter of William Earle Marshall had to her part the Countie of Kildare and was married to William Ferers Earle of Ferers and Darby who had issue Agnes Isabell Mathilda Sibilla Cecilia and a second Sibill Agnes was married to VVilliam de Vescy who had issue Iohn de Vescy who had issue VVilliam de Vescy that died without issue in his fathers life time Lastly this County of Kildare was given by the King unto Iohn Fitz Thomas the first Earle of Kildare as hereafter in more convenient place shall appeare Eva the first daughter of VVilliam Earle Marshall had to her portion the Mannor of Dounmas in Leix and was married to VVilliam Bruse Lord Bruse of Gower who had issue Mathilda Elenor and Eva. Mathilda was married to Roger Mortimer Elenor was married to Humphery de Bohun Earle of Herford and Eva to Cantilupe alias VVilliam de Canlow Of the line of these Maxfields I meane of VVilliam Earle Marshall of England the pedigree discent of this Noble familie the properties and purports holds of the daughters I have seene sundry copies Nicholas Magwir Bishop of Leighlen perfected an abstract of the division of the land in Ireland among the daughters and the paritcularities thereof which is to be seene in the red towne-booke of Kilkenny and now forwards with the history from whence I have somewhat digressed Anno 1190. in which yeere the Citie of Dublin by foule mishap was fired to ashes King Richard set all in a readinesse for his iourney into the holy land gathered masses of money together and among others it is remembred what a summe of money he received of Hugh Pudsey a Norman and Bishop of Durham that gave an inestimable summe to be made an Earle whom the Antiquaries doe condemne for his intolerable pride and damnable covetousnesse whom the King also flowted after hee had received the coyne saying Loe I have made a young Earle of an old Bishop In this voyage and preparation for the recovery of Ierusalem and the ayde of the Christians in Asia there went Fredericke Emperour of Almaine Richard King of England Philip of France VVilliam of Cicilia Otho Duke of Burgundie the Venetians Pisanes Frisones Danes and Flemings Now that the King is on his iourney abroad let us talke a little gentle Reader of little Iohn at home Stanihurst leads me into the history and reporteth that Anno 1189. he came into Ireland and sojourned at Dublin the storie goeth and especially in Hector Boetius and Iohn Major Antiquaries of Scotland how that in those daies there were many outlawes in the North parts of England of these outlawes Robin Hood and little Iohn were Chiefetaines It was said of
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
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
their pleasure by a hundred shifts that need not here be named through which they oftentimes deceive the Souldier and abuse the Queene and greatly hinder the service So that let the Queene pay never so fully let the Muster-Master view then never so diligently let the Deputy or Generall looke to them never so exactly yet they can cozen them all Therefore me thinkes it were good if it be possible to make provision for this inconvenience Iren. It will surely be very hard but the chiefest helpe for prevention hereof must be the care of the Coronell that hath the government of all his garrison to have an eye to their alterations to know the numbers and names of the sick Souldiers and the slaine to marke and observe their rankes in their daylie rising forth to service by which he cannot easily bee abused so that hee himselfe bee a man of speciall assurance and integritie And therefore great regard is to bee had in the choosing and appointing of them Besides I would not by any meanes that the Captaines should have the paying of their Souldiers but that there should bee a Pay-master appointed of speciall trust which should pay every man according to his Captaines Ticket and the accompt of the Clerke of his Band for by this meanes the Captaine will never seeke to falsifie his alterations nor to diminish his Company nor to deceive his Souldiers when nothing thereof shal be sure to come unto himselfe but what is his owne bare pay And this is the manner of the Spaniards Captaine who never hath to meddle with his Souldiers pay and indeed scorneth the name as base to be counted his Souldiers Pagadore whereas the contrary amongst us hath brought things to so bad a passe that there is no Captaine but thinkes his Band very sufficient if hee can muster 60 and stickes not to say openly that he is unworthy to have a Captainship that cannot make it worth 500l. by the yeare the which they right well verifie by the proofe Eudox. Truely I thinke this a very good meanes to avoid that inconvenience of Captaines abuses But what say you to the Coronell what authority thinke you meete to be given him whether will you allow him to protect or safe conduct and to have martiall lawes as they are accustomed Iren. Yea verily but all these to bee limited with very straite instructions As first for protections that hee shall have authority after the first Proclamation for the space of twentie dayes to protect all that shall come in and them to send to the Lord Deputie with their safe conduct or passe to bee at his disposition but so as none of them returne backe againe being once come in but be presently sent away out of the Countrey to the next Sheriffe and so conveyed in safetie And likewise for martiall Lawe that to the Souldier it bee not extended but by tryall formerly of his cryme by a Iury of his fellow Souldiers as it ought to bee and not rashly at the will or displeasure of the Coronell as I have sometimes seene too lightly And as for other of the Rebells that shall light into their handes that they bee well aware of what condition they bee and what holding they have For in the last generall warres there I knew many good Free-holders executed by martiall law whose landes were thereby saved to their Heires which should have otherwise escheated to her Majestie In all which the great discretion and uprigntnesse of the Coronell himselfe is to bee the chiefest stay both for all those doubts and for many other difficulties that may in the service happen Eudox. Your caution is very good but now touching the Arch-Rebell himselfe I meane the Earle of Tyrone if he in all the time of these warres should offer to come in and submit himselfe to her Majestie would you not have him received giving good hostages and sufficient assurance of himselfe Iren. No marrie for there is no doubt but hee will offer to come in as hee hath done diverse times already but it is without any intent of true submission as the effect hath well shewed neither indeed can hee now if hee would come in at all nor give that assurance of himselfe that should bee meete for being as hee is very subtle headed seeing himselfe now so farre ingaged in this bad action can you thinke that by his submission hee can purchase to himselfe any safetie but that heereafter when things shall bee quieted these his villanies will be ever remembred and whensoever hee shall treade awry as needes the most righteous must sometimes advantage will bee taken thereof as a breach of his pardon and hee brought to a reckoning for all former matters besides how hard it is now for him to frame himselfe to subjection that having once set before his Eyes the hope of a Kingdome hath therunto not onely found incouragement from the greatest King in Christendome but also found great faintnes in her Maiesties withstanding him wherby he is animated to think that his power is able to defend him offend further then he hath done whensoever he please let every reasonable man iudge But if hee himselfe should come and leave all other his accomplices without as O Donel Mac Mahone Maguire the rest he must needs thinke that then even they will ere long cut his throate which having drawne them all into this occasion now in the midst of their trouble giveth them the slip whereby hee must needes perceive how impossible it is for him to submit himselfe But yet if hee would so doe can he give any good assurance of his obedience For how weake hould is there by hostages hath too often beene proved and that which is spoken of taking Shane O-Neales sonnes from him and setting them up against him is a very perillous counsaile and not by any meanes to be put in proofe for were they let forth and could overthrowe him who should afterwards overthrow them or what assurance can be had of them It will be like the tale in Aesop of the wild horse who having enmity with the Stagg came to a man to desire his ayde against his foe who yeelding therevnto mounted upon his backe and so following the stagge ere long slew him but then when the horse would have him alight he refused but ever after kept him in his subjection and service Such I doubt would bee the proofe of Shane O-Neales sonnes Therefore it is most dangerous to attempt any such plot for even that very manner of plot was the meanes by which this trayterous Earle is now made great For when the last O-Neale called Terlagh Leinagh began to stand upon some tickle termes this fellow then called Baron of Dunganon was set up as it were to beard him and countenanced and strengthened by the Queene so far as that he is now able to keepe her selfe play much like unto a Gamester that having lost all borroweth of his next fellow-Gamester somewhat to
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
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 to