dayes Satan with all the internall spirits sent greeting with great thankes unto the Ecclesiasticall state upon earth in dreadfull characters For that they wanting no aide in their delights from hellish places sent such a number of damned soules into the sulphureall pits through their remisnesse in life and slacknesse in preaching as in former ages had not beene seene Whosoever devised the course it forceth not greatly the matter might seeme odious if it contained no truth Finnan in Wales as my Authors report called Gwyn was born at Ardez he travelled forraigne countries came to his native soile was Bishop of Farne saith Beda baptized Penda King of Mercia consecrated Cedd Bishop of East Saxons and lyeth buried at Cuningham in Scotland called of the Britaines Kilgwinin There was also one Finan an Abbot borne in Mounster sent by Saint Brendan to Smoir now called Mons Blandina to inhabite there who came afterwards to Corcodizbue where hee was borne builded Cels and Monasteries for religious men contended with Falbe Fland King of Mounster A third Finan there was who was master of Ruadanus a great learned man and dwelt at Cluayn jarhaird in Meath Colmannus whose life Bale writeth at large was a godly learned man borne in Ireland the sonne of one Fiachra of the bloud Royall and highly commended of Beda hee was brought up after the Apostolike rules of Congellus he succeeded Finan in the Bishopricke of Farne alias Linsey In his time there was great stirre about the observation of Easter when some alledged custome and some urged the authoritie of Rome he pleaded the Gospell both against this stir and the like trouble that rose about the shaving of Priests crownes the which he reiected saith Beda and seeing that he could not prevaile forsooke his Bishopricke and went with certaine Scots and Saxons into the Hebrydes where he ended his dayes Beda writeth how that in the yeere 664. there fell strange accidents upon the eclipse of the Sunne which was the third of May in England and Ireland and a great mortalitie in both lands in the time of Finan and Colman the godly Bishops Gentle reader thou shalt heare himselfe speake The plague pressed sore that Iland of Ireland no lesse then England there were then as that time many of noble parentage and likewise of the meane sort of English birth in the dayes of Finan and Colman the Bishops who leaving their native soile had repaired thither either for divine literature or for more continencie of life whereof some immediately gave themselves to monasticall conversation others frequenting the Cels gave diligent eare to the lectures of the readers All which the Scots he meaneth the Irish men with most willing minde daily relieved and that freely yeelding unto them bookes to reade and masterly care without hire Among these there were two young men of great towardnesse of the Nobles of England Edelthun and Egbert the first was brother to Edilhun a man beloved of God who formerly had visited Ireland for learnings sake and being well instructed returned into his country was made Bishop of Lindisfarne and for a long time governed the Church with great discretion These men being of the monasterie of Rathmelfig and all their fellowes by the mortalitie either cut off or dispersed abroad were both visited with the sicknesse and to make short that which mine Author layeth downe at large Edelthun died thereof and Egbert lived untill he was fourescore and tenne yeeres old So farre Beda There was another Colmannus otherwise called Colmanellus an Abbot of the sept of the Neilles borne in Hoichle in Meth what time the King of Leinster with an huge armie wasted the North he became first Abbot of Conor in Vlster where the godly Bishop Mac Cnessey resteth From thence he came to the place where he was born and there saith his Legend he met with Eadus the sonne of Aimireach a King of Ireland Edus Flan a Lord of that country of the sept of the Neills his kinsman Saint Columba Cylle and Saint Cannicus the Abbot who received him ioyfully Edus Flan gave him a parcell of land to build upon and to inhabit called Fyd Elo afterwards called Colmans Elo where hee founded a Monasterie and now resteth himselfe Carantocus in the martyrologe Cartak was the sonne of Keredicus a King of Ireland a good Preacher the Irish called him Ceruagh his mother was a Britaine and was delivered of him in Wales Hee travailed over Ireland and Britaine King Arthur is said to have honoured him greatly and gave him a parcell of land where he builded a Church In his latter dayes he came to Ireland and died in a towne called after his name Chervac So much Capgrave There was another of that name an Abbot in France of whom Ionas maketh mention in the life of Columbanus but not of Irish birth Now to intermit a while from speaking of these learned men I finde that Aurelius Conanus who slue Constantine that succeeded King Arthur and raigned in his stead thirty three yeeres valiantly by force of Armes brought under his command as Gualterus Oxoniensis writeth Norwey Denmarke Ireland Island Gothland the Orchades and Ocean Ilands I finde also that Malgo the nephew of this Conanus who as it is in the English history succeeded Vortipore vanquished the Irish Pictes or Scots which the Britaines called y Gwydhil Pictiard which had over-runne the Isle of Man of them called Tyr Mon and slue Serigi their King with his owne hand at Llany Gwydhil that is the Irish Church at Holy-head so write Sir Iohn Price Knight and Humfry Lloyd in the description of Cambria Florilegus saith that he subdued sixe Ilands of the Ocean adioyning unto him which Harding thus reckoneth And conquered wholy the Isle of Orkenay Ireland Denmarke Iselond and eke Norway And Gotland also obeyed his royaltie He was so wise full of fortunitie When Careticus was King of Britaine who began his raigne Anno Dom. 586. the Saxons intending to make a full conquest of the land called to their aide for a number of Pirates and sea rovers that were mighty and strong and scoured the Seas and the Ilands whose Captaine was Gurmundus one calleth him an African Fabian writeth that he had two names and was called Gurmundus and Africanus howsoever I finde that hee was the King of Norweys sonne and for his successe in England referre the reader to that historie and for his behaviour in Ireland I will acquaint the courteous reader with what I finde in which the Writers noâ— not agree Cambrensis and Polycronicon followed bad presidents and were deceived Stanihurst stammereth writing one thing in English another thing in Latine the best record I finde is in Thadie Dowlinge Chancellour of Leighlin and Iames Grace of Kilkenny They write that Gurmund was in Ireland but no King or Conquerour that with strong hand he entred Leinster like a raging
King whom the said Peeres met at Rotcotebridge and slue Thomas Molleners and spoyled the rest neverthelesse the Duke of Ireland escaped But in the same yeere on the morrow after Candlemas day a Parliament beganne at London in which were adjudged the Archbishop of Yorke the Duke of Ireland the Earle of Suffolke c. Anno 1388. foure Lord Iustices of England were banished into Ireland by a decree of the Parliament and it was not lawfull for them either to make lawes or to give counsell upon paine of the sentence of death Anno 1390. Robert de Wikeford Archbishop of Dublin departed this life and the same yeere was Robert Waldebie translated unto the Archbishopricke of Dublin being an Augustine Fryer Anno 1394. and in the seaventeenth yeere of King Richard the second died Anne Queene of England and the same yeere about Michaelmas the King crossed the seas over into Ireland and landed at Waterford the second day of the moneth of October and went back about Shrovetide Anno 1397. Fryer Richard de Northalis of the order of the Carmelites was translated to the Archbishopricke of Dublin and died the same yeere Also the same yeere Thomas de Craulie was consecrated Archbishop of Dublin And Sir Thomas Burgh and Sir Walter Birningham slue sixe hundred Irish men with their Captaine Macdowne Moreover Edmund Earle of March Lord lievetenant of Ireland with the aide of the Earle of Ormond wasted Obren's country and at the winning of his chiefe house hee made seaven Knights to wit Sir Christopher Preston Sir Iohn Bedlow Sir Edmund Loundres Sir Iohn Loundres Sir William Nugent Walter de la Hide and Robert Cadell Anno 1398. and in the two and twentieth of King Richard the second on Ascention day the Tothillis slue forty English men Among whom these were accounted as principall Iohn Fitz Williams Thomas Talbot and Thomas Comyn The same yeere upon Saint Margarets day Edmund Earle of March the Kings lievetenant was slaine with divers other by Obren and other Irishmen of Leinster at Kenlis in Leinster Then was Roger Greye elected Lord Iustice of Ireland The same yeere on the feast day of Saint Marke the Pope and Confessor came to Dublin the Noble Duke of Surrey the Kings lievetenant in Ireland and with him came Thomas Crauly Archbishop of Dublin Anno 1399. and of King Richard the three and twentieth on Sunday being the morrow after Saint Petronilla the Virgins day the illustrious King Richard landed at Waterford with two hundred shippes and the Friday after at Ford in Kenlis in the Countie of Kildare there were slaine two hundred Irish men by Ienicho and other English men and the morrow after the Citizens of Dublin brake into Obrens country slue three and thirty of the Irish and tooke fourescore men women and children The same yeere King Richard came to Dublin upon the fourth Kalends of Iuly where hee was advertized of the comming of Henry Duke of Lancaster into England whereupon he also speedily went over into England and a little while after the same King was taken prisoner by the said Henry and brought to London and there a Parliament was holden the morrow after Michaelmas day in which King Richard was deposed from his kingdome and the said Henry Duke of Lancaster was crowned King of England on the feast day of Saint Edward the Confessor Anno 1400. and in the first yeere of the raigne of King Henry the fourth at Whitsontide the Constable of Dublin Castle and divers others at Stranford in Vlster fought at Sea with the Scots where many Englishmen were slaine and drowned The same yeere on the feast of the Assumption of the blessed Virgin Mary King Henry with a great army entred Scotland and there he was advertized that Owen Glendor with the Welsh men had taken armes against him for which cause he hastened his iourney into Wales Anno 1401. in the second yeere of King Henry the fourth Sir Iohn Stanley the kings Lievetenant in the moneth of May went over into England leaving in his roome Sir William Stanley The same yeere on Bartholomew Eeven arrived in Ireland Stephen Scroope Lievetenant unto the Lord Thomas of Lancaster the kings Lievetenant of Ireland The same yeere on Saint Brices day the Lord Thomas of Lancaster the kings Sonne and Lord Lievetenant of Ireland arrived at Dublin Anno 1402. on the fift Ides of Iuly was the dedication of the Church of the Fryers Preachers in Dublin by the Archbishop of Dublin And the same day the Maior of Dublin namely Iohn Drake with the citizens and townesmen neere to Bre slue of the Irish foure hundred ninety three being all men of warre The same yeere in September a Parliament was held at Dublin during the which in Vrgile Sir Bartholomew Verdon knight Iames White Stephen Gernond and their complies slue Iohn Dowdall Sheriffe of Lowth Anno 1403. in the fourth yeere of king Henry in the moneth of May Sir Walter Betterley Steward of Vlster a right valiant knight was slaine and to the number of thirty other with him The same yeere on Saint Maâ—dlins Eeven neere unto Shrewesbury a battell was fought betweene king Henry and Henry Percy and Thomas Percy then Earle of Worcester which Percyes were slaine and on both sides there were sixe thousand and more slaine in the battaile The same yeere about Martlemas the Lord Thomas of Lancaster the kings Sonne went over into England leaving Stephen Scroope his Deputy there who also in the beginning of Lent sayled over into England and then the Lords of the land chose the Earle of Ormond to be Lord Iustice of Ireland Anno 1404. in the fift yeere of king Henry Iohn Colton Archbishop of Armagh departed this life upon the fift of May unto whom Nicholas Flemming succeeded The same yeere on the day of Saint Vitall the Martyr the Parliament began at Dublin before the Earle of Ormond then Lord Iustice of Ireland where the Statutes of Kilkenny and Dublin were confirmed and likewise the Charter of Ireland The same yeere Patricke Savage was treacherously slaine in Vlster by Mac Kilmori and his brother Richard was given for a pledge who was murthered in the prison after hee had paid two thousand markes The same yeere upon Martilmas day deceased Nicholas Houth Lord of Houth a man of singular honesty Anno 1405. in the sixt yeere of King Henry in the moneth of May three Scottish Barkes were taken two at Greenecastle and one at Dalkay with Captaine Thomas Macgolagh The same yeere the Merchants of Droghedah entred Scotland and tooke pledges and preyes The same yeere on the Eeven of the feast day of the seaven brethren Oghgard was burnt by the Irish. The same yeere in the moneth of Iune Stephen Scroope crossed the seas over into England leaving the Earle of Ormond Lord Iustice of Ireland The same yeere in the moneth of Iune they of Dublin entred Scotland at Saint Ninian and valiantly behaved themselves and afterward they entred Wales and there did much
By which occasion the Brittaines also put in a foot who discovering the state of the land to their Princes opened a gappe for Brennus the brother of Belinus to direct his course thither vvith the same Navy vvhich he had furnished to serve Signimius then King of Lyons amid the Galles in France But Brennus took small effect Before him also divers Kings of Brittaine had scope in Ireland Insomuch that Gurguntius the sonne of Beline reputed the same by lineall descent among his ovvne Dominions Notvvithstanding they never injoyed it longer then they could keepe possession perforce and often vvere they repelled and vvearyed vvith seeking after it as vvherein they found small fruite and blovves enough Lastly came the Spaniards from Biscaye conducted by foure Captaines of vvhose arryvall before I speake I must repeate their originall somevvhat farther and so give a light to the assoyling of a controversie that is vvhether the Irish came from Aegypt or from Spaine It shall appeare they came from both CAP. IX The arrivall of the Spaniards then called Iberians into Ireland IN the yeare of the World 2436. after the universall floud 780. while the children of Israell served in Aegypt Gathelus the sonne of Neale a great Lord in Greece was upon disfavour exiled the Country with a number of his faction adherents and friends The young Greeke being very wise valiant and well spoken got honourable entertainement with Pharao surnamed Amaenophis king of Aegypt and in short space reached to such a credit that he espoused the Kings base Daughter Scota whereof the Scotts are thought to be named This match bred to the King some tumult and to the young Gentle-man much envy wherefore assoone as the foresaid Amaenophis was drowned in the Red Sea the Princes of Aegypt so vexed Gathelus and his wife that they were faine to buske them withall their traine into Europe and came first to Lusitania where diverse of his people tyred with travaile would needs abide he builded there the city of Brigantia called afterwards Novium now Compostella The remnant passed with him into Ireland where the Barbarians highly honoured him for his cunning in all languages who also greatly perfected and beautified the Irish tongue taught them letters sought up their antiquities practised their youth in martiall feates after his Greeke and Aegyptian manner Finally so well he pleased them that to gratifie such a Benefactour they were content to name the Iland after him Gathelia and after his wife Scotia Truely that Scotia is the auncient appellation of Ireland all Chroniclers agree as it shal be more plaine when wee touch the Scottish pedigree A brute there is in Ireland but uncertainelie fathered that in remembrance of Pharao their good lord the Kerne pitching his Dart cryeth of courage faro faro but the learned thinke that to bee taken from the Spaniard who in his Ioco dicano exclaymeth fabo fabo The people left in the coast of Spaine founded the city of Bayon now part of Gascoigne and replenished all the shore towards Africk and the edges of Portugall Castile Galaecia towardes the sea Cantabricum well nigh 200. yeares after which time some of them began to minde another travaile because they were pestered with Inhabitants and whether they ever sped to Ireland it is unknowne at the leastwise in the raigne of Gurguntius the Brittaine then chiefe Lord of Bayon foure brethren Spaniards whereof two are noted Hiberus and Hirimon not the sonnes of Gathelus as writeth Boethius but his off-spring understanding that divers Western Ilands were empty desirous to live in ease and elbovv-room sayled Westvvard vvith a great retinue of men vvomen and babes hovering long about the Ilands Orchades in 60. great ships untill by good hap they met vvith Gurguntius then returning from the conquest of Denmarke vvho had refused to pay him the tribute vvhich Belinus his father vvan him they besought considering their vvant of victuals unable any longer to dvvell in their ships accumbred vvith carriage of vvomen children to direct further them to some place of habitation proffering to become his liege people to hold the same of him his heires for ever The King advising himselfe remembred vvith vvhat difficultie he kept the Irish in subjection conceived hope that these strangers vvould endeavor either to stub out that unruly generation or to nurture them so taking their oathes and hostages he mann'd their ships stored thē vvith victuall munition seated thē in Ireland Thus had the Brittaines an elder right to the Realme of Ireland then by the conquest of Henry the 2. vvhich title they never surceased to claime somtimes prevailed as in the dayes of King Arthur to vvhom the Irish Princes agnized their tribute and apparance made at his Parliament in urbe Legionū vvhich I take to be Westchester called of old Carleon as divers other citties vvere vvherein the Romanes placed the legions Again the Kings of Britain vvere thē Lords of the place vvhence this people came so as their vvinnings must have beene the Kings Dominion To all this when their owne free assent the dedition of other Princes lawfull conquest and prescription is adjoyned it forceth an invincible title But to prosecute our purpose Those Iberians being substantially ayded of Gurguntius enjoyed the Lands bestowed themselves foure brethren into foure parts thereof untill their pride and ambition armed two against other two Hiberus and his brother against Hirimon and his In this conflict Hirimon slew Hiberus and raigned quietly At this time the countrey was first named Ibernia as I have declared in the third Chapter The King to avoyde obloquie and slaunder purged himselfe to his subjects that neither maliciously nor contentiously but for his necessary defence and safeguard he had borne armes against his brother And to witnesse how farre he was from desire to rule alone he nominated speciall Captaines to be Kings under him of their severall Countryes reserving to himselfe but one fourth part and the portion of Meth allotted to the Monarchie for the better maintenance of his part These afterward clambered into five Kingdomes incompatible Leinster Connaght Vlster Mounster in two portions and sometimes to more by usurpations and compositions but ever one was elected the Monarch over all An hundred and thirtie chiefe Kings are reckoned of this Nation from Hirimon to Laigirus the sonne of Nealus magnus in whose time the blessed Bishop Patricius converted them to Christianity CAP. X. The comming of the Picts into Ireland NOW lived the Irish in tollerable order under their sundry Kings and applyed themselves to peace and gathering of wealth when suddainely Rodericke a Red-shank of Scythia fled thither with a small company of Galleyes and winde-driven in compassing round about the British coast were happely blowne ashore into Ireland These are the Picts a people from their cradle dissentious land-leapers mercilesse sowre and hardy being presented to the
right to Leinster VValter Fitz Richard who came from Normandy with VVilliam Conquerour died Lord Strongbow of Strigule alias Chepstow without issue to whom succeeded his sisters sonne Gilbert who was created the first Earle of Pembroke had issue Richard the inheritour of Leinster by a covenant marriage of Eva the sole daughter of Mac Murrough King of Leinster This Richard conveyed to Henry the second all his title and held of him the Lordship of Leinster in foure counties Weixford Catherlagh Ossory and Kildare Richard left issue a daughter Isabel married to VVilliam Earle marshall of England now Earle of Pembroke Lord Strongbow and Lord of Leinster VVilliam had issue five sonnes who died without issue when every of them except the youngest had successively possessed their fathers lands and five daughters Maude â—oane Isabel Sibil and Eve among whom the patrimony was parted in an 31. H. 3. Of these daughters bestowed in marriage are descended many noble houses as the Mortimers Bruises Clares c. borne subjects to the Crowne of England paying ever to the King his dutyes reserved Hugh de Lacy Conquerour of Meth had issue VValter de Lacy who held the same of King Iohn paying a fine of foure thousand marks sterling and hence beganne all the severall claimes there at this day with allegiance sworne and done by their auncestours At the very first arrivall of Henry the second the Princes of Mounster came universally and did homage voluntarily and acknowledged to him and his heires duties and payes for ever Iohn de Courcy Conquerour and Earle of Vlster dyed without issue King Iohn Lord of Ireland gave the Earledome to Hugh de Lacy who had issue VValter and Hugh dead without issue and one daughter married to Reymond Burke Conquerour and Lord of Connaght Connaght descended to diverse heires owing service to the Prince but Vlster is returned by devolution to the speciall inheritance and revenues of the Crowne of England in this manner The said De Burgo had issue Richard who had issue Iohn who had issue VVilliam who was slaine without issue and a Daughter Elizabeth intytled to thirty thousand marks yearely by the Earledome of Vlster whom Edward the 3. gave in marriage to Leonel his second sonne Duke of Clarence who had issue a daughter Philippe marryed to Edmund Mortymer who had issue Edmund Anne Elinor Edmund and Elinor died without issue Anne was married to Richard Earle of Cambridge sonne to Edmund of Laugley Duke of Yorke fift sonne to Edward the third which said Richard had issue Richard Plantagenet father to Edward the fourth father to Elizabeth wife to Henry the seventh and mother to Henry the eight father to Mary Edward the sixt and Elizabeth Severall claimes to the Land of Ireland 1. First that the Irish for of the rest there is no question were subjects to the the Crowne of Brittaine before they set foote in Ireland Thus it appeareth They dwelt on that side of Spaine whereof Bayon was then cheife imperiall Citie and the same then in possession and obedience to Gurguntius 376. yeares ere Christ was borne as it was to his successours many a day after namely to Henry the which as I finde noted in certaine precepts of governement dedicated by Iames Young to Iames Butler Earle of Ormond then Lieutenant of Ireland an 1416. From this coast and Citty now part of Gascoigne came the fleete of those Iberians who in 60. ships met Gurguntius on the sea returning from the conquest of Denmarke to whom they yeelded oath and service sued for dwelling were by him conducted and planted in Ireland and became his leige people 2. Mac Gil-murrow King of Ireland with all his petty Princes Lordes and Captaines summoned to King Arthurs court held in Carlion an 519. did accordingly their homage and attended all the while his great feast and assembly lasted 3. The Monarch of Ireland and all other both reges and reguli for them and for theirs for ever betooke themselves to Henry the second in an Dom. 1172. namely those of the south whiles he lay at Waterford Dermot King of Corke which is the nation of Mac Cartyes at Cashell Donald King of Limricke which is the nation of the Obrenes Donald King of Ossory Mac Shaghlen King of Ophaly at Divelin did the like Okeruell King of Vriell Ororicke king of Meth Rodericke King of all Ireland and of Connaght This did they with consents and shoutes of their people and king Henry returned without any Battle given Onely Vlster remained which Iohn de Courcy soone after conquered and Oneale Captaine of all the Irish there came to Dublin to Richard the 2. in an 1399. And freely bound himselfe by oath and great summes of money to be true to the crowne of England 4. The same time Obrene of Thomond Oconor of Connaght Arthur Mac Murrow of Leinster and all the Irish Lords which had beene somewhat disordered renewed their obedience 5. When Ireland first received Christendome they gave themselves into the jurisdiction both spirituall temporall of the See of Rome The temporall Lordship Pope Adrian conferred upon Henry the second and hee gave the same to Iohn his younger sonne afterwards King of England and so it returned home to the Crowne 6. Alexander the 3. confirmed the gift of Adrian as in both their Charters is expressed at large 7. Vivian the legate on the Popes behalfe doth accurse and excommunicate all those that flitte from the obeysance of the Kings of England 8. The cleargy twice assembled once at Cashell secondly at Ardmagh plainely determined the conquest to be lawfull and threatned all people under paine of Gods and holy Churches indignation to accept the English kings for their Lords from time to time 9. It would aske a volume to recite the names of such Irish Princes who since the conquest have continually upon occasions revolts or petitions sworne truth and faith to the kings of England from time to time received honours wages fees pardons and petitions And thus I thinke no reasonable man will doubt of a right so old so continued so ratified so many wayes confessed CAP. III. Richard the first and King Iohn BY occasion of Lacyes mishap Iohn Courcye and Hugh de Lacye the younger with all their assistants did streight execution upon the Rebells and preventing every mischiefe ere it fell stayed the Realme from uproares Thus they continued lovingly and lived in wealth and honour all the dayes of Richard the first untill the first yeare of King Iohns raigne Henry the second had issue male VVilliam Henry Richard Ieffrey and Iohn VVilliam Henry and Richard dyed without issue Ieffrey Earle of Brittaine dyed before his father and left issue two daughters and an after-borne son called Arthur whose title to the Crowne as being the undoubted lyne of the elder brother Philip King of France and certaine Lords of England and Ireland stoutly justified Him had King Iohn taken prisoner in Normandy and
which cause the Earle of Desmond remained many yeares Deputy to George Duke of Clarence his god-brother but when he had spoken certaine disdainfull words against the late marryage of King Edward with the Lady Elizabeth Gray the said Lady being now Queene caused his trade of life after the Irish manner contrary to sundry old statutes enacted in that behalfe to be sifted examined by Iohn Earle of Worcester his successour Of which treasons he was attaint and condemned and for the same beheaded at Droghedah Iames the father of this Thomas of Desmond being suffered and not controuled during the government of Richard Duke of Yorke his godsip and of Thomas Earle of Kildare his kinsman put upon the Kings subjects within the Countyes of Waterford Corke Kerry and Limericke the Irish impositions of Coyne and Lyverie Cartings carriages loadings cosherings bonnaght and such like which customes are the very nurse and teat of all Irish enormities and extort from the poore tennants everlasting Sesse allowance of meate and money their bodies and goods in service so that their horses and their Galloglashes lye still upon the Farmers eate them out begger the Countrey foster a sort of idle vagabonds ready to rebell if their Lord commaund them ever nusseled in stealth and robberyes These evill presidents given by the Father the sonne did exercise being Lord Deputy to whome the reformation of that disorder especially belonged notwithstanding the same fault being winked at in others and with such rigour avenged in him it was manifestly taken for a quarrell sought and picked Two yeares after the said Earle of Worcester lost his head while Henry the 6. taken out of the towre was set up againe and King Edward proclaymed Vsurper and then was Kildare enlarged whom being likewise attainte they thought also to have ridde and shortly both the Earles of Kildare and Desmond were restored to their bloud by Parliament Sir Rowland Eustace Knight sometimes Treasurer and Lord Chauncellour and lastly Lord Deputye of Ireland founded Saint Frauncis Abbey besides Kilkullen bridge Edward a yeare before his death honoured his yonger son Richard the infant Duke of Yorke with the title of Lieutenant over this Land But his unnaturall Vnkle Richard the Third when hee had murdered the childe and the elder brother called Edward the 5. He then preferred to that Office his ovvne sonne Edward vvhose Deputy was Gerald Earle of Kildare and bare that office a vvhile in Henry the 7. his dayes To whom came the vvylie Priest Sir Richard Symonds presented a lad his scholler named Lambert vvhom he fained to be the son of George Duke of Clarence lately escaped the tovvre of Londō And the child could his pedegree so readily and had learned of the Priest such princely behaviour that he lightly moved the said Earle and many Nobles of Ireland tendering the Seed Royall of Richard Plantagenet and George his sonne as also maligning the advancement of the house of Lancaster in Henry the seventh either to thinke or make the world weene they thought verily this childe to bee Edward Earle of Warwicke the Duke of Clarences lawfull Sonne And although King Henry more then halfe marred their sport in shewing the right Earle through all the streetes of London yet the Lady Margaret Dutchesse of Burgoine sister to Edward the fourth Iohn de la Poole her Nephew the Lord Lovel Sir Thomas Broughton Knight and diverse other Captaines of this conspiracy devised to abuse the colour of this young Earles name for preferring their purpose which if it came to good they agreed to depose Lambert and to erect the very Earle indeed now prisoner in the towre for whose quarrell had they pretended to fight they deemed it likely hee should have beene made away Wherefore it was blazed in Ireland that the King to mocke his subjects had schooled a Boy to take upon him the Earle of Warwickes name and had shewed him about London to blinde the eyes of simple folkes and to defeate the lawfull Inheritour of the good Duke of Clarence their countryman and Protectour during his life to whose linage they also derived a title of the Crowne In all haste they assembled at Divelin and there in Christ-Church they Crowned this Idoll honouring him with titles imperiall feasting and triumphing rearing mighty shoutes and cryes carrying him from thence to the Kings Castle upon tall mens shoulders that he might be seene and noted as he was surely an honourable Boy to looke upon Thereupon ensued the Battle of Stoke wherein Lambert and his Master were taken but never executed the Earle of Lincolne the Lord Lovel Martine Swarte the Almaigne Captaine and Morice Fitz Thomas Captaine of the Irish were slaine and all their power discomfited Iasper Duke of Bedford and Earle of Penbroke Lieutenant and VValter Archbishop of Divelin his Deputy In this time befell another like illusion of Ireland procured from the Dutchesse aforesaid and certaine Nobles of England whereby was exalted as rightfull King of England and undoubted Earle of Vlster the counterfeit Richard Duke of Yorke preserved from King Richards cruelty as his adherents faced the matter downe and with this maygame lord named indeede Peter in scorne Perkin VVarbecke flattered themselves many yeares Then was Sir Edward Poynings Knight sent over Lord Deputy with commission to apprehend his principall partners in Ireland amongst whom was named Gerald Fitz Gerald Earle of Kildare whose purgation the King notwithstanding diverse avouching the contrary did accept After much adoe Perkin taken confessed under his owne hand-writing the course of all his proceedings whereof so much as concerneth Ireland I have heere borrowed out of Halles Chronicles I being borne in Flaunders in the towne of Turney put my selfe in service with a Britton called Pregent Meno the which brought me with him into Ireland and when wee were there arrived in the towne of Corke they of the towne because I was arrayed with some cloathes of silke of my said Masters threeped upon me that I should be the Duke of Clarences sonne that was before time at Divelin and forasmuch as I denyed it there was brought unto me the Holy Evangelists and the Crosse by the Major of the towne called Iohn Lewellin and there I tooke my oath that I was not the said Dukes sonne nor none of his blood After this came to me an English man whose name was Stephen Poytowe vvith one Iohn VValter and svvare to me that they knevv well that I vvas King Richards Bastard sonne to whom I answered vvith like oathes that I vvas not And then they advised me not to be affraide but that I should take it upon me boldly And if I vvould so doe they vvould assist me with all their povver against the King of England and not onely they but they vvere assured that the Earles of Desmond and Kildare should doe the same for they passed not vvhat part they tooke so they might be avenged
upon the King of England And so against my will they made me to learne English and taught me what I should doe and say and after this they called me Richard Duke of Yorke second sonne to Edward the fourth because King Richards Bastard sonne was in the hands of the King of England And upon this the said Iohn VValter and Stephen Poytowe Iohn Tyler Hubbert Burgh with many others as the foresaid Earles entred into this false quarrell and within short time after the French King sent ambassadours into Ireland whose names were Lyot Lucas and Stephen Frayn and thence I went into Fraunce and from thence into Flanders and from Flanders againe into Ireland and from Ireland into Scotland and so into England Thus was Perkins bragge twighted from a milpost to a pudding pricke and hanged was he the next yeare after Then in the yeare 1501. King Henry made Lieutenant of Ireland his second sonne Henry as then Duke of Yorke who afterwards raigned To him was appointed Deputy the aforesaid Gerald Earle of Kildare who accompanied with Iohn Blacke Major of Divelin warred upon VVilliam de Burgo O-Brien and Mac Nemarra Occarrol and the greatest power of Irish men that had beene seene together since the conquest under the hill of Knoctoe in English the hill of Axes sixe miles from Galway and two miles from Ballinclare de Burgoes mannor towne Mac VVilliam and his Complices were there taken his Souldiours that escaped the sword were pursued flying five miles great slaughter done and many Captaines gotten not one English man killed The Earle at his returne was created knight of the Noble Order and flourished all his life long of whom I shall bee occasioned to say somewhat in the next Chapter CAP. IX Henry the eight GErald Fitz Gerald Earle of Kildare a mighty made man full of honour and courage who had beene Lord Deputy and Lord Iustice of Ireland thirtie foure yeares deceased the third of September and lyeth buried in Christs Church in Divelin Betweene him and Iames Butler Earle of Ormond their owne jealousies fed with envy and ambition kindled with certaine lewd factions abbettors of either side ever since the ninth yeare of Henry the seventh when Iames of Ormond with a great army of Irish men camping in S. Thomas Court at Divelin seemed to face the countenance and power of the Deputy these occasions I say fostered a mallice betwixt them and their posterityes many yeares after incurable causes of much ruffle and unquietnes in the Realme untill the confusion of the one house and nonage of the other discontinued their quarrels which except their Inheritours have the grace to put up and to love unfainedly as Gerald and Thomas doe now may hap to turne their countryes to little good and themselves to lesse Ormond was nothing inferiour to the other in stomacke and in reach of pollicy farre beyond him Kildare was in governement a milde man to his enemies intractable to the Irish such a scourge that rather for despite of him then for favour of any part they relyed upon the Butlers came in under his protection served at his call performed by starts as their manner is the duty of good subjects Ormond was secret and drifty of much moderation in speech dangerous of every little wrinkle that touched his reputation Kildare was open and passionable in his moode desperate both of word and deede of the English welbeloved a good lusticier a warriour incomparable towards the Nobles that he favoured not somewhat headlong and unrulie being charged before Henry the seventh for burning the Church at Cashell and many witnesses prepared to avouch against him the truth of that article he suddainely confessed the fact to the great wondering and detestation of the Councell when it was looked how he would justifie the matter By Iesus quoth he I would never have done it had it not beene told me that the Archbishop was within And because the Archbishop was one of his busiest accusers there present merrily laught the King at the plainenesse of the man to see him alleadge that intent for excuse which most of all did aggravate his fault The last article against him they conceived in these tearmes finally all Ireland cannot rule this Earle No quoth the King then in good faith shall this Earle rule all Ireland Thus was the accusation turned to a jest the Earle returned Lord Deputy shortly after created Knight of the Garter and so died Marvell not if this successe were a corrosive to the adverse party which the longer it held aloofe and bit the bridle the more eagerly it followed his course having once the sway and roome at will as you may perceive hereafter Gerald Fitz Gerald sonne of the aforesaid Earle of Kildare and Lord Deputy who chased the nation of the Tooles battered Ocarrols Castles awed all the Irish of the land more more A Gentleman valiant and well spoken yet in his latter time overtaken with vehement suspition of sundry Treasons He of good meaning to unite the families matched his Sister Margaret Fitz Gerald with Pierce Butler Earle of Ossory whom he also holpe to recover the Earledome of Ormond whereinto after the decease of Iames a Bastard brother had intruded Seven yeares together Kildare kept in credit and authority notwithstanding the pushes given against him by secret heavers enviers of his fortune and nourishers of the old grudge who fett him up to the Court of England by commission and caused him there to be opposed with diverse interrogatories touching the Earle of Desmond his Cousin a notorious traytor as they said He left in his roome Morice Fitz Thomas Lord Iustice. After whom came over Lord Lieutenant Thomas Howard Earle of Surrey Grandfather to this Duke of Norfolke accompanied with 200. of the Kings guarde While he sate at Dinner in the Castle of Divelin hee heard newes that Oneale with a mighty army was even in the mouth of the borders ready to invade Immediately men were levyed by the Major and the next morrow joyning them to his band the Lieutenant marched as farre as the water of Slane where having intelligence of Oneales recoyle hee dismissed the footemen and pursued Omore with his horsemen which Omore was said to lurke within certaine miles That espied a Gunner of Omore and watching by a wood side discharged his peece at the very face of the Deputy strake the visard of his helmet and pierced no further as God would This did he in manner recklesse what became of himselfe so he might amaze them for a time breake the swiftnesse of their following and advantage the flight of his Captaine which thing he wanne with the price of his owne blood for the Souldiours would no further till they had searched all the corners of that wood verily suspecting some ambush thereabout and in severall knots ferretted out this Gunner whom Fitz VVilliams and Bedlowe of the Roche were faine to mangle and hewe in peeces because
time of Augustus Caesar a little before the birth of our Saviour Fridelenus King of Denmarke puffed vp with pride through some fortunate successes arrived in Ireland laid siege to the Citie of Dublin and finding it not so easie a matter to atchieue fell to policie he caught certaine Swallowes that bred in the Citie tyed fire to their wings who flying to their nests fired the houses while the Citizens endevoured to quence the fire the Danes entred the Citie and wâ—nne it The King of Leinster after this gathered forces and gave the Danes battaile in which many fell on both sides Fredelnus seeing the enemy increase and his armie decrease fled the land and retired into his country His sonne Frotho the third of that name King of Danes so Albertus Krantzius and Saxo Grammaticus record wantonly assailed the Britaines lustrans magis insulam quam subigens rather taking a view of the Iland then subduing it afterward relinquishing that course put foot in Ireland The historiographers of that side report hardly of the land and the inhabitants thereof and in fine they write when Cepo the Irish King was overthrowne and put to flight his brother Kervill saith Saxo I take it to be O Carroll offered tribute wherewith the Danes being pacified returned to their Country This Frotho peopled the Orchades with Danes and appointed Revillus their commander Whilst this Frotho King of Danes was Monarch of Ireland the light of the world the comfort of all Christians IESVS CHRIST the sonne of GOD was borne in the flesh About the 44. yeere after the incarnation of our Lord Claudius the Emperour having appeased the troubles of Britaine by the aide of Arviragus as Mathew Westmonasteriensis saith subdued Orchades Hebrides Thule and all the Ocean Ilands among the which Ireland is reckoned the which Beda and Eutropius haue likewise remembred But Fabian Grafton Holinshed and Ponticus Virunius say further that he sent certaine legions of Knights into Ireland to subdue the same what successe they had is not recorded a legion consisting of 6666. as ancient Writers record no doubt they performed some great exploit Learned Camden writeth of the Brigantes the inhabitants of Yorkeshire Lancashire the Bishopricke of Durham Westmerland and Cumberland were so called how that in the time of Claudius as I take it many of them went to end their dayes in Ireland and of old were called the Brigantes of Ireland His words are these Quod verò Florianus Del Campo Hispanus nostros Brigantes c. Whereas Florianus Del-Campo the Spaniard hath somewhat arrogantly derived our Brigantes from Spaine into Ireland and thence into Britaine being aided by no other conjecture but that he found in his Country of Spaine the Citie Brigantia I feare mee hee hath fouly deceived himselfe For if the like cause have not given ours and the Brigantes of Ireland the same name I had rather be of opinion with my most learned friend Thomas Savill namely that certaine Brigantes and other nations of Britaine also even from the comming of the Romans into Britaine departed into Ireland some for quietnesse sake and to liue at ease some for that their eyes should not be infected with the sight of the Roman dominion and last of all others lest in their latter age they should willingly seeme to lose the libertie which from nature they had received in their youth And that Claudius the Emperour first of any Romane tooke the Brigantes in hand and subjected them to his Empire and command Seneca sheweth in these his verses ........ Ille Britannos Vltra noli littora ponti caeruleos Scuta Brigantes dare Romulaeis colla catenis Iussit ......... The Britaines farre from knowne seas and Brigantes Bucklers blue The Roman Claude to Roman becke did bring and rebels slue Claudius hauing effected all his affaires as formerly hath been delivered returned to Rome then saith Gualter Oxon. Omnia regna Arvirago tradidit he delivered all these kingdomes to Arviragus He committed them al to his charge saith Ponticus Virunius In Matthew Westmonsteriensis I reade regimen insulare Arvirago cessit the command of the Ilands fell to Arviragus Harding hath delivered it in verse Orchades Isles in the meane time he conquered In which he infeoffed the King and him preferred About this time Frotho the fourth of that name King of Danes some 30. yeeres after the former invasion saith mine Author sent great power of Giants out of Denmarke under the leading of bloudy Haco and the great challenger and huge monster Starcuterus to invade Ireland The occasion was as followeth Starcuterus before mentioned being borne farre in the East by reason of shipwracke having lost both his ship and fellowes was cast upon the coast of Denmarke and hearing of the fame of Frotho came to his Court This Giant was greatly admired for stature and strength of body Frotho commanded a great navie to be in a readinesse with all manner of necessary provision made him an arch-pirate and turned him to the Sea to seeke adventures They touched many lands and fought with many Giants at length saith mine Author that no Country though never so remote should bee freed from the smart of Danish forces they arived in Ireland Huglet King of Ireland gave them battaile in the which Huglet was slaine and all the Irish put to flight And yet mine Author though a Dane highly commendeth two Irish Lords Segathus and Suibdanus the one wounded Haco the other gave Starcuterus such a blow that he stood a great while amazed and had beene slaine had he not beene rescued The battaile being ended the Danes tooke Dufflinian Dublin ransacked it and found great store of treasure and some of them remained in the land the rest returned to Denmarke Starcuterus went into forraigne countries to combat with Giants In the time of Arviragus before mentioned I finde the greatest probability of the first comming of the Pictes out of Scythia first into Ireland secondly into Albania now called Scotland and lastly into the North of England And whereas before page 3. I made mention of the arivall of Scythians Nemedus and his foure sonnes and after them of five brethren of their posteritie and the third time of another fleete of Scythians that arived in Ireland and that also by many antiquities it appeareth that the Scots be Scythians and came out of those parts whence these Pictes brake forth I purpose now to make a more full discourse of that businesse Camden modestly confesseth he knoweth not when they came first into these parts neither doe I mislike with his conjecture that they should be old Britaines who painted themselves to shew more terrible against the Romanes yet we must confesse that there are many nations of severall names in Scythia and Polychronicon together with Rastall saith that the Gothes and Pictes be one nation The etymologie I finde in the storie of the Gothes Scythia in the Gothicke tongue
Queene you my Lord discover it not I. Gormo dyed for sorrow and Thira lamented in one day the departure of her Lord and husband the King the death of her sonne and her owne dolefull widdowhood Anno 939. so writeth Caradoc Abloic a most worthy Prince and Monarch of Ireland deceased Anno 940. after the death of Athelstane his brother Edmund raigned over Britaine He subdued the Danes that remained in Northumberland together with others that came out of Ireland to invade the land with Anlaffe their Captaine saith Fabian he slue some and banished the rest so writeth Cooper Anno 948. the Abbey of the blessed Virgin Mary by Dublin was founded by the Danes Molanus writeth of one Columbanus an Abbot of Irish birth that became a recluse or an anachorist Anno 957. in the Church yard of the Monasterie of Gandavum where he kept the space of two yeeres and there ended his dayes This yeere saith Caradoc Congelach King of Ireland was slaine but he sheweth not where nor how Anno 959. Edgar the sonne of Edmund beganne his raigne over England he reduced all into one Monarchie Camden found in a Charter where Edgar delivered of himselfe that it pleased God of his mercy to grant unto him together with the command of England to subdue all the Ilandish kingdomes of the Ocean together with their fierce and mighty Kings as farre as Norwey and the greatest part of Ireland with Dublin the most noble Citie thereof unto the kingdome of England Anno 966. Rodericke the sonne of Edwall Voell Prince of Wales was slaine by Irish men that landed there for a prey spoyled the country and destroyed Aberfraw Caradoc so complaineth of them Molanus writeth of one Forananus a Bishop which flourished Anno 980. he termeth him Bishop of Domenormor and Metropolitane of Ireland and Scotland where he mightily erred in the name of the place of the person and his stile For hee was Bishop of Dromore in Ireland and no Metropolitane at all but to his purpose hee findeth him among his Saints of Flanders and saith that he was warned in a vision to travaile so that he with a company of Irish Priests arrived in France and came to Rome in the time of Benedict 7. from thence he came backe to the Monasterie of Walciodorum where hee and his Priests became professed Monkes of the order of Saint Benedict for the space of twelve yeeres and there ended their dayes The Monkes there saith he were wont among other Saints at Easter yeerely to call upon him Sancte Foranane ora pro nobis untill that the reformers of Bursfeld wiped him out of the Catalogue of Saints for that he was not canonized by the Church of Rome Anno 988. as I finde in the British Chronicle Elwmaen the sonne of Abloic King of Ireland was slaine and a great number of people dyed with famine that is alwaies the end of civill warres and rebellion in Ireland Anno 1004. the Scots I know not the cause entred Ireland and after their manner as also the Danes did then in England preyed burned and destroyed they tooke Gulfath and Vbiad Irish Lords and put out their eyes they ransacked also the Citie of Dublin Anno 1012. Grace and Dowlinge the Irish Antiquaries doe concurre the English Writers are silent and deliver how that Bernaidus commonly called Brian Bowrow Monarch of Ireland and his sonne Murcath alias Murchardus Mac Brian with other Kings of the land subiect unto him gathered great power and met at Clantarfe nigh Dublin and gave a sore battaile unto Sutraic alias Sutric the sonne of Abloic King of Dublin and unto Moilmordha King of Leinster This Sutric to withstand the Monarch had hired to his aide all manner of strangers he could get by sea or by land as Danes Norwegians Scots Britaines Pirates and sea rovers The fight was desperate the field all bloud a horse they say was sometime to his belly in bloud There were slaine that day of the one side Brian the Monarch and his sonne Murchard of the other side Moilmordha King of Leinster Rodericke the Arch-Pirate and Captaine of the strangers with others of both sides innumerable Sutrick was sore wounded was brought to Dublin and shortly after died of his wound I pray thee gentle Reader who got by the bargaine As farre as ever I could learne a woman set them together by the eares The Booke of Houth after the Irish observation delivereth the story thus There was a Merchant in Dublin commonly called the white Merchant a Dane the fourth sonne of the King of Denmarke who had a faire wife of Irish birth and he being full of iealousie and ready to travaile for merchandize into farre countries desired of Brian Borow Monarch of Ireland that his wife untill his returne might waite upon his Lady soiourne in his house for the safeguard of her person credit and honestie the which was granted and the King undertooke it This Merchant made as speedy a returne as he could and being landed early in a morning with a privy key entred the chamber where his wife lay and found Morogh Mac Brian the Kings sonne in bed with his wife hee wheeled about devising what was best to be done at length resolving himselfe to depart for that time tooke Moroghs sword and put it into his owne scabbard and his into Moroghs scabbard Hee went to the King and complained of the abuse here spoken of the King answered He is my sonne give thou iudgement upon him saith the Merchant let him keepe the whore still I will be revenged upon him and his partakers in the field as soone as possibly may be and I doubt not but all Ireland shall rue the day of this villanie Immediately he went to Denmarke brought over to his aide thirty thousand Danes and Norwegians landed at Clantarfe whereof the field was called the field of Clantarfe hee summoned Morogh and his favourites to fight and thought at the first to have taken Dublin Brian Borow fearing this made more haste then good speed tarried not for the forces of the land that were comming with his sonne Donogh to his aide but rashly with his sonne Morogh the Author of all this mischiefe gave them battaile The which battaile all the forenoone being cruelly fought seemed all to leane on the Irish side but in the afternoone the Danes that were in the rere and yet fresh for any fight they had were directed to wheele about and to take the voward unknowne unto the Irish which fiercely fought and encountred with the wearie and wounded Irish and wonne the field Here was Brian Borow and his sonne Morogh and eleven thousand of the Irish slaine One thing further gentle reader note there was a Priests sonne accounted a tall man of armes who in the beginning of the battaile fled away fearing the hardinesse of the Danes and Norwegians and went to Donogh Mac Brian the brother of Morogh who was comming with forces to the
hurt to the Welch men and brought away the shrine of Saint Cubius and placed it in the Church of the holy Trinitie in Dublin The same yeere on the Eeven of the feast of the blessed Virgin Iames Butler Earle of Ormond dyed at Raligauran whose death was much lamented whilest hee was Lord Iustice of Ireland unto whom succeeded Girald Earle of Kildare Anno 1406. in the seaventh yeere of King Henry on Corpus Christi day the citizens of Dublin with the country people about them manfully vanquished the Irish enemies and slue divers of them and tooke two Ensignes bringing with them to Dublin the heads of those whom they had slaine The same yeere the Prior of Conall in the Plaine of Kildare fought valiantly and vanquished two hundred of the Irish that were well armed slaying some of them and chasing others and the Pryor had not with him but twenty English men and thus God assisteth those that put their trust in him The same yeere after Michaelmas came into Ireland Scroope Deputie Iustice to the Lord Thomas of Lancaster the Kings Sonne Lord Lievetenant of Ireland The same yeere dyed Innocent the seaventh to whom succeeded Gregorie in the Popedome The same yeere a Parliament was holden at Dublin on the feast of Saint Hillary which in Lent after was ended at Trym and Meiler Birmingham slue Cathole O Conghir in the end of Frebruary and there dyed Sir Ieffery Vaulx a Noble Knight in the Countie of Carlogh Anno 1407. a certaine most false fellow an Irish man named Mac Adam Mac Gilmori that had caused forty Churches to be destroyed who was never baptized and therefore hee was called Corbi tooke prisoner Patricke Savage and received for his ransome two thousand markes and afterwards slue him together with his Brother Richard The same yeere in the feast of the exaltation of the holy Crosse Stephen Scroope Deputy to the Lord Thomas of Lancaster the Kings sonne Lord Lievtenant of Ireland with the Earles of Ormond and Desmond and the Prior of Kilmainan and divers other Captaines and men of warre of Meath set from Dublin and invaded the land of Mac Murch where the Irish had the better part of the field for the former part of the day but afterwards they were valiantly rescued by the said Captaines so that Onolad with his sonne and divers others were taken prisoners But then and there being advertised that the Burkens and Okeroll in the County of Kilkenny had for the space of two dayes together done much mischiefe they rode with all speed unto the Towne of Callan and there encountring with the adversasaries manfully put them to flight slue Okeroll and eight hundred others and it was averred by many that the Sunne stoodstill for a space that day till the Englishmen had ridden 6. miles which was much to be wondred at The same yeere Stephen Scrope went over into England and Iames Butler Earle of Ormond was elected by the Country L. I. of Ireland The same yeere in England neere unto Yorke was slaine Henry Percy Earle of Northumberland and the Lord Bardolf and the Bishop of Bangor were taken prisoners Anno 1408. The said Lord Iustice held a Parliament at Dublin in which the Statutes of Kilkenny and Dublin were established and the Charter granted under the grear Seale of England against Purveiors The same yeere the morrow after Lammas day the Lord Thomas of Lancaster the Kings sonne Lord Lievtenant of Ireland landed at Carlingford and in the weeke following he came unto Dublin and arrested the Earle of Kildare comming to him with three of his familie hee lost all his goods being spoiled and rifled by the Lord Lievtenant his servants and himselfe kept still in the Castle of Dublin till he had paid three hundred markes fine The same yeere on the day of Saint Marcell the Martyr the L. Stephen Scrope died at Tristledermot The same yeere the said L. Thomas of Lancaster at Kilmainan was wounded and hardly escaped death and after caused summons to be given by Proclamation that all such as ought by their tenures to serve the King should assemble at Rosse and after the Feast of Saint Hillary he held a Parliament at Kilkenny for a tallage to be granted and after the 13. of March he went over into England leaving the Prior of Kilmainan his Deputy in Ireland This yeere Hugh Mac Gilmore was slaine in Cragfergus within the Church of the Fryers Minors which Church hee had before destroyed and broken downe the Glasse-windowes to have the Iron barres through which his enemies the Savages entred upon him Anno 1409. Of King Henry the fourth in Iune Ianico de Artois with the Englishmen slue fourescore of the Irish in Vlster The same yeere on the day of Saint Iohn and Paul Alexander the fifth of the Order of Fryers Minors was consecrated Pope and Pope Gregory and Antipope Clemens were condēned for heretickes and by these meanes unity was made in the Church The same yeere a heretick or Lollard of London was burned because he did not beleeve in the sacrament of the altar Anno 1410. Pope Alexander died on the day of the Apostles Philippe and Iacob at Bononia to whom succeeded Iohn the XXIII Anno 1411. On Thursday before Septuagesima marriage was celebrated betwixt William Preston and the daughter of Edward Paris and on Saint Valentines even and day marriages were celebrated between Iohn Wogan and the daughter of Christopher Preston and Walter de la Hide and the second daughter of the same Christopher with a great deale of charges Anno 1412. About the feast of Tiburtius and Valerianus Oconthird did much mischiefe in Meath and tooke a hundred and three score Englishmen The same yeere Odoles a Knight and Thomas Fitz Maurice Sherife of Limerick slue each other The same yeere on the nineth Kalends of Iune there died Robert Mountaine Bishop of Meath to whom succeeded Edward Dandisey sometimes Archdeacon of Cornward The same yeere in Harvest the Lord Thomas of Lancester Duke of Clarence went over into France and with him went the Duke of Yorke the Earle of Ormond and Green-Cornwall with many others The same yeere on Saint Cutberts day King Henry the fourth departed this life To whom succeeded Henry the fifth his eldest sonne Anno 1413. On the fifth Ides of Aprill namely the first Sunday of the Passion of our Lord A. being the Dominicall letter Henry the fifth was crowned King of England at Westminster The same yeere on the first of October there landed in Ireland at Clontarf Iohn Stanley the Kings Lievtenant in Ireland he departed this life the 18. of Ianuary The same yeere after the death of Iohn Stanly Lievtenant Thomas Crawly Archbishop of Dublin was chosen Lord Iustice of Ireland on the 11. Kalends of February the morrow after Saint Mathias day a Parliament began at Dublin and continued for the space of 15. daies In which time the Irish burned all that stood in their way as their usuall custome was in times
assistance of Rodericke Oconor King of Connaght at that season the generall Monarch of all Ireland The subjects of Leinster detesting the quarrell and long ere this time hating their Prince left him desolate in his greatest neede so as with much difficulty he caught his boate and fled over for succour to Henry the 2. King of England then warring upon the Frenchmen within his Dukedome of Aquitaine Somewhat before this season sate in the See of Rome Adrianus 4. an English man borne who having in his youth taken a painefull pilgrimage into Norway and reduced the whole Iland unto Christianity learned distinctly the state of Ireland and how their countrymen which dayly repaired thither being themselves the most part infidels meeting with a people there wilde and furious were like very shortly but if God found remedy to deface religion for though Christ were beleeved and taught yet the multitude eft soone grew to a shamelesse kinde of liberty making no more of necessary points of Doctrine then served their loose humour Besides these occasions Henry the 2. builded upon the Popes favour his borne subject had sent Ambassadours to Rome in the first yeare of his raigne asking leaue to attempt the conquest of Ireland Adrian trusting and requiring a diligent reformation of the premisses graunted his Bull which Alexander his Successour confirmed and ratified upon the same conditions Now when Dermot was come in the very necke of these consultations and put up his complaint wherein he preferred the interest of his Crowne and craved a restitution of some peece of his lands the matter did seeme not all untowardly broached Henry having his hands full with the French because Mac Murrough urged all possible haste could not personaly intend that offer but sent him honourably garded into England with letters patents bearing this Tenour HENRY the second King of England Duke of Normandy and Aquitaine Earle of Angiow To all our true subjects English Normans Welchmen Scotts and to all nations within our Dominions whatsoever Greeting Witt yee that the Bearer hereof Dermot Mac Murrough King of Leinster we have received into the soveraigne protection of our Grace and bounty wherefore who so of you all our loving subjects will extend towards him your ayde for his restoring as to our trusty and welbeloved know yee that he is thereto authorized by these presents and shall deserve at our hands high favour in so doing With these letters and many gay additions of his owne he arrived at Bristow where he fell at conference with Richard Strongbow Earle of Pembroke with whom he covenanted the delivery of his onely daughter and heire unto marriage and so the remainder of his Kingdome If the said Earle would recover him his home That day were planted in Wales two gentlemen Robert Fitz Stephens and Maurice Fitz Gerald brethren of a Mother allyed to Rice ap Griffin then Prince of Wales whose Grand-father was surnamed Rice the great Fitz Stephens had beene high Constable there under the King and for executing rigour upon the Princes servants was with him detained prisoner three yeares ne would in any wise pay ransome or accept the liberty promised him but if the conditions were loyall to the Crowne and to his person no dis-worship Lastly by the mediation of David Bishop of S. Davids the third brother and of Fitz Gerald and at the instance of Mac Murrough whom the Prince entertained in that distresse Fitz Stephens was conditionaly delivered that he and his brother Maurice should the next spring while Strongbow provided his army assist the Irish out-cast who in consideration thereof assured them an estate for ever in the towne of Weixford and two Cantreds adjoyning Thus much firmely concluded on all sides the King stale secretly home and wintered closely among the Cleargie of Fernes According to covenant came Fitz Stephens with 30. Knights of his blood 60. Squiers 300. footemen Archers to whom at his landing Dermot sent in aid his base sonne Duvelnaldus and five hundred speares The towne and suburbes of Weixford marched forth against him But when they saw Souldiours in array diversly dighted and weaponed furnished with artillery barbed horses and harnesse they retyred to their walles and strengthned them burning the villages thereabouts and all the provision they could not carry The assault lasted 3. dayes in the 4. certaine Bishops resciant there tooke up the variance pacified the Townesmen to their King and procured the rendring of the Towne Dermot having tryed the valiantnes of the Welchmen immeadiately kept his touch and gave possession of Weixford with the appurtenances aforesaid to Fitz Stephens and his brother After successe of these matters they leavyed to the number of 3000. Souldiours and devised to vexe the Lords of Vpper Ossory who had beene to the King of all other most cruell and injurious Them they compelled to deliver Trewage and sweare fealty Rodericke the monarch appalled at these newes reared up all the Kings in defence of the land verily supposing that all would to wrecke were it not prevented And first they directed courteous messages and gifts to Fitz Stephens moving him to depart the land quietly and not to molest them without cause To whom he answered that much he wondred at the folly of those Princes who to satisfie their choller had opened such a gappe to their owne prejudice as though the subjects whom they had schooled to breake allyance towards the King of Leinster would not be as ready by this example to learne to withstand the King of Connaght for his owne part though hee might with better reason invade strangers then they could expell their neighbours and their peere yet would they suffer the King to reenter his right they should not finde him stiffe nor untractable otherwise they should well feele that the Bryttons wanted neither abilitie nor truth to maintaine their word Rodericke perceived it was no boote to spurne and therefore bethought himselfe of composition upon agreement they resolved thus Inprimis that Mac Murrough swearing afresh his obedience to the Monarch should quietly repossesse the parts of Leinster which Rodericke with-held by suspensation Secondly that for ensurance thereof he should pledge his dearest base sonne Cnothurn to whom Rodericke promised his daughter if this peace were found effectuall Thirdly that being rested in his kingdome he should discharge the Welch army nor should henceforwards call them over in defence About this time Donatus the good King of Ergall founded the Abbey of Mellyfont which is the eldest that I finde recorded since the Danes arrivall except S. Mary Abbey besides Divelin erected in an 948. The meane while was landed at Weixford Maurice Fitz Gerald with his provision ten Knights thirty Squiers and an hundred Bowmen hereupon Dermot and the two Brethren set their force against Divelin which being the cheife Citty of his Realme refused to yeeld when Divelin and the country about it vvas recover'd there befell hostility between Rodericke and
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
victory culled out fifteene thousand Souldiours and met the Scots at Kenles where he was shamefully foyled his men as folke supposed willfully forsaking him and bearing false hearts Vp start the Irish of Mounster at these newes the Ocooles Obrines and Omores and wasted with fire and sword from Arkloe to Leix with them coped the Lord Iustice and made a great slaughter fourescore of their heads were set upon Divelin Castle The meane while Edward Bruise raigned in Vlster held his courts pronounced his enemies traytors abandoned the English blood exhorted the Irish of Leinster to doe the like whereupon Donald the sonne of Arthur Mac Morrow a slip of the royall family displayed his banner within two miles of Divelin but him Traherone tooke prisoner sent him to the castle of Dublin whence he escaped slyding downe from the Turret by a cord that one Adam Maugle brought him The said Maugle was drawne and hanged Roger Mortimer Lord Iustice pacified the displeasure betweene Richard Earle of Vlster and the Nobles that had put the said Earle under surety misdeeming him of certaine riots cōmitted against the kings subjects wherby the Scots caught strength and courage whose ravening caused such horrible scarcity in Vlster that the Souldiours which in the yeare before abused the Kings authority to purvey themselves of wanton fare surfeited with flesh and aquavitae all the Lent long prolled and pilled insatiably without neede and without regard of poore people whose onely provision they devoured Those I say now living in slavery under Le Bruise starved for hunger when they had first experienced many lamentable shifts as in scratching the dead bodyes out of their graves in whose skulls they boyled the same flesh and fed thereof Mortymer went over to the King indebted to the Citizens of Divelin for his viands a thousand poundes whereof he payde not one smulkin and many a bitter curse carried with him to the sea VVilliam Archbishop of Cashell Lord Chancellor was left Lord Warden of Ireland in whose time Bermingham aforesaid being generall of the field and under him Captains Tute Verdon Tripton Sutton Cusacke and Manpas led forth the Kings power against Edward Bruise pitching by Dundalke the Primate of Ardmagh personally accompanying our souldiours blessing their enterprise and assoyling them all ere ever they began to encounter In this conflict the Scots were vanquished full whole 2000. slaine Manpas that pressed into the throng to meet with Bruise was found in the search dead covering the dead body of Bruise Thus dissolved the Scottish Kingdome in Ireland and Bermingham sending his head to the King received in recompence the Earledome of Lowth and to his heires for ever the Barony of Ardee and Athenry Alexander Bigmore Archbishop of Divelin sued to Pope Iohn the 21. so I reckon omitting the scismaticke and dame Ioane for priviledge of an Vniversitie to bee ordained in Divelin which tooke effect and the first three Doctors of Divinity the said Bishop did create VVilliam Hardit a Fryar preacher Henry Coggy a Fryar minor Fryar Edmund Kermerdin one Doctor of the Canon law VVilliam Rodiard Deane of S. Patricks Chancellour of the said Vniversity who kept their termes commencements solemnely neither was the same ever disfranchised but onely through variety of time discontinued and now since the subversion of monasteries utterly extinct vvherin the Divines vvere cherished and open exercise maintained A motion vvas made in this last Parliament to erect it againe contributions layde together Sir Henry Sidney then Lord Deputy proffered 20. pound lands one hundred pounds in money others follovved after their abilities devotions the name devised Master Acworth Plantolinum of Plantagenet and Bullyne But vvhile they disputed of a convenient place for it and of other circumstances they let fall the principall Thomas Fitz Iohn Earle of Kildare Lord Iustice to vvhom succeeded Bermingham Earle of Lourh and to him Sir Iohn Darcy At this time lived in the Diocesse of Ossorye the Lady Alice Kettle vvhom the Bishop ascited to purge the fame of inchaunting and Witch-craft objected to her and to Petronilla and Basill her complices They charged her mightily to have carnall conference vvith a spirit called Robin Artison to whom shee sacrifized in the high way nine redde Cockes and nine Peacockes eyes shee swept the streetes of Kilkenny betweene compleere and twilight raking all the filth towards the doores of her sonne VVilliam Outlawe murmuring these wordes To the house of VVilliam my sonne hye all the wealth of Kilkenny towne At the first conviction they abjured and accepted pennance but were very shortly found in relapse and then Petronilla was burned at Kilkenny the other twayne could not be had shee at the houre of her death accused the said VVilliam as privy to their sorceryes whom the Bishop helde in durance nine weekes forbidding his keepers to eate or drink with him or to speake with him more then once in the day by procurement of Arnold le Power then Senischall of Kilkenny hee was delivered corrupted the Senischall to vexe the Bishop which he did thrusting him into prison for three moneths In ryfling the closet of Alice they found a wafer of Sacramentall bread having the devils name stamped thereon in stead of IESUS and a pype of oyntment wherewith shee greased a staffe whereon shee ambled through thicke and thinne when and how shee listed This businesse troubled all the Cleargy of Ireland the rather for that the Lady was supported by Noble men and lastly conveyed into England since which time no man wotteth what became of her CAP. VI. Edward the third and Richard the second SCarcely vvas this businesse ended but another devill possessed another franticke gentleman of the nation of the O-tooles in Leinster named Adam Duffe vvho denyed obstinately the Incarnation of Christ the Trinity of persons in unity of the God-head the resurrection of the flesh Hee called the Holy Scripture a fable the blessed Virgin a vvhore the See Apostolick erroneous for vvhich assertions he was burned in Hogging greene besides Divelin Roger Outlaw Prior of S Iohns of Ierusalem at Kilmainam became Lord Iustice. Great variance arising betvveene the Geraldines Butlers and Berminghams on the one side and the Powers and Burkes on the other side for tearming the Earle of Kildare a Rymer The Lord Iustice summoned a Parliament to accord them wherein he himselfe was faine to cleare the slaunder of heresie fathered upon him by Richard Ledred Bishop of Ossory The Bishoppe had given a declaration against Arnold le Power convented and convict in his consistory of certaine hereticall opinions but because the beginning of Powers accusations concerned the Iustices kinsman and the Bishop was mistrusted to prosecute his owne wrong and the person of the man rather then the fault a day was limited for the justifying of the bill the party being apprehended and respited thereunto This dealing the Bishop who
durst not stirre out of Kilkenny to prosecute his accusation reputed partiall and when by meanes thereof the matter hanged in suspence hee infamed the said Prior as an abbettour and favourer of Arnolds heresie The Prior submitted himselfe to the tryall and three severall Proclamations were cryed in Court that any man might lawfully come in and indict accuse or say evidence against the Iustice none came then passed the Councell a decree commanding to appeare at Divelin all Bishops Abbots Pryors the Majors of Divelin Corke Limericke Waterford Droghedah the Sheriffes Knights and Senischalls of every shire Out of them all they sorted sixe Inquisitours which in secrecie examined the Bishoppes and persons aforesaid one by one who with universall consent deposed for the Pryor that to their judgements hee was a zealous and faithfull childe of the Catholique Church The meane while deceased le Power prisoner in the Castle and because he stood unpurged long he laye unburyed Sir Iohn Darcye Lord Iustice. The Irish of Leinster made insurrections so did Magoghigan in Meth and Obrien in Mounster whom VVilliam Earle of Vlster and Iames of Ormond vanquished In which sturre VVilliam Bermingham a warriour incomparable was found halting and was condemned to dye by Roger Outlawe Pryor of Kilmainam then Lieutenant to the Lord Iustice and so hanged was hee a Knight among thousands odde and singular So outragious were the Leinster Irish that in one Church they burned 80. innocent soules asking no more but the life of their Priest then at Masse whom they notwithstanding sticked with their savelins spurned the blessed Sacrament and wasted all with fire neither forced they the Popes interdiction nor any censures ecclesiasticall denounced against them But maliciously persevered in that fury till the Citizens of Weixford tamed them slevv foure hundred in one skirmish the rest flying vvere all drenched in the vvater of Slane Thomas Burgh Treasurer and Lieutenant of Ireland vvhile Darcy Lord Iustice pursued the murtherers of VVilliam Bourk Earle of Vlster a young gentleman of tvventy yeares olde vvhom the seditions of Maundevill murdered besides Cragfergus And vvhen hee had scourged those Traytours he entred Scotland vvith an army and might have possessed the Ilands besides had they bene vvorth the keeping into vvhich Ilands besides him and Sussex the late Lieutenant of Ireland no Governour ever yet adventured Sir Iohn Carleton Lord Iustice vvith vvhom came his brother Thomas Bishop of Hereford Lord Chauncellor and Iohn Rice Treasurer and tvvo hundred Welchmen souldiours The Bishop became Lord Iustice in vvhose time all the Irish of Ireland vvere at defiance vvith the English but vvere shortly calmed by the Earles of Kildare and Desmond Sir Iohn Darcy by the Kings Letters Patents Lord Iustice of Ireland during life in the fourteenth yeare of Edward the third vvhich king abused by some corrupt informers called in under his signet royall fraunchises and liberties and graunts vvhatsoever his predecessours had ratified to the Realme of Ireland and to every person thereof This revocation vvas taken very displeasantly The English of birth and the English of bloud falling to vvords and divided in factions about it The Irish laye wayting for the contention so as the Realme was even upon point to give over all and rebell For remedy the Iustice began a Parliament at Divelin whereto the nobles refused to make apparance assembled themselves quietly without disturbance at Kilkenny where they with the Commons agreed upon certaine questions to be demaunded of the King by way of supplication by which questions they partly signified their griefes Those in effect were 1. How a Realme of warre might be governed by one both unskilfull and unable in all warlike service 2. How an officer under the king that entred very poore might in one yeare grow to more excessive wealth then men of great patrimony in many yeares 3. How it happened seeing they all were called Lords of their owne that the Lord of them all was not a penny the richer for them The Prince of this repining was Morice Earle of Desmond whom Vfford the now Lord Iustice in paine of forfeiture of all his lands commaunded to the Parliament at Dublin and there put him under arrest delivered him by main prise of the tvvo Earles Vlster Ormond of 28. knights squiers All vvhich except the Earles tvvo knights lost their inheritāce by rigour of the said Vfford because Desmond had escaped Therefore at the decease of the Lord Iustice vvhich ensued the next yeare Bonfires and gavvdes vvere solemnized in all the Land his Lady vvas a miserable sott and led him to extortion and bribery much he clipped the prerogatives of the Church and vvas so hated that even in the sight of the country he vvas robbed vvithout rescue by MacCarty notvvithstanding he gathered povver and dispersed the rebellions of Vlster Robert Darcy Lord Iustice chosen by the Councell untill the Kings charter came to Sir Iohn Fitz Morrice vvho inlarged Fitz Thomas Earle of Kildare left in holde by Vfford Fitz Morrice vvas deposed and Sir VValter Bermingham elected who procured safe conduct for Desmond to pleade his right before the King where he was liberally intreated allowed towards his expences there twenty shillings a day at the Princes charge in consideration of which curtesie to his kinsman the Earle of Kildare accompanyed with diverse Lords Knights and chosen horsemen served the King at Callice a towne thought impregnable and returned after the winning thereof in great pompe and jollity Iohn Archer of Kilmainam Lieutenant to the Lord Iustice to whom succeeded Baron Carew after Carew followed Sir Thomas Rokesby knight This yeare dyed Kemvricke Shereman sometimes Major of Divelin a Benefactour to every Church and religious house twenty miles round about the citty his legacies to poore and others besides the liberality shewed in his life time amounted to 3000. marks with such plenty were our fathers blessed that cheerefully gave of their true winnings to needfull purposes whereas our time that gaineth excessively and whineth at every farthing to be spent on the poore is yet oppressed vvith scarcity and beggery The same time dvvelled in Vlster Sir Robert Savage a vvealthie Knight vvho the rather to preserve his ovvne beganne to vvall fortifie his Mannour houses vvith castles and pyles against the Irish enemy exhorting his heire Sir Henry Savage to intend that Worke so beneficiall for himselfe and his posterity Father quoth he I remember the Proverbe better a Castle of bones then of stones vvhere strength and courage of valiant men are to helpe us Never vvill I by the grace of God cumber my selfe vvith dead vvalls my fort shall be vvheresoever young blouds be stirring and vvhere I finde roome to fight The father in a fume let lye the building and forsvvore it But yet the vvant thereof and such like hath beene the decaye asvvell of the Savages as of all
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
where you dare not venture I wish my Lord there be shrewde bugges in the borders for the Earle of Kildare to feare The Earle nay the King of Kildare for when you are disposed you reigne more like then rule in the Land where you are malicious the truest subjects stand for Irish enemies where you are pleased the Irish enemie stands for a dutifull subject hearts and hands lives and lands are all at your curtesie who fawneth not thereon hee cannot rest within your smell and your smell is so ranke that you tracke them out at pleasure Whilest the Cardinall was speaking the Earle chafed and changed colour sundry proffers made to answer every sentence as it came at last he broke out and interrupted him thus My Lord Chauncellour I beseech you pardon me I am short witted and you I perceive intend a long tale If you proceede in this order halfe my purgation wil be lost for lacke of carryage I have no schoole trickes nor art of memory except you heare me while I remember your words your second processe vvill hammer out the former The Lords associate vvho for the most part tenderly loved him and knevv the Cardinals manner of termes so lothsome as vvhervvith they vvere tyred many yeares agoe humbly besought his grace to charge him directly vvith particulars and to dvvell in some one matter till it vvere examined through That granted It is good reason quoth the Earle that your Grace beare the mouth of this chamber But my Lord those mouthes that put this tale into your mouth are very vvide mouths such indeed as have gaped long for my vvreck novv at length for vvant of better stuff are fain to fill their mouths vvith smoak What my cousin Desmond hath compassed as I knovv not so I beshrevv his naked heart for holding out so long If hee can bee taken by my agents that presently wayte for him then have my adversaryes betrayed their malice and this heape of haynous wordes shall resemble a man of strawe that seemeth at a blush to carry some proportion but when it is felt and poysed discovereth a vanity serving onely to fray crowes and I trust your Honours will see the proofe hereof and mine innocencie testified in this behalfe by the thing it selfe within these few dayes But goe to suppose hee never bee had what is Kildare to blame for it more then my good brother of Ossory who notwithstanding his high promises having also the Kings power is glad to take egges for his money and bring him in at leysure Cannot the Earle of Desmond shift but I must be of counsell cannot hee bee hid except I winke If hee bee close am I his mate If he be friended am I a Traytour This is a doughty kinde of accusation which they urge against mee vvherein they are stabled and myred at my first denyall You vvould not see him say they vvho made them so familiar vvith mine eye-sight or vvhen vvas the Earle vvithin my Equinas or vvho stood by vvhen I let him slip or vvhere are the tokens of my vvilfull hood-vvinking Oh but you sent him vvord to bevvare of you Who vvas the messenger vvhere are the letters convince my negative See hovv loosely this idle reason hangeth Desmond is not taken vvell vvee are in fault vvhy because you are vvho proves it no body What conjectures so it seemeth To vvhom to your enemies vvho tolde it them What other ground none Will they svveare it they vvill svveare it My Lords then belike they knovv it if they knovv it either they have my hand to shevv or can bring forth the messenger or vvere present at a conference or privy to Desmond or some body bevvrayed it to them or themselves vvere my carryers or vice-gerents therein vvhich of these parts vvill they choose I knovv them too vvell to reckon my selfe convict by their bare vvords or headlesse heare-sayes or franticke oathes my letter vvere soone read vvere any such vvryting extant my servaunts and friends are ready to bee sifted Of my cousin Desmond they may lye lewdly since no man can heere well tell the contrary Touching my selfe I never noted in them either so much wit or so much faith that I could have gaged upon their silence the life of a good hound much lesse mine owne I doubt not may it please your Honours to oppose them how they came to knowledge of these matters which they are so ready to depose but you shall finde their tongues chayned to another mans trencher and as it were Knights of the Post suborned to say sweare and stare the uttermost they can as those that passe not what they say nor with what face they say it so they say no truth But of another thing it grieveth me that your good grace whom I take to bee wise and sharpe and who of your owne blessed disposition wish me well should bee so farre gone in crediting those corrupt informers that abuse the ignorance of their state and countrey to my perill Little knovv you my Lord hovv necessary it is not onely for the governour but also for every Nobleman in Ireland to hamper his vincible neighbors at discretion vvherein if they vvayted for processe of Law and had not these lives and lands you speake of vvithin their reach they might hap to loose their ovvne lives and lands vvithout Lavv. You heare of a case as it vvere in a dreame and feele not the smart that vexeth us In England there is not a meane subject that dare extend his hand to fillip a Peere of the Realme In Ireland except the Lord have cunning to his strength and strength to save his ovvne and sufficient authoritie to racke theeves and varletts vvhen they stirre hee shall finde them svvarme so fast that it vvill bee too late to call for Iustice. If you vvill have our service take effect you must not tye us alvvayes to the Iudiciall proceedings vvherevvith your Realme thanked bee God is inured As touching my Kingdome my Lord I vvould you and I had exchanged Kingdomes but for one moneth I vvould trust to gather up more crummes in that space then tvvice the revenues of my poore Earledome but you are vvell and vvarme and so hold you and upbraide not me with such an odious storme I sleepe on a cabbin when you lye soft in your bed of downe I serve under the cope of heaven when you are served under a Canopy I drinke water out of a skull when you drinke wine out of golden Cuppes my courser is trained to the field when your Iennet is taught to amble when you are begraced and belorded and crowched and kneeled unto then I finde small grace with our Irish borderers except I cut them off by the knees At these girds the Councell would have smiled if they durst but each man bitt his lippe and held his countenance for howsoever some of them inclined to the Butler they all hated the Cardinall A man undoubtedly borne to honour
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
returne in the fall of the leafe now is the time intimate your defects in demaunds or what else soever may content you and see whether I will tender your common-wealth I meane not the pretended common-wealth seditiously promoted in Tom Loodles ryme but some good and substantiall matter worth the hearing which upright and equall men will indeede esteeme As for his complaint of Cesse and Imposition it savoureth either hatefull malice or childish folly malice if he would decay the garrison that preserveth the Realme folly if he thinke the Realme can be preserved vvithout a garrison vvherin I will shew you my fancie by the vvay perhaps out of all order but I pray beare vvith mee I take matters as they come next to hand I can not skill of vvritten tales Many a good-fellovv talkes of Robin Hoode that never drevv in his Bovv and many an idle head is full of Proclamations and conceiveth certaine farre fetches able in his vveening to vvield a Realme But let me see vvhich of them all can justifie that Ireland may spare the Army they kicke so much against Are your enemyes more tractable then they have beene Are they fevver Are you by your selves of force to match them If you bee then vvere England starke madde to disburse tvventie or thirtie thousand pounds a yeare for none other purpose but to vexe and grieve you that were like the husband who gelded himselfe to anger his wife You must not thinke wee love you so evill nay rather thinke truely wee tender your quietnesse and preservation as a nation derived from our auncestours ingraffed and incorporate into one body with us disturbed with a sort of barbarous people odious to God and man that lappe your bloud as greedily as ours The abuse of souldiours their horse boyes and harlots the Legerdemaine of Captaines chequerelles the purloyning of Cessors Constables the number of freedomes holding onely by concordatum the annoyance and hurt which the poore farmer endureth as I know them to be intollerable so I know them to be redressed with the first detection whose complaint hath not been heard whose enormity vvinked at what can you aske more would you have souldiours nothing insolent nothing sensuall nothing greedy no quarrellers so wish I but scarce hope for it vvould you hazard a misery certaine extreame and incurable to avoyde a trouble casuall transitory and remedilesse so vvould not I if you can prove a garrison needlesse I undertake to ease you thereof If you neede it they must bee fedde finde another vvay then this to provide for them victuall that carryeth asmuch readinesse to service and more contentation to your selves and I assure you mine assistance to set it forvvard But the Brokers of this libell are vvont to reason Why should not vvee live vvithout an Army as vvell as in England Why cannot our Noble-men of might in every border our tenants and servaunts vvithstand the Irish next them as vvell as the Northerne Lordes and Inhabitants of Riddesdale and Tiddesdale and those about the Scottish banke resist the Scotts facing and pilfering as fast as our enemyes Very good vvhat saye they then to Fraunce vvhich is no vvorser governed then England and hath an Armye Italy notvvithstanding as vvell ordered as Fraunce vvithout an Army Spaine asvvell as either of them both and continually keepes an Armye I tell you these are daungerous and hollovve kindes of Arguments which are deduced ab exemplo by example of other Realmes Many subtile diversities many varieties of circumstance many exceptions alter the case and make it utterly desperate Touching Scotland it is well knowne they were never the men whom England neede to feare They are but a corner cut out and easily tamed when they waxe outragious Your foes lie in the bosome of your Countryes more in number richer of ground desperate theeves ever at an inch unpossible to be severed from you without any fence beside your owne valiantnes and the helpe of our Souldiours England is quiet within it selfe thoroughly peopled on that side of Scotland which most requireth it guarded with an army otherwise the Lords and Gentlemen and lusty Yeoman that dwell on a row are ready to maister their private vagaries From all forraine invasions walled with the wide Ocean Were there such a Sea betwixt you and the Irish or were they shut up in an odde end of the land or had they no such opportunityes of bogges and woods as they have or were they Lords of the lesser part of Ireland or were they severed into handfuls not able to annoy whole towneships and Baronies as they doe the comparison were somewhat like but alacke it fareth not so with you you are beset round your townes be feeble the land empty the commons bare every county by it selfe cannot save it selfe Take away the terrour and feare of our Bande which increaseth your strength many an Irish Lord would be set agog that novv is full lovvly and holdeth in his hornes and the open enemy vvould scovvre your quarters that novv dares not venture lest he pay for his passage Consider me the effect of an Army vvrought in these fevv yeares for doubt vvhereof you are nothing so oft nor so lamentably pelted at as your auncestors vvere vvhich of them durst be stored vvith coyne knovving the rebells teeth vvatered thereat and himselfe not able to hold him out vvhich of them had leisure to build to lye soft and vvarme to take his ease in his ovvne home vvhich of them vvere plated or jevvelled or attyred themselves their vivves and children sumptuously after their calling as you doe now If your bagges bee full vvhere theirs were lancke if you dwell neatly where they dwelled homely if you sleep on featherbeds where they slept on couches if you be sumptuous where they vvere skant you have the more cause to honour that Scepter that so directeth you and to love the warrant that procureth you this quietnes the mother of all your wealth and prosperity Therefore to conclude where I began weigh well the sicke and wounded parts of your common wealth cure the roote regard the foundation the principall pillars the summer posts the stone walles as for the roofe and the tyles if yee repaire them onely and suffer the ground worke to perish a tempest of weather a flovve will shake your building Of some such good and substantiall reformation I would advise you friendly to consult and you shall finde me as willing to preferre the generall welfare of you all as I have beene desirous to benefit every singular person of you that hath in any lawfull suite attempted me ¶ These last words gave Sidney to the Realme as it were for a farewell and thenceforvvards looked for Sir VVilliam Fitz VVilliams his brother in law a politicke and stout gentleman now Lord Iustice and for Sir Iohn Perrot Lord president of Mounster to be settled there before his departure He was honored at the point of his going with such recourse pompe musicke shewes
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
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
daughter in marriage and in the end when Leinster should bee quitly setled and reduced to the old Irish order Dermot should drive away the Brittans and strangers and procure no more into the Land all this was concluded vpon and solemnely undertaken by oathes on both sides yet all was but flat dissimulation In the nook of this landeth at Wexford Maurice Fitz Girald brother to Robert Fitz Stephens by the mothers side in two ships having in his company tenne Knights thirty horsemen archers and foot a hundred whereof Dermot was very glad and mightily encouraged on everie side And immediately tooke with him Morice Fitz Girald and bent his forces towards Dublin to be revenged on them for many wrongs and especially for the death of his father whom they murthered in their Councell house as formerly hath beene delivered and after for more despite buried him with a Dog They left Robert Fitz Stephens behind busily imployed in building of a Fort or a strong hold some two miles from Wexford in British and Irish called the Carricke As they drew neere Dublin they preyed they spoyled they burned all before them Dublin trembled for feare the townesmen intreated for peace the which was granted upon the delivery of certaine pledges and hostages In the meane while no small stirre arose betweene Roderic the Monarch and Donald Prince of Limerike for chiefery Whereupon there arose deadly hatred and martiall warres Roderic drew all his forces against him Dermot Mac Moroogh sent to Robert Fitz Stephens that in all haste he should draw forces to the ayde of Donald Prince of Limirike his sonne in law which was accordingly affected where Roderic was foyled lost his chiefery and with shame enough returned to his own country Now Dermot Mac Morogh is puffed up with these prosperous successes and whereas a while agoe he would have contented himselfe with Leynster alone now Connaght and all Ireland seeme little enough unto his aspiring minde Secretly hee acquainteth Robert Fitz Stephens and Maurice Fitz Gerald with his purpose and offereth any of them his daughter and heire with his inheritance after upon condition that they should send for supplies of their kindred and country men to effect his enterprises they modestly thanked him for his offers and refused his daughter for that they were both already married and withall wished him to write for Richard Strangbow with whom he had formerly concluded to that effect unto whom he addresseth his messenger and directeth his letters in this forme Dermot Mac Morogh Prince of Leinster to Richard Earle of Chepstow the sonne of Earle Gilbert sendeth greeting If you doe well consider the time of men and matters as we doe which are distressed then would you regard whether we have cause to complaine of men or to maligne and curse the infortunate time Even as the seely Storkes and Swallowes with their comming prognosticâ—te the summer season and with westerly windes are blowne away we have observed times and seasons fit for your arrivall and transportation if your affaires had correspondently accorded unto our expectations East and West no doubt would have fitted our purpose but hitherto being frustrated of your long desired presence and promises unlesse the most valiant Knights of your country birth whose valour and prowesse my penne is not able to paint unto the posterity had upheld our state and dignity We beseech you againe and againe in the league and amitie of Princes not to use further delayes our successe hitherto hath beene to our hearts desire Leynster is our owne your comming will inlarge our bounds the speedier it is the more gratefull the hastier the more joyfull the sooner the better welcome Richard Strangbow was pleased with these letters glad of the successe of Robert Fitz Stephens and cast with himselfe how hee might speedily passe for Ireland He repaired to King Henry 2. humbly beseeching him either to restore him to such possessions as by right of inheritance did belong unto him or to give him Passe to seek adventures in some forraigne country and among some strange nation Stanihurst excellently conceited layeth downe the Kings answer Henry smiling within himselfe saith Loe whether and where thou wilt goe and wander for me it shall be lawfull for thee take Dedalus wings and flye away Strangbow betweene â—east and earnest takes this for a sufficient licence and makes ready for Ireland and sends before him Reimond le Grosse nephew to Robert Fitz Stephens and Morice Fitz Gerald sonne to William Fitz Gerald the elder brother which land at Dundorogh commonly called Dundenold West of Wexford with tenne Knights forty Esquires and fourescore Archers and foot whereupon Omolaghlin Ophelin Lord of the Decies raised the country consulted with the townesmen of Waterford and concluded that it stood them upon with all expedition to set upon the strangers they made ready 3000. men by land they runne up and downe the shore they row their song was kill kill kill Reimond straight upon his arrivall had fortified himselfe the Waterfordians march against him in battaile array the Britaines being but sixscore and ten came forth to make good the field against 3000. Reymond perceiving in the skirmish that the enemy over-laid them retired to his Fort the Irish perswading themselves at that instant to give the Britaines an utter overthrow thicke and thinne with all haste pursued them and the formost entring at the foote of the last Britaine into the Fort had his head cloven in two with Reymonds sword immediately saith Reymond strike the drumme follow mee fellow souldiers the Irish being disordered and out of battaile array and discouraged with the death of one man flie away then they which in this doubtfull skirmish were like to be vanquished and quite overthrown became victors conquerours wan the field they chased the Waterfordians that were out of order at their wits ends slue of them saith Cambrensis above 500. persons and being weary of killing they cast a great number of those whom they had taken prisoners headlong from the rocks into the sea In this service Sir William Ferand a Knight deserved singular commendations and was the onely man of all the Britaines saith Stanihurst that was slaine Thus fel the pride and rash attempt of Waterford thus decayed their strength and force and thus became the ruine and overthrow of that Citie which as it bred a great hope and consolation to the Britaines so was it the cause of a great desperation and terrour to the enemy They tooke 70. of the best men in Waterford prisoners they enter into consultation and call a martiall court what was to be done with them Reymond full of pittie and compassion delivereth his opinion you my noble and valiant companions and fellow souldiers for the increase of whose honour vertue and fortune wee presently seeme to contend let us consider what is best to bee done with these our prisoners and captives for my part I doe not thinke it good nor yet allow that
any favour or curtesie should be at al shewed to the enemy but understand you these are no enemies now but men no rebels but such as be vanquished and cleane overthrowne and standing in defence of their country by evill fortune and hard destiny are subdued their adventures were honest and their attempts commendable and therefore they are not to be reputed for theeves factious persons traitors nor yet murtherers they are now brought to that distresse and case that rather mercy for example sake is to bee shewed then cruelty to the increase of their misery to be ministred surely our ancestors in times past although indeed it bee very hard to be done were wont when fortune favoured to temper their loose mindes and qualifie their unruly affections with some one discommoditie or other wherefore let mercy and pitty which is in man most commendable worke so in us that we that now have overcome others may subdue our owne mindes and conquer our owne affections For modesty moderation and discretion are wont to stay hasty motions and to stoppe the course of rash devices O how commendable and honourable is it to a Noble man that in his greatest triumph and glory he counteth it for a sufficient revenge that hee can revenge and be wreaked Iulius Caesar whose conquests were such his victory so great and his triumphs so many that the whole world was noysed therewith he had not so many friends who reioyced for the same but he had many more enemies that maligned and enuied his successes not onely in slanderous words and evill reports but many also secretly conspired devised and practised his death and destruction And yet he was so full of pitty mercy and compassion that he never commanded nor willed any to bee put to death for the same saving onely one Domitius whom he had of meere clemency for his lewdnesse before pardoned for his wickednesse released and for his treachery acquitted And thus as his pitty did much increase his honour so did it nothing hinder his victories Oh how beastly then and impious is that cruelty wherein victory is not ioyned with pitty for it is the part of a right Noble and Valiant Conquerour to count them enemies that doe wage the battaile contend and fight for the victory but such as be conquered taken prisoners and kept in bonds and captivitie to take and repute them for men that hereby fortitude and force may diminish the battell and end the quarrell as also humanitie may increase love and make peace It is therefore a great commendation and more praise worthy to a noble man in mercy to be bounteous then in victory to be cruell For the one onely lyeth in the course of fortune but the other in vertue And as it had beene a great increase of our victory and an augmentation of honour if our enemies had beene slaine in the field and overthrowne in the battaile so they being now taken and saved as it were men returned from rebels to the common society and fellowship of men If wee now should kill them it will bee to our great shame dishonor and reproach for ever And for as much as by the killing and destroying of them wee shall bee never the neerer to have the command of the country and never sooner to be Lords of the Land and yet the ransoming of them very good for the maintenance of the Souldiers the good fame of us and the advancement of honour wee must need thinke that it is better to ransome them then cruely to kill them for as it is requisite that a Souldier in the field fighting in armes should then thrist for the blood of his enemy trie the force of his sword and valiantly stand to his tackle for victory so when the fight is ended the warres ceased and the armour laid downe and all strongnesse of hostility set apart then in a Noble man must humanity take place pitty and commiseration must be shewed and all kindnesse of curtesie must be extended With this they were all drawen to some mildnesse and remorse and ready to shew favour in hope of friendship againe Henry de Monte Marisco who came thither to salute Reimond stands vp in opposition bent to blood and villany in whom there was neither manhood in battell abroad nor mercy in consultation at home and spake as followeth Reimond hath very exquisitly discoursed of pitty and mercy in set speeches uttering his eloquence hath shewed his mind and declared his opinion perswading and inducing us to beleeve that a strange land were to be conquered sooner by mercy and fond pittie then by fire and sword but I pray you can there bee a worse way then to hold that course Did Iulius Caesar or Alexander of Macedonia by such meanes or in such order conquer the whole world did the Nations from out of all places runne to submit themselves under their command and imperie in respect of their pitty and mercy and not rather compelled so to doe for feare and perforce For people whilst they are yet proud and rebellious all pitty and mercy set apart are by all manner of meanes and wayes to bee subdued but when they are once brought under subjection and bondage ready to serve and obey then they are with all curtesie to be intreated and kindly dealt withall so that the state of the Government be in safety and void of dāger herein in this point must pitty be used but in the other severity or rather cruelty is more necessary here clemency is to be shewed but in the other rigour without favour is to be ministred Reimond perswadeth that mercy is to bee extended as upon people already subdued and subjected or as though the enemies were so few and of so small a number as against whom no valiant service nor chivalry can be exploited and yet they are ready to joine with us whereby our force may bee increased and our power augmented but alas doe not we see how that the whole notion and people of Ireland are fully bent and not without cause altogether conspired against us surely me thinks Reimond is contrary to himselfe for why his coming hither was not to dispute of pitty nor to reason of mercy but to conquer the nation to subdue the people Oh what an example of impious pitty were it then to neglect our owne safety and to have remorse and compassion vpon others distresses moreover wee have here in the field and in armour more enemies then friends we are in the middle of perils and dangers our enemies being round about us in every corner and shall wee thinke this to be nothing but that we must bee also in the like distresse and danger among our selves Round about us our enemies are infinit and within our selves some there be which practise and work our destruction And if it should happen that our Captives and Prisoners should escape and breake loose out of their bonds which are but very weake and slender no doubt they would
deliciously but to try fortune and to seeke adventures wee stood sometime upon the top of the wheele and the game went of our side now mee thinkes fortune wheeles about let us not be dismaid for that which is low now will be up againe and so we must tarry and take our time such is the mutability among the sonnes of men the fickle and uncertaine course of humane causes so that prosperitie and adversitie enterchangeably doe follow the one after the other After day commeth the night and when the night is passed the day dawneth againe the sunne riseth and spreads his beames over the face of the earth holdeth his course to his fall passeth the night season and riseth againe we who before this time have made great triumphs and had the wings of fortune to flye withall and are now clowded and inclosed by our enemies on every side our victuals are scant the King our Soveraigne Lord frowneth upon us we are barred of release by sea and by land our friends cannot helpe us our enemies are ready to devoure us plucke up your hearts if God be with us we care not who is against us but alas my brother Fitz Stephens whose valiantnesse and noble enterprise brake the yce and made way for us into this Iland is now shut up in a weake hold and feeble place with wife and children too weake and slender to keepe out so great a force O trayterous Donald of Limiric O trecherous and halfe-hearted people of Kensele and Wexford peace is war trust is trechery and truth is falshood among them why then doe we tarry why doe we linger is there any hope of reliefe from our native soile no no the matter is now otherwise and we our selves are presently in a worse case for as our nation at this present is odious and hatefull unto the Irish men so are we also mis-led with some disgrace in our country wherefore in so much as fortune favoureth the forward and couragious and discourageth the dastard and faint-hearted while our wits are fresh while our bodies are able while wee are all on heart let us give the on-set though we are not so many in number as they are our courage and valour is knowne to exceed theirs they are but naked wretches and unarmed people Reimonà Legrosse immediately breaketh out in these speeches My Vncle Maurice hath gravely delivered his minde he hath pithily advised us and prudently councelled us this is no time to sit in councell to spend time in speeches or to use delayes the danger is at hand the enemy is at the doore wee are compassed by sea and by land there is no flying we must fight it out our provision is spent England dares releeve us no more Ireland defieth us the Kings Maiestie I know dispraiseth not our activities and yet graceth not our successes he discommendeth not our valour yet envieth all our glory though in words he reporteth well of our service yet in deeds secretly hindereth the course thereof lastly he feareth that which we meant not and doubteth of that which we thinke not of wherefore all doubts and delaies set apart let us as becometh men of our sort try the course of fortune and proue the force of the enemy let that appeare unto them which is knowne unto us of what race we came and of what stock wee are discended Camber the first King of Cambria our native Country was our Ancestor and the sonne of that Noble Brutus the first and sole Monarch of Brittaine whose Ancestor was Troos the founder of that most antient City of Troy who descended from Dardanus the son of Iupiter from whom is derived unto us not onely the stemme of antient Nobility but also a certaine naturall inclination of valiant minds and couragious stomachs resolutely to follow all exploits of prowesse and chivalry and shall we now like sluggarts degenerate from so noble a race and like a sort of Cowards be afraid of these naked and unarmed Raskals in whom there is no valour by reason of knowledge or experience in Armes Shall such a rable of savages pinne us up within the wals of little Dublin When in times past all the Princes in Greece kept warres the space of ten yeeres and odde months against our Ancecestors in the famous City of Troy and could not preuaile against them untill they used treasons and practised treacheries which bred unto them a more infamous victory then a glorious Triumph Let it never be said that the blood of the Trojans shall be stained in our pusillanimity and receive reproach by our peevish dastardy Fortune though she be pourtraied to be blind as ever void of right judgement and to stand upon a rolling stone as being alwaies flitting and unconstant yet for the most part shee helpeth such as be of couragious minds valiant stomachs you wil say we are but a few and the enemy infinit in number what then Victory consisteth not in multitudes neither conquest in numbers Did not Thomiris the Scythian Queene with hundreds overthrow Cyrus with thousands and tooke him and slew him Did not Laomedes the Spartane encounter having but foure thousand Souldiers with mighty Xerxes who brought five hundred thousand to the field and overthrew him Did not Alexander with a few Macedonians ouerthrew Darius the great Monarch of Persia Did not he take him his wife and daughters prisoners and make a Conquest of Persia Have not wee in our persons all praise be given to God the giver of Victory even you right honorable Earle at Waterford my uncle Fitz Stephens at Wexford my selfe at Dondorogh with a few given many the foile what remains sith time shall sooner faile then matter want let us like men shew resolute minds in this service And to conclude my mind then and opinion is that we doe issue out upon them as secretly and as suddenly as we may and give the onset And for so much as Roderic of Conoght is the generall of the field in whom lyeth the chiefest force and on whom all the rest doe chiefly depend it shall be best to begin with him and if we can giue him the overthrow all the rest will flie and we shall obtaine a glorious victorie but if we shall fall into their hands and be slaine yet shall we leave an honorable report and an immortall fame to our posteritie He had no sooner ended his speech but every man armed himselfe to goe forth and give the onset They divided the Army in three battailes and although at the first they contended for the Vanguard yet quickly they were accorded and marched forward Reimond le Grosse resolutely given with twenty Knights and souldiers well appointed tooke the Vanguard Miles Cogan with thirty Knights and many a worthy warriour kept the maine battaile Earle Strangbow and Maurice Fitz Gerald with fourty Knights Gentlemen and common souldiers took the Rereward in every ward were placed some of the Citizens and other some with martiall men left at home
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
take possession of the Kings graunt given him in those parts As they came to the walles of Lymerick the Citizens of spight in sight of them all to the end that no Englishman should roost there set the Town on fire Philippe de Bruse was therewithal discouraged and his Company in so much that when Robert Fitz Stephens and Miles Cogan offred to adventure their lives in the recovery of the Kingdome of Lymerik with all their aide and assistance he refused it and returned with them to Corke esteeming it farre better to lose Lymric and with safetie to dwell among his lovers and friends then to lose life and kingdome by dwelling among such Iewes as will fire their owne houses and cut all English throats In a while after Miles Cogan and Raffe the sonne of Robert Fitz Stephens who had lately married Miles daughter went towards Lismore to parlee with Waterford men and determined that night to lodge with one Mac Tyrid who had solemnly invited them As they waited in the field expecting the comming of the Waterfordians this Mac Tyrid unawares stealing upon them most traiterously slue them and five of their company whereupon the whole country was in uproare insomuch that Dermot Mac Carty and all the Irish in those parts together with Mac Tyrid that most perfidious traitor were in armes determining thenceforth to be no longer the Kings loyall subjects when they had gathered their forces together they laid siege to Corke meaning to cut off Robert Fitz Stephens and all the English men there Robert Fitz Stephens being distressed in Corke fearing the open enemy without and mistrusting the secret enemy within sent post to Wexford to his nephew Reimond le Grosse praying him to come to his aide Reimund forthwith with twenty knights and one hundred foot and bowmen entred the Lee landed at Corke encountred with the enemies killed some drove other to flye and compelled the rest to submit themselves and sue for peace When the King understood of this he sent Richard Cogan brother unto Miles to supply his brothers roome in the kingdome of Corke a man no way inferiour to his brother for valour and martiall prowesse in his companie came Philip Barry and Girald Barry his brother otherwise called Silvester Giraldus Cambrensis the famous learned man nephewes of Robert Fitz Stephens with a jolly troupe of horse and foot chosen and picked men Robert Fitz Stephens and Richard Cogan enjoyed this kingdome of Corke peaceably for certaine yeeres and in processe of time for want of heires male of them it came to two daughters the one of them was married to Robert de Carew the other to Patricke de Courcy and they in right of their wives enjoyed the same during their lives and after them their heires untill such time as by a division growne as I take it in England betweene the two houses of Yorke and Lancaster the Irish men expelled them and recovered the country unto themselues Anno 1178. The Monasterie Beatae Mariae Roseae vallis called Rosglâ—s was founded Yet others thinke it was in Anno 1189. I may not forget Harvey de monte Marisco of whom often mention is made before who after many spitefull parts treacheries and false accusations exhibited by him unto the King against most noble servitors became a Monke the man was sore troubled in conscience and in his course he made the common saying true desperatio facit Monachum Hee had founded saith Felcon the Monastery of our blessed Lady de Portu Donbrodthi he gaue unto the Monasterie Saint Trinitatis of Canterbury his territories advousons along the sea coast between Waterford and Wexford and there cloystred himselfe I would saith Cambrensis he had changed his conditions with his habit The same yeere saith Holinshed there came from Pope Alexander 3. into England two Cardinals Alberto desuma and Petro de sancta Agatha whose commission was to summon the Bishops of England Ireland Scotland with the Isles and Normandie to the generall Councell of Lateran in Rome after they had obtained licence to passe through his dominions the King swore them upon the holy Evangelist that in their Legateship they should not attempt any thing that might be hurtfull to the King or his dominions and that upon their returne they should visite him homewards whereupon out of Ireland there went thither Laurence Archbishop of Dublin and Catholicus Archbishop of Tuam with some other five or sixe Irish Bishops whom the King likewise swore that they should not procure any damage to his Realmes and dominions The Realme of Ireland at this time was singular well governed by Hugh de Lacy a good man and a wise Magistrate who for the good of the land and the people established many good orders he made Bridges and builded Townes Castles and Forts throughout Leinster as Sir Iohn de Courcy did in Vlster in his time the Priest kept his Church the Souldier his Garrison and the Plow-man followed his Plough yet cankred envy quieted not her selfe practised mischiefe against him so that he was charged before the King to attempt the Crowne of Ireland and make himselfe absolute Lord of the land and that he had married the King of Connaghts daughter saith Holinshed contrary to the Kings pleasure The King immediately as Princes are jealous of great men called him into England appointed governours Iohn Constable and Richard Peche This Lacy behaved himselfe so discreetly and dutifully in England that he cleered himselfe of all suspition that the King was resolved of his truth and fidelity and sent him backe againe into Ireland with further credit then formerly he had done and that within three moneths and gave him the absolute command and Lievetenantship of the land and joyned as assistant unto him Robert Salisbury calling home the former governours It was not long but he was upon malitious occasion the second time sent for into England and one Philip of Worcester Cambrensis is mine Author a valiant souldier a bountifull and a liberall man with a most brave troupe of horse and foot arrived in Ireland with command to send over Hugh de Lacy and he to remaine there as Governour of the land until Iohn his sonne came over Stanihurst is of opinion that he went over into England and cleering himselfe speedily returned againe which cannot well stand with the course of the history for when Philip of Worcester tooke upon him the governement Lacy hastened the building and finishing of the Castle of Derwath whereof my penne immediately shall make report and there ended his dayes And now to Philip of Worcester and his companion Hugh Tirell Cambrensis and Stanihurst especially write most bitter of them of Philip how that first of all he resumed and seized unto the Kings use the lands of Ocathesie and divers other parcels which Hugh de Lacy had sold away and these he appointed to serve for the Kings provision and the Governours diet And after the winter was past he assembled and mustred his
the land there were certaine Irish men which tooke part with him served faithfully and were as reason required rewarded for their service and had for recompence certaine lands given them which they quietly held and peaceably enioyed untill the comming of the Kings sonne then new commers wanting both living and governement had it given them to furnish them in their foolish prodigalitie so that these Irish men flying unto the enemies became not onely enemies but were espials upon the English and conductors of the enemy against them A third reason of ill successe Cambrensis urgeth against England first how that the Britaines or Cambrians so he termeth them entring this land and breaking the ice to the conquest of Ireland were afterwards by William Fitz Adelme and others envied and every way maligned secondly how that the English commanding the land were by the English disgraced and one often times articling accusing and disgracing one another thirdly how that the Normans comming in place overthrew all for the King being borne beyond the seas affected them most they were of his Councell at home in time of peace and made Commanders abroad in time of warres these comming with the Kings sonne into Ireland were fine in their apparrell delicate mouthed feeding upon dainties they could not disgest their meat without Spice and Wine at every meale they could not endure the service in the Marches and borders they would not remaine in remote places they brooked not the Forts Holds and Garrison places but liberty they liked of so it were in a walled town a warme chamber a Ladies lappe a soft bed a furre gowne and their Lords sides to guard and attend pleased them well they would talke and bragge of service sweare and stare at home stand upon the pantofles of their reputation disdaine others and especially the Irish and durst not shew their faces in the field These were they that gave themselves to command the Irish that would not be commanded by them they polled pilled extorted and what not In the space of eight moneths that Earle Iohn staied in Ireland I finde that he built three Castles Tibrach Lismoore and Archfinan alias Ardsivin at Ardsivin upon Midsummer day so Cambrensis reporteth the Prince of Lymeric bent and animated to rebellion slue foure Knights and the greater part of the Garrison there shortly after the same rebels of Lymric by a slight drew out the Garrison to seize upon a prey and lying in ambush killed many of them but these revolters escaped not scotfree in all the parts of the land for at this time when the Irish men of Kennally with great forces had entred Meth killing burning spoiling and preying the Country William le Petit Governour or Iusticer saith Cambrensis drew a head against them rescued the prey put them to flight made a great slaughter of them and sent a hundred heads of the principall of them to Dublin The Kings sonne hearing of these troubles hastned away unto England left the land tumultuous troublesome al upon an uprore committed the charge thereof saith Stanihurst Bruseo Courceo Giraldidis c. in primis Hugonis Lacaei virtuti where in truth I find no such matter for Cambrensis whom herein I must relie unto being then in Ireland with the Kings son reporteth how that Henry the second hearing of the course which these greene heads held in Ireland thought good to call them all unto England and send thither no more such young commanders and by the advice of his Councell committed the charge and absolute command thereof unto Sir Iohn de Courcy whom hee appointed Lord Lievtenant of Ireland the Booke of Houth also testifieth the same Earle Iohn immediatly gathered forces travailed over the whole land pacified for the time Corke Tumound and Conoght From the death of Hugh Delacy who was slaine Anno 1186. unto the time Hugh Delacy the yonger came to be Lord Iustice of whom hereafter more at large Here gentle Reader Cambrensis leaveth us who most faithfully continued the affaires of Ireland some 30. yeeres and odde he was by father a Barry by mother a Gerraldin nephew to Morice Fitz Gerald and Robert Fitz Stephens that first entred to the Conquest of Ireland hee was borne in Pembrok-shire and was Archdecon of Saint Davids and Brechnoc and diversly imployed by Henry the second in whose time among others the first Conquerors his kindred he came into Ireland againe and became Tutor unto Iohn the Kings sonne and accompanied him into Ireland he wrote many learned workes and among other the Conquest of Ireland the Topography of Ireland and Mirabilia Hiberniae Whereof hee dedicated one unto Richard Earle Strangbow and another unto Henry the second he was elected Archbishop of Saint Davids but at Rome he was out-bid by him that had more money and missed the Cushin hee departed this life when hee was about foure score yeeres old and resteth at Saint Davids Yet one thing further of him which he reporteth of himselfe how that he at the time of his being in Ireland had Conference with Mathew Archbishop of Cashill and he saying among other things You have many Saints in Ireland but I doe not find any martyr amonst you the Bishop taking it in ill part as spoken in derision of the Nation answered with great anger Sir it is so that our people is rude savage and barbarous yet there is none so brutish and bloudy as to lay violent hands upon a Priest now it fals out that wee are to be governed by such a Nation as is not guiltlesse of Prelats deaths and it is like if it stands with Gods pleasure that shortly we shall make up a number of Irish martyrs this he spitefully spake meaning the death of Thomas of Canterbury In a while after that Sir Iohn de Courcy had brought the whole land to a good passe and pacified the Irish tumults this I find in the Booke of Houth Sir Hugh Delacy the younger is sent over into Ireland as Lord Iustice to take the absolute Command of the Realme He had no sooner landed but he sent very imperious letters unto Sir Iohn de Courcy to discharge him and all that were authorized by him of their places and command and in like sort like the green heads spoken of a little before which landed with Earle Iohn they braved it out disdained old experimented souldiers and offered sundry disgraces unto the rest of the English so that thereof rose much heartburning division quarrels and bloody brawles The Irish seeing this sudden alteration this division among the English this undiscreet government thought now to find fit opportunity publikely to release themselves of that which they had oft secretly intended by their runnagades they summoned at a day a place all the Chieftaines of Irish birth to a parlee where after many doubts debated many griefes opened they concluded with full resolution to invade all the English and roote them wholly out of the land and first they swoare to
Bruse Hugh Brune and others imprisoned him in Falaise in Normandy from thence he was brought to Roane and there clapt in the Tower under the custody of Robert de Veipont where shortly after he finished his life whether by leaping into the ditch thinking to make his escape or by meane of some privy hand which murther it is not as yet agreed upon Vtinam saith Mat. Paris non ut fama refert invida by occasion whereof K. Iohn was ever after had in great suspition whether justly or unjustly the Lord knoweth King Iohn fearing the secret practises of his adversaries and doubting the revolt of his Barons sent for his further security unto those whom he most suspected for hostages and pledges of their Ioialty and among others unto William de Bruse a Normand borne but Lord of Brechnok saith Guttin Owen and a great commander in South-wales The wife like a quicke Dame taking the answer out of her husbands mouth gave this round speech that shee would not give any of her sonnes to King Iohn who already had slaine and murthered his owne nephew Arthur These words being lavishly delivered unto the King set him in such a heat of displeasure against her husband though hee had rebuked her sharply for the same that the L. Bruse with his wife and children fled the Realme and got them unto Ireland for safeguard of their lives and when King Iohn came unto Ireland they fled to the I le of Man where they were apprehended and sent to the Castle of Windsore in England and there as the common fame went famished to death But William de Bruse himselfe escaped the hands of the King in Ireland and fled into France died at Corbell and was buried in Paris The next that comes upon the stage is Sir Iohn de Courcy Earle of Vlster Lord of Conaght that had lastly beene L. Liev. of Ireland who governing the land with great circumspection together with Sir Hugh de Lacy the younger who maligned him secretly and envied his prosperity in so much that hee accused him to King Iohn saying that he laid to the Kings charge the murthering of his nephew Arthure whereupon King Iohn sent for him into England and gave commission unto Sir Hugh de Lacy and his brother Walter Delacy to attach his person Sir Iohn de Courcy having secret intelligence of their drift kept himselfe a loofe Sir Hugh Delacy finding that levied an army and invaded Vlster the Country rose against him and drove him to flie Then Lacy praclaimed him traitor and marched towards him with all the forces he could make Courcy in like sort prepared for his comming At Dune they met and fought a cruell battaile where the field was all blood and many slaine on both sides but in the end the victory fell to Courcy and Lacy went back with shame enough Then Lacy practised how he might betray him It is said among the Irish that Courcy offred the combat and that Lacy refused it aleadging that it was not for him that represented the Kings person to hazard his life with an inferior being a subject and a traytor Lacy makes proclamation promising a large reward to him that should bring him in Courcy either alive or dead but it would not be then privily he dealt with some of his servants that if they would undertake the apprehension of him they should have great rewards it was concluded and this advice the betraiers gave Sir Iohn de Courcy is a mighty man in armes and of such strength that no one man dares be so hardy as lay hand upon him and againe hee is alwaies both in publick and privat well provided Yet we can direct you a course to bring your purpose to effect upon good Friday yeerly he weares no armes but is wholly given to divine contemplation and commonly walketh all solitary round about the Church-yard of Dune if you provide a troope of horsemen in a readinesse and send your espiall before there you shall have him apprehend him and worke your will and hither they came and laid hands upon him Courcy now unarmed and altogether distressed ranne to a wooden crosse that stood in the Church yard tooke the pole therof and laid about him lustily Courcy at that time had but a few attending on him and they armelesse of which number were two young Gentlemen the sonnes of Sir Amorick Saint Laurence which were slaine to bee short the Author of the Booke of Houth reporteth that Courcy in that Skirmish slew 13. of Lacy his men that died not upon the Crosse but under the Crosse but in the end he was carried away conveied beyond the seas clapt in the Towre of London and condemned to perpetuall imprisonment Whereupon Lacy for that service had the Earledome of Vlster given him and the Iudases that betrayed their Master had their hire Then they craved of Sir Hugh de Lacy a pasport into England with the relation of the good service they had done in Ireland which was granted upon condition that upon the paine of death they should never returne into Ireland againe neither to open the same afore it were demanded of them It was as followeth I Hugh de Lacy Lord Iustice of Ireland servant to my dread Soveraigne Lord King Iohn To all them that shall read these few lines greeting know you that thâ—se men whose names are under written served sometimes Sir Iohn de Courcy late Earle of Vlster but now in durance in the Towre of London and for a summe of money betraied their owne Master into my hand I deeme them no better then Iudas the traitor how hardly soever I have conceived of Courcy I hold them a thousand times more damnable traitors Wherefore let no subject within any of the Kings dominions give them any entertainment but spit in their faces and suffer them to rogue about and wander as Iewes He provided them a barke with saile and victuall but gave them no Pilots nor sea-faring men for want of skill they could not take the seas but were tossed with winde and weather along the Coast at length the Tyde brought them into the river of Corke they were no sooner landed but they were apprehended examined and brought to Sir Hugh de Lacy and forthwith all foure hanged cheeke by jole Not long after there fell some difference betweene Iohn King of England and Philip King of France for the right of some Fort in Normandie who to avoyde the shedding of Christian bloud agreed of each side to put it to a combat of King Philips part there was a French man in readinesse King Iohn upon the sudden wist not what to doe for a Champion to encounter with him at length one attending upon his person enformed him that there was one Courcy in the Towre of London the onely man in his dominions if hee would undertake it to answer the challenge King Iohn ioyfull of this sent the first yea second and third time promising large rewards and rich gifts
Monastery of Grenard was founded by Richard Tute who shortly after miscarried at Athlone by the fall of a Turret and was buried in the same Monastery About the same time in the yeere 1209. the Monastery of Forte was founded by Walter Lacy Lord of Meth. Anno 1210. and the twelfth yeere of his raigne King Iohn came into Ireland and landed at Waterford with an huge army marvellous well appointed to pacifie that rebellious people that were universally revolted burning spoyling preying and massacring the English Fabian and Graffton alleage the cause that moved the Irishmen to this rebellion to have been for that the King endevord to lay grievous taxes upon them towards his aide in the warres against the French King which they could not brooke and therefore rose in armes against their Soveraigne When hee came to Dublin the whole Countrey fearing his puissance craved peace and flocked unto him along the sea cost the Champian Countries and remote places receiving an oath to bee true and faithfull unto him There were 20. Reguli of the chiefest rulers within Ireland which came to the King to Dublin and there did him homage and fealty as appertained Harding nameth them Lord O Neale and many more Walsingham remembreth Catelus King of Conaght it forceth it not though they misse the right names of place and person it is a fault in manner common to all foraigne writers After this hee marched forwards into the land and tooke into his hands divers Fortresses and strong Holds of his enemies that fled before him for feare to be apprehended as William le Bruse Mathilda his wife William their sonne with their traine of whom I spake before also Walter de Lacy Lord of Meath and Hugh de Lacy Earle of Vlster and Lord Iustice of Ireland fearing his presence fled into France their exaction oppression and tyranny was intolerable Likewise they doubted how to answer the death of Sir Iohn de Courcy Lord of Ratheny and Kilbarrock within 5. miles of Dublin whom they had murthered of especiall malice and deadly hatred First for that he was of the house of Sir Iohn de Courcy Earle of Vlster whom the Lacies alwaies maligned Secondly for that he had made grievous complaints of them in England to King Iohn the tryall whereof they could not abide Vpon the sight of the Lacies King Iohn made Iohn Gray Bishop of Norwich his deputy Of these Lacies it is further remembred in the Booke of Houth and other antiquities how that in France they obscured themselves in the Abbey of S. Taurin and gave themselves to manuall labour as digging delving gardening planting and greffing for daily wages the space of 2. or 3. yeares the Abbot was well pleased with their service and upon a day whether it were by reason of some inkling or secret intelligence given him or otherwise demaunded of them of what birth and parentage they were and what Country they came from when they had acquainted him with the whole hee bemoned their case and undertooke to become a suiter unto the King for them in a word hee obtained the Kings favour for them thus farre that they were put to their fyne and restored to their fromer possessions so that Walter de Lacy paid for the Lordship of Meath 2500. Markes and Hugh his brother for Vlster and Conaght a greater summe Hugh de Lacy in remembrance of this kindnesse which the Abbot shewed them tooke his nephew his brothers sonne with them into Ireland one Alured whom he Knighted and made Lord of the Dengle The Monkes also which out of that Monastery hee had brought with him into Ireland hee honoured greatly and gave them entertainment in Four the which Walter De Lacy had formerly builded King Iohn having pacified the land ordained that the English Lawes should bee used in Ireland appointed 12. English shires with Sheriffes and other Officers to rule the same according unto the English Ordinances hee reformed the Coine and made it uniforme some say it was Gray his Deputy of like weight and finenes and made it currant as well in England as in Ireland When hee had disposed of his affaires and ordred all things at his pleasure he tooke the sea againe with much triumph and landed in England the 30. day of August Anno 1213. When the French King by instigation of Innocentius 3. Bishop of Rome prepared to invade England King Iohn eftsoone understanding thereof made provision accordingly to answer his enterprise and among others the cause why the story is here inserted Holinshed writeth how that to his aid the Bishop of Norwich the Kings Deputy of Ireland levied an Army of 300. foot well appointed beside horsemen which arrived in England to the encouragement of the whole Campe. And as the French was frustrate of his purpose so they shortly returned with great joy to their native Country In the same yeere Viz. 1213. Iohn Comin Archbishop of Dublin departed this life and was buried in the Quire of Christ-Church whom Henry Loudres succeeded in the dayes of this King Iohn This Henry builded the Castle of Dublin and was made Lord Iustice of Ireland His tenants nic-named him Schorchbill or Schorcvillen upon this occasion Hee being peaceably stalled in his Bishopprike summoned all his tennants and farmers at a certain day appointed to make their personall appearance before him and to bring with them such evidences and writings as they enjoyed their holds by the tenants of the day appointed appeared shewed their evidences to their Landlord mistrusting nothing hee had no sooner received them but afore their faces upon a suddain cast them all into a fire secretly provided for the purpose this fact amazed some that they became silent moved others to a stirring choller and furious rage that they regarded neither place nor person but brake into irreverent speeches Thou an Archbishop nay thou art a Schorcvillen an other drew his weapon and said as good for me kill as be killed for when my evidences are burned and my living taken away from me I am killed The Bishop being thus tumult and the imminent danger whipt out at a backe doore His Chaplains Registers and Summoners were well knockt and some of them left for dead They threatned to fire the house over the Bishops head some meane was made for the present time to pacifie their outrage with faire promises that all hereafter should be to their owne content upon this they departed the intent of the promises I cannot learne othersome inveigh against it but in fine complaint thereof being made to Henry 3. the King thought so hardly of the course that he removed him from his Iusticeship and placed in his roome Maurice Fitz Girald of whom hereafter This Loudreds was buried in Christ Church In the same yeere also King Iohn being mightily distressed through the practises of hir Archbishops Bishops Abbots Monkes Priests of his dominions and the Barons of his Kingdome revolting and the inward hatred of the
French King with forraigne powers intending an open invasion was driven to prevent further mischiefe as I finde in Polychronicon to surrender his Crowne from his head and to subject his Kingdomes of England and Ireland tributarie to the See of Rome and as his client vassall and feodarie to that See to hold them of Innocentius the Bishop againe England being interdicted and Ireland likewise were after released upon agreement composition and Charter and homage as in the Chronicle of England more at large appeareth The death of King Iohn and the manner of it I referre to the English Chronicles After his decease Henry the third his eldest sonne aged about nine yeeres began his raigne Anno 1216. Anno 1220. and the fourth yeere of Henry the third so writeth Clyn Dowling and Grace together with the English Antiquities in their Irish collections all Meth was wonderfully afflicted and wasted by reason of the priuate quarrels and civill warres betweene William Earle Marshall Earle of Penbroke c. and Sir Hugh de Lacy Earle of Vlster and Lord of Connaght Trimme was besieged and brought to a lamentable plight and when the rage and furie of those garboiles was somewhat mitigated and appeased after the shedding of much bloud the same yeere to prevent afterclaps and subsequent calamities the Castle of Trim was builded About this time certaine worthy persons of great fame and renowne to wit Henry Loudreds Roger Peppard and William Peppard Lords successively de saltu Salmonis and Meiler Fitz Henry one of the first Conquerours paid nature her due sinne her debt and ended their daies It appeareth in Stanihurst that the same yeere that Henry Loudreds died viz. 1220. the Castle of Dublin was builded I meane the walles foure square or quadrangle wise but the foure Turrets and the other afterwards Sir Henry Sidney is said to have builded the inner lodgings in whose eternall commendation I finde in the said Stanihurst these verses Gesta libri referunt multorum clara virorum Laudis in chartis stigmata fixa manent Verum Sidnaei laudes haec saxa loquuntur Nec jacet in solis gloria tanta libris Si libripereant homines remanere valebunt Si pereant homines ligna manere queant Lignaque si pereant non ergo saxa peribunt Saxaque si pereant tempore tempus erit Si pereat tempus minime consumitur aevum Quod cum principio sed sine fine manet Dum libri florent homines dum vivere possunt Dum quoque cum lignis saxa manere valent Dum remanet tempus dum denique remanet aevum Laus tua Sydnaei digna perire nequit Anno 1224 Abbatia de Albo tractu was founded By generall consent of Antiquaries after the death of Henry Loudres spoken of before Maurice Fitz Gerald was by Henry the third made Lord Iustice of Ireland and afterwards fell in the Kings displeasure and was removed but the yeeres they agree not upon wherein I finde great discord The English Chronicle of Ireland delivereth that hee was made Lord Iustice Anno 1228. Florilegus and Holinshed write that he was removed from his Iusticeship Anno 1245. and Iohn Fitz Ieffery substituted in his roome Mathew Paris writeth that hee was removed Anno 1248 but howsoever they have mistaken the yeeres or whether the fault of the Printer crept in it forceth not I am to deliver to the reader the truth of the history and the most worthy service of this Noble man with the yeeres and the time as neere as I can Anno 1229. in the raigne of Henry the third Maurice Fitz Girald being Lord Iustice Mathew Paris and Holinshed write the storie one Stephen Chapplen and Nuntio to Pope Gregory came to King Henry with the Popes Apostolike Mandates and procuration letters requiring of spirituall temporall throughout England Ireland and Wales the tenth of all their moveables to the maintenance of his warres against Fredericke the Emperour At the day and place appointed when the King and his Lords spirituall and temporall met together and the Nuntio had read his letters the King was silent reputed saith mine Author as consenting thereto the Earles and Barons saith Paris all the Laytie said flatly that they would give the Pope no tenths neither subject their Baronies and locall possessions to the Church of Rome the Clergie after three or foure dayes deliberation fearing the thunderbolts of excommunication with grudging and murmurs and many a bitter curse yeelded yet Ranulphus Earle of Chester alone stood stoutly in the cause and would not permit the Clergie of his country to become in bondage neither to contribute the said tenths though England Wales Scotland and Ireland were compelled to pay Ireland sent likewise after their money Irish curses for they were driven at the worst hand to sell unto the mercilesse Merchants their Cowes Hackneyes Caddoes and Aqua vitae to make present payment and were driven in that extremitie to pawne and sell their Cups Chalices Copes Altar-clothes and vestments Anno 1230 as I finde recorded in the booke of Houth Hubertus de Burgo was Lord Iustice of Ireland as I gather in the absence of Maurice Fitz Girald to whom the King gave the land ..... and Connaught and made him Earle of Connaught and shortly after ob probitatem fidelititem ex imiam so I reade in Ypodigma Neustria being called into England for his uprightnesse and singular fidelity was made governour of the King Lord Iustice of England and Earle of Kent by the consent of all the Peeres of the Realme afterwards as the course of this world wheeles about hee fell into the Kings displeasure so that he called him old traytor and in his rage would have runne him thorow with his sword had not the Earle of Chester and others runne betweene for that saith Stow hee had taken five thousand markes of the Queene of France to hinder his purpose to avoyd the Kings displeasure this Hubert fled to the Chappell of Brandwood in Essex where he was taken and by commandement of the King sent to the Tower of London all his friends forsooke him none answered for him but the Archbishop of Dublin wherein we may behold as in a Glasse the disposition of feyned friends in former ages who in the Spring of a mans felicity like Swallowes will flye about him but when the winter of adversitie nippeth like Snailes they keepe within their shels at length this Hubert was somewhat reconciled to the Kings favour that he was inlarged yet banished the Court lastly he ended his miseries at his Mannor house of Bansted in Surry and was buried at the Church of the Fryers Preachers at London which was then in Holborne unto the which Church he gave his noble Palace at Westminster the which afterwards Walter Grey the Archbishop of Yorke bought of them and made it his Inne since commonly called Yorke House but now White-Hall So farre Stow Holinshed and others The yeere aforesaid I finde one Ieffery
March alias Maurish so Holinshed calleth him in Mathew Paris Galfridus de Marisco to have beene Lord Iustice of Ireland so it may be in the absence of Maurice Fitz Girald who made three journeys to King Henry the third one with great power out of Ireland to ayde him beyond the seas secondly to cleare himselfe of the death of Richard Marshall Earle of Pembrook lastly with Irish forces against the Welshmen Mat. Paris and Holinshed make report of his good service How that when an Irish petit King in Conaght understanding that both the King of England and the Earle Marshall and Maurice Fitz Gerald were gone over into France and so Ireland left without any great aide of men of warre on the English part raised a mighty Army and with the same entred into the Marches and borders of the English dominion spoiling and burning the Country before him And how that Ieffray de Maurisco then Lord Iustice being thereof advertized called to him Walter de Lacy Lord of Meth and Richard de Burgh assembling therewithall an hugh Army the which he divided into three parts appointing the said Walter de Lacy and Richard de Burgh with the two first parts to lye in ambush within certain Woods through the which he purposed to draw the enemies And marching forth with the third which he reserved to his owne government he profered battaile to the Irishmen the which when they saw but one battaile of the Englishmen boldly assaid the same The Englishmen according to the order appointed faining as though they had fled and so retired still backe till they had trained the Irish within danger of their other two battailes which comming forth upon them did set on them eagerly whilest the other which seemed before to fly returned back againe and set upon them in like manner by meanes whereof the Irish men being in the midst were beaten downe if they stood to it they were before and behind slaine if any offered to fly hee was overtaken thus in all parts they were utterly vanquished with the losse of 20000. Irish and the King of Conaght taken and committed to prison This Noble Ieffray de Marisco of whom Holinshed writeth a man some time in great honour and possessions in Ireland fell into the displeasure of the King was banished who after he had remained long in exile suffred great miserie ended the same by naturall death Thus the unstable Wheele goeth round about and yet I may not so leave it hee had a sonne called William de Maurisco who together with the father the Iustice of God requiring the same came to most shamefull ends Matthew the Munke of Westminster and Matthew Paris the Munke of Saint Albones doe write the Story While the King was beyond seas a certain noble man of Irish birth to wit Willielmus de Maurisco an exiled and banished man the sonne of Ieffray de Maurisco for some hainous offence laid to his charge kept himselfe in the Isle of Lundy not farre from Bristall preying robbing and stealing as a notorious Pirate at length being apprehended together with 17. of his confederacy and by the Kings commandement adjudged to cruell death he was drawne at London with his confederats at horse tailes to the Gibbet and there hanged and quartered His father one of the mightiest men of Ireland by name Galfridus de Maurisco hearing thereof fled into Scotland and scarce there could hee lye safe who pinnig away with grief and sorrow soone after ended a miserable life with wished death againe after in another place he writeth Galfridus de Maurisco reckened amongst the most Noble of Ireland an exile and a banished man died pitifully yet not to be pitied whom being banished Ireland expulsed out of Scotland and fled out of England France received for a begger where hee ended an unfortunate life after the most shamefull death of his sonne Willielmus de Maurisco These things therefore I deliver more at large unto the hearers that every man may wey with himselfe what end is alloted unto treason and especially being committed against the sacred person of a Prince His father against Richard Earle and Marshall in Ireland and his son William against the King unadvisedly and unfortunatly adventured to practice mischiefe Paris addeth the name of this William was very odious unto the King for so much it was reported that through the councell of Ieffray his father he had conspired the death of the King and that he had traitorously sent that varlet which came in the night season to Woodstock to slay the King and last of all that hee had killed at London in presence of the King one Clemens a Clerk messenger of some Noble man of Ireland that came to informe the King against him About this same time florished a Learned man of Irish birth one Cornelius Historicus so called because hee was an exquisit antiquary Bale and Stanihurst have briefly written his life and his commandations out of Hector Boetius who was greatly furthered by this Cornelius to the perfecting of the Scotish History hee wrote as they say Multarum rerum Cronicon lib. 1. About this time Viz. Anno 1230. there rose a doubt in Ireland so that they sent to England to be therein resolved the King by his learned Councell answered as followeth Henry by the grace of God c. King of England Lord of Ireland Duke of Normandy and Guian c. Trusty and welbeloved Gerald Fitz Maurice Iusticer of Ireland greeting VVhereas certien Knights of the parties of Ireland lately informed us that when any land doth discend unto sisters within our dominion of Ireland the Iustices errant in those parties are in doubt whether the younger sister ought to hold of the eldest sister and doe homage unto her or not And forasmuch as the said Knights have made instance to bee certified how it had beene used before within our Realme of England in like case at their instance we doe you wit that such a Law and Custome is in England in this case that if any holding of us in chief happen to die having daughters to his heires our ancestors and we after the death of the father have alway had and received homage of all the daughters and every of them in this case did hold of us in chiefe And if they happned to be within age we have alway had the ward and marriage of them and if hee bee tennant to another Lord the sisters being within age the Lord shall have the ward and manage of them all and the eldest onely shall doe homage for herselfe and all her sisters and when the other sisters come to full age they shall doe their service to the Lord of the fee by the hands of the eldest sister yet shall not the eldest by this occasion exact of her younger sisters homage ward or any other subjection for when they be all sisters and in manner as one heire to one inheritance if the eldest should have homage of the other
over Ireland And all the West of the world and there followed immediatly a continuall untemperature of the ayre with a filthy skurfe the Winter stormy cold and wet which continued untill the 11. of Iuly and put the Gardeners Fruterers and Husbandmen void of all hope in so much they complained that Winter was turned to Summer and Summer to Winter and that they were like to lose all and bee undone Anno 1252. saith Dowling and Grace and the English Anonimus but Clyn and Florilegus write that it was 1254. King Henry gave to Prince Edward his sonne Gascoigne Ireland Wales Bristow Stanford and Grantham and sent him to Alphonsus King of Spaine to take Ellionor his sister to wife where hee was by the said King Knighted and returned together with his wife into England with great riches Anno 1255. Alanus de la Zouch was made Lord Iustice so I finde in the Booke of Houth after his departure out of Ireland hee being a Lord Baron and chiefe Iustice in England Florilegus Humfrey Loid and Stow doe write the Story how hee came to his end great strife rose in England betweene certaine of the Nobility about territories lands and titles whereto each side made claime the matters in controversie by direction from the King were decided in Westminster Hall the first Controversie was betweene Iohn Earle of Surrey and Warren and Hugh de Lacy Earle of Lincolne which went upon Lacy his side The second was betweene this Earle Warren and Allan de la Zouch this Zouch being Chiefe Iustice asked Earle Warren how he held his land Earle Warran drew foorth his sword and said by this mine Ancestors held the same and by this I presently hold it and with that ranne the Chiefe Iustice through in Westminster Hall and in his flight wounded also his sonne thence hee fled to his Castle at Risgate whome Prince Edward the Kings eldest sonne pursued with an Army to whom the Earle submitted himselfe and afterwards with friends and what with money pacified all Anno 1256. in the warres of Lewelin Prince of Wales so I find in the records of Conway Stratflur Copied by Gettine Owen Edward Earle of Chester fell to outrage one while against the King another while against the Welshmen his Army was 1500. foot and 500. horse Henry the third together with Richard Earle of Cornewall and King of Almane wrote unto him gently wishing him to returne to his Country and keepe the peace and not to provoke the Welshmen to Armes the which he refused to doe but sent to the Irishmen for succour and supplies Prince Edward the Kings eldest sonne understanding thereof rigged a Navy met with the Irish fleet killed their men and sunck their ships few onely remaining to returne and to make report of this hard successe in Ireland In a while after the King raised warres against Lewellin Prince of Wales and the Welshmen saith Paris Causa autem eorum etiam hostibus eorum justa videbatur and was brought to a narrow straight so that he sent to Ireland and to Gascoigne for succour the Irishmen not forgetting their late overthrow were loath to come being of all sides driven to serve in the end came and joyned with their Kings forces where no memorable act was performed for God saith Paris defended the poore people that put their whole confidence in him About this time to wit Anno 1256. Florished Iohannes De Sacro Bosco Bale out of Leland will have him to be a Yorkeshire man and terme him Iohn Holyfaxe Stanihurst writeth he was borne in Ireland at Holy Wood in Fingall some 12. miles from Dublin and therefore called Iohannes De Sacro Bosco which carried great likly-hood with it untill they are reconciled which side prevaileth I waigh not greatly I thought good to insert him for so much as his great learning graced him unto the posterity In his springing yeeres hee suckt the sweet milk of good learning in the famous Vniversity of Oxford afterwards he went to Paris where he professed the learned Sciences with singular commendations and there slumbreth in the dust of the earth whose exequies and funerals were there with great lamentations solemnized first hee followed Aristotle afterwards gave himselfe to the Mathematikes and addicted himselfe so much thereto that none of the posterity as is thought could follow him hee wrote De Spaera Mundi lib. 1. Tractatum de spaera quatuor De Algorismo lib. 1. Omnia quae a primeva rerum orig De Anni Ratione lib. 1. Cmoputus scientiam considerans Breviarium Iuris lib. 1. Verborum superficie penitus Vpon his Tombe together with the Mathematicall Astrolabe was insculped as followeth M. Christi bis C. quarto deno quater anno De Sacro Bosco discrevit tempora ramus Gratia cui nomen dederat divina Iohannes Anno 1258. Stepham Espee alias De longa spatha that is Stepham with the long skeine or two handed sword Earle of Salibury as I suppose was made Lord Iustice of Ireland this Stepham gave battell unto Oneile and the rebels of Vlster and Conaght and slue of them together with Oneile saith Clinne in one day three hundred fifty and two and departed this life saith Florilegus 1260. Anno 1260. William Denne was made Lord Iustice in whose time Greene Castle Arx Viridis was destroyed and the Carties plaied the Divells in Desmond where they burned spoiled preyed and slue many an innocent they became so strong and prevailed so mightily that for the space so it is reported of twelue yeeres the Desmonds durst not put plow in ground in his owne Country at length through the operation of Satan a bane of discord was throwen betweene the Carties and the Odriscoles Odonovaies Mac Donoch Mac Mahonna Mac Swines and the inhabittants of Muscrie in so much that by their cruell dissention they weakened themselves of all sides that the Desmond in the end overcame and overtopped them all but in the beginning of these garboils I find that the Carties slue of the Desmonds Iohn Fitz Thomas founder of the Monastery and Covent of Trally together with Maurice his sonne eight Barons 15. Knights beside infinite others at a place called Callan where they were buried Mine Authors are Iohn Clinne onely and the Booke of Houth In the end of these tumults dyed Sir William Denny Lord Iustice Anno 1261. Richardus de Capella otherwise called Rochell Clinne calleth him La Rochell de Capella became Lord Iustice of Ireland Anno 1262. There rose in Dublin a great stirre betweene the Prior and Covent of the blessed Trinity now called Christ-Church and the Communalty of the City about the tithe fish of the Liffy Anno 1264. Walter Bourke commonly called Walterus de Burgo spoken of before was made Earle of Vlster hee had married the daughter and heire of Sir Hugh Delacy the younger and in her right enjoyed the Earledome The Booke of Houth layeth downe the descent that this Walter
by the said heire of Vlster had issue Walter and hee had issue five daughters 1. Ellen that married Robert le Bruse King of Scotland 2. Elizabeth that married the Earle of Gloster 3. Iohan that married Thomas Earle of Kildare 4. Katherine that married the Earle of Louth 5. Margaret that married the Earle of Desmond the 6. Ellinor that married with the Lord Multon notwithstanding these honourable matches and amity concluded in the outward sight of the world there rose deadly warres between the Giraldins and Burks which wrought blood sheds troubles by partaking throughout the Realme of Ireland at the same time the fury of the Giraldins was so outragious in so much that Morice Fitz Maurice the second Earle of Desmond opposed himselfe against the sword and tooke at Trisledermote now called Castle Dermocke Richard de Capella the Lord Iustice Theoball le Butler and Iohn or Millis de Cogan and committed them to the prisons in Leix and Donamus but the yeere following Henry the third not pleased with these commotions and hurly burlies by mature advice taken of his Councell pacified the variance betweene them discharged Denny of his Iusticeship and appointed David Barry Lord Iustice in his place Anno 1267. David Barry tooke by the appointment of the King the sword of Iusticeship and the command of Ireland and quelled or tamed saith the English Anonymos the insolent dealing of Morice Fitz Maurice Cousin german to Girald The same yeere saith Iohn Clinne the Fryers Preachers first of all settled themselves at Rosse in Wexford and the Minors at Kilkennie and two yeeres after at Clonemell Anno 1268. Conochur Obrian was slaine by Dermot Mac Monard and the same yeere saith Felcon and Clinne Maurice Fitz Gerald Earle of Desmond was drowned crossing the seas between England and Ireland leaving behind him a sonne and heire of the age of 3. yeeres and a halfe The same yeere Robert Vfford became Lord Iustice of Ireland and began to build the Castle of Roscommon Anno 1269. Richard de Excester was made Lord Iustice who dyed the same yeere together with his wife Margery de Say the same yeere saith Florilegus Othobone the Popes Legat held a Councell at Paules in London where he called before him the Clergy of England Wales Ireland and Scotland and left among them certaine constitutions which were afterward commended by Linwood and are at this day in request the which constitutions of Otho and Othobon were afterwards confirmed by the Archbishop of Canterbury in Ed. 1. raigne Holinshead Anno 1270. The Lord Iames Audley was made Lord Iustice of Ireland and dyed with the fall of a horse in his time Florilegus and Holinshead note there was great commotion in Ireland the Irish tooke Armes against the English burned spoiled destroied and slue as well the Magistrates as others Clinne goeth more particularly to worke and delivereth how that the King of Conaght by force of Armes in the plaine field overthrew Walter Burke Earle of Vlster who hardly escaped with life yet dyed the yeere following and slue a great number of Nobles and Knights that held with the Burk and among others by especiall name the Lord Richard Verdon and the Lord Iohn Verdon and that there ensued over all Ireland great famine and pestilence as the sequell of warres About this time say our Antiquaries the Bishop of Rome sent to Ireland requiring the tithes of all spirituall promotions for 3. yeeres to come to maintaine his warres against the King of Aragon the which was greatly murmured at and gainesaid yet the Nuntio went not empty away Anno 1272. the most renowned King Henry the third having lived 65. yeeres and raigned 56. and 28 dayes ended his dayes and was buried at Westminster Edward the first of that name sonne of King Henry the third surnamed Long-shankes of the age of 35. yeers began his raigne Anno 1272. Anno 1272. and the first of Edward the first his raigne Maurice Fitz Maurice was made Lord Iustice in whose time the Irish brake out into cruell rebellion rased and destroyed the Castles of Aldleeke Roscommon Scheligath and Randon this Maurice saith Clyn not long after was betrayed by his owne followers in Ophali taken and imprisoned Anno 1273. the Lord Walter Genvill who lately returned home from the Holy Land was sent into Ireland and appointed Lord Iustice in his time so write Dowlinge and Grace the Scots and Red-shankes out of the high land crossed the seas burned townes and villages most cruelly killed man woman and childe tooke a great prey and returned home afore the country could make preparation to pursue them but in a while after to bee revenged of them Vlster and Connaught mustred a great Armie under the leading of Richardus de Burgo and Sir Eustacele Poer knight made after them entred the Islands and high land of Scotland slue as many as they could finde burned their Cabbans and Cottages and such as dwelt in caves and rockes under ground as the manner is to denne out Foxes they fired and smothered to death covering their entrances into the ground with great and huge stones and so returned into Ireland Anno 1276. what time Thomas Clare came into Ireland and married the daughter of Maurice Fitz Maurice The Castle of Roscommon was taken by the Irish and a great overthrow given vnto the English men at Glynburry Glandelory saith Clyn where William Fitz Roger Prior of the Kings hospitallers and many others were taken prisoners and a great number of others were slaine at what time also Ralph Pepard and Otholand gave O Neale a sore battaile Anno 1277. Walter Lord Genuill was sent for into England and Robert Vfford the second time tooke the office of Iusticeship at this time Muridath or Murtagh a notable rebell was taken at the Noraght by Gualter de Fant and executed Thomas Clare likewise in this rebellion slue Obryan Roe King of Thomond and yet after this the Irish drew such a draught that they closed him up in Slew Banny together with Maurice Fitz Maurice his father in law and all their forces untill they gave hostages to escape with their lives upon condition to make satisfaction for the death of O brian and his followers and in the meane while to yeeld them up the Castle of Roscommon although the conditions seemed hard prejudiciall to the Kings Maiesty yet were they driven for safeguard of their lives to condiscend thereunto In this rebellious season to cleere himselfe that in his owne person he came not to daunt the enemy Robert Vfford the Lord Iustice was sent for into England who substituted in his roome one Fryer Robert Fulborne Bishop of Waterford who when he had cleered himselfe came and resigned his place of Iusticeship Anno 1278. there rose civill warres no better then rebellion betweene Mac Dermot de Moylargo and Cathgur O Conoghor King of Connaught where there was great slaughter and bloud-shed on both
sides and the King of Connaught slaine Raphaell Holinshed in his Irish collection thinketh that there were slaine at that time above two thousand persons The King of England hearing thereof was mightily displeased with the Lord Iustice and sent for him into England to yeeld reason why he would permit such shamefull enormities under his governement Robert Vfford substituted Robert Fulborne as before satisfied the King that all was not true that hee was charged withall and for further contentment yeelded this reason that in policie he thought it expedient to winke at one knave cutting off another and that would save the Kings Coffers and purchase peace to the land whereat the King smiled and bid him returne to Ireland Anno 1279. Stow is mine Author King Edward commanded groats of foure pence a piece pence halfe pence and farthings to be coyned and to be currant through England and Ireland not decrying the old whereupon saith he these verses were made Edward did smite round penny halfe penny farthing The crosse passes the bond of all throughout the ring The Kings side was his head and his name written The crosse side what Citie it was made in coyned and smitten The poore man ne to Priest the penny frayses nothing Men give God aye the least they feast him with a farthing A thousand two hundred fourescore yeeres and moe On this money men wondred when it first began to goe Anno 1280. the Citie of Waterford saith Clyn through some foule mischance was all set on fire others report that some Merchant stranger being wronged as they thought by the Citizens brought bagges of powder out of their ships and threw them in the night season in at their sellers windowes and coales of fire after them and spoyled the City in that sort that it was long after ere they could recover themselves Anno 1281. Robert Fulborne Bishop of Waterford was by direction from the King ordained Lord Iustice of Ireland This yeere there was a great rebellion in Connaught and in upper Ossory and in Archloe which cost many mens lives but the ringleaders were cut off Adam Cusack slue William Barret and his brethren which contended about lands In Connaught Hogken Mac Gill Patricke was cut off in Vppsory Murtough Mac Muroch with Art his brother lost their heads at Wickloe another saith at Artchloe so Clyn and Dowlinge doe report Anno 1283. it is remembred by Clyn and others that a great part of Dublin was burned Campanile Capitulum sanctae Trinitatis saith mine Author the belfrie or steeple and Chapter house of the blessed Trinity with the Dormiture and Cloyster Others write that certaine Scots to be revenged upon some Citizens for wronging of them set Skinner-Row a fire and by that meanes the fire ranne into Christ Church but the citizens of Dublin therein greatly to bee commended before they went about to repaire their owne private houses agreed together to make a collection for repayring the ruine of that antient Church Anno 1284. flourished Ieffery or as Clyn writeth Galfridus de sancto Leodegario Bishop of Ossorie the second founder of the Cathedrall Church of Setus Canicus and the first founder of the Colledge of the Vicars of the same Church who gave unto the Colledge and vickars of the same Church for the maintenance of divine Service his Manse and lodging with the edifices thereunto adjoyning the rectory of Kilkesh and revenue de manubrinnio one marke sterling of the Abbot of Duiske for the land of Scomberlowaie with other revenues The said Ieffery by combate the combatants I finde not recorded anno 1284. recovered the Mannor of Sirekeran in Elly now Ocarolls country He builded part of the Mannors of Aghboo and Dorogh he builded a great part of the Church of Saint Canicus formerly begunne by Hugh Mapilton his Predecessor hee exchanged the towne Scomkarthie for the towne of Killamerry with William Marshall the Earle of Penbroke in his kinde of devotion he injoyned the collegiat Vicars of Kilkenny to celebrate the universary and aniversary of the reverend fathers his predecessors Walter Barkeley Galfrid Turvill Hugh Mapilton and others and his successors and Canons in the said Church of Ossory He established other things for the good of the Burgesses of Crosse ..... in the Irish towne of Kilkenny as in the foundation of the Burgesses there more at large doth appeare he dyed Anno 1286. and lyeth buried before the Chappell of our Lady in the Cathedrall Church Thus farre the Collections of Doctor Hanmer the Continuation following is taken out of the Chronicles of Henry Marleburrough HENRY MARLEBVRROVGH'S CHRONICLE OF IRELAND ANno 1285. the Lord Theobald Butler fled from Dublin and died shortly after and the Lord Theobald Verdon lost his men and horses going towards Ophali and the next morning Girald Fitz Maurice was taken prisoner and Iohn Samforde was consecrated Archbishop of Dublin and the Lord Ieffery Genuill fled and Sir Gerard Doget and Ralph Petit were slaine Anno 1287. deceased Richard Decetir Girald Fitz Maurice Thomas de Clare Richard Taff and Nicholas Telinge Knights Anno 1288. In England a bushell of Wheate was at foure pence And Fryer Stephen Fulburne Lord Iustice of Ireland dyed And Iohn Samford Archbishop of Dublin was made Lord Iustice. And the Lord Richard Burgh Earle of Vlster besieged Theobald Verdon in the Castle of Aloan and came to Trymm with a great power by the working of Walter Lacy. Anno 1290. Was the chase or discomfiture of Ophaly and divers Englishmen were slaine And Mac Coghlan slue Oâ—olaghlin And William Bourgh was discomfited at Delvin by Mac Coghlan And Gilbert Earle of Glocester married the daughter of King Iohn le Bayloll King of Scotland And Sir William Vescy was made Lord Iustice of Ireland Anno 1294. Deceased Iohn de Samford Archbishop of Dublin and Iohn Fitz Thomas and Iohn de la Mare tooke prisoners Richard Bourgh Earle of Vlster and William Bourgh in Meath And the Castle of Kildare was taken and by the English and Irish the whole countrie was wasted And Calwagh burnt all the rolles and tallyes of that countie And Richard was delivered out of the Castle of Leye for his two sonnes And Iohn Fitz Thomas with a great armie came into Meath Anno 1295. William Dodinsell Lord Iustice of Ireland dyed and the Lord Thomas Fitz Maurice was made Lord Iustice. Anno 1296. Fryer William de Hothum was consecrated Archbishop of Dublin Anno 1298. The Lord Thomas Fitz Maurice dyed and an agreement was made betwixt the Earle of Vlster and the Lord Iohn Fitz Thomas and Sir Iohn Wogan was made Lord Iustice of Ireland Anno 1299. William Archbishop of Dublin dyed and Richard de Feringes was consecrated Archbishop of Dublin Anno 1302. The King of England Edward the first went into Scotland and there Sir Iohn Wogan Lord Iustice of Ireland and the Lord Iohn Fitz Thomas with many others met with him Anno 1305. King Edward made the
inquisitions of Treylbaston The same yeere Iordan Comin slue Conthir de Ophaly and Calwagh his brother was slaine in the Court of Peirs de Birmingham at Carricke and Balimor was burnt Anno 1306. Edward the second succeeded his father being dead in the kingdome In the beginning of his raigne he called back from beyond the seas Peirs de Gaveston whose company in the presence of his father he abjured and being wholly taken up with him he neglected Isabell his Queene and his Nobles for which cause the Nobles being offended they banished the said Peirs into Ireland where also the Kings treasure that was sent over thither was wantonly consumed Then Peirs was called backe againe but in regard the Kings treasure was spent as aforesaid the Nobles make an insurrection and put away Peirs from the King Anno 1308. And in the second of King Edward the second Peirs de Gaveston by the Lords of England but contrary to the Kings minde was banished into Ireland about the nativitie of our Lady but the next yeere hee was called backe againe and the King met him at Chester Anno 1309. The Lord Ieffery Genvill became a Fryer at Trym of the order of the Preachers and the Lord Peirs de Birmingham dyed Anno 1311. Was the consecration of Iohn Leeke Archbishop of Dublin and Richard Bourgh Earle of Vlster with a great armie went to Bourath in Thomound and there he was taken prisoner by Sir Robert de Clare and Iohn Fitz Walter Lacy and many others were slaine and there dyed Sir Walter la â—aint and Sir Eustace Power And the next yeere Maurice Fitz Thomas and Thomas Fitz Iohn married two daughters of the Earle of Vlster And Saint Fingay was translated and William de Lowndres the first and Iohn the son of Sir Richard Bourgh Knight deceased and the Lord Edmund Butler made 30. Knights Anno 1313. Died Iohn Leek Archbishop of Dublin and Theobald Verdon came over Lord Iustice of Ireland and William de Montency and Richard Loundries died Anno 1315. The Lord Edward Bruse brother of the King of Scots entred the North part of Vlster with a great Army upon Saint Augustines day in the month of May and afterward hee burned Dundalke and a great part of Vrgile and the Church of Athirde was burned by the Irish And in the warre of Comeram in Vlster Richard Earle of Vlster was put to flight and Sir William Bourgh and Sir Iohn Mandevill and Sir Alan Fitz Warren were taken prisoners and the Castle of Norburgh was taken Moreover at Kenlis in Meath the Lord Roger Mortimer in the warre together with the said Edward were put to flight and many of the men men of the said Roger were slaine and taken prisoners and he burnt the Towne and after this he went as farre as Finnagh and the Skerries in Leinster and there incountred him Edmund Butler Lord Iustice of Ireland the Lord Iohn Fitz Thomas afterward Earle of Kildare and the Lord Arnold Power and every one of them had a great army to war against him and upon the sodaine there arose a dissention amongst them and so they left the field and this dissention hapned upon the 26. day of Ianuary after this hee burnt the Castle of Leye and afterward hee returned into Vlster and besieged the Castle of Knockfergus and slue Thomas Mandevill and Iohn his brother at Downe comming out of England and then returned into Scotland Anno 1316. Edward Bruse before Easter came into Ireland with the Earle of Murry and other armies and besieged the Castle of Knockfergus afterward they went to Castle Knock and there tooke the Baron prisoner and Edward Bruse lay there and Richard Earle of Vlster lay in Saint Maries Abbey neere Dublin Then the Major and Commonalty of the City of Dublin tooke the Earle of Vlster prisoner and put him in the Castle of Dublin and slew his men and spoiled the Abbey Then the said Bruse went as farre as Lymmerick after the Feast of Saint Matthew the Apostle and staied there untill after Easter and in the meane time Roger Mortimer the Kings Lievtenant landed at Waterford with a great Army and for feare of him Edward Bruse made haste to goe into the parts of Vlster and Iohn Fitz Thomas was created Earle of Kildare also Oconthir of Conaght and many other of the Irish of Conaght and Meath were slaine neere Athenry by the English there also there was a great slaughter made by Edmond Butler neere Testilldermot upon the Irish and another slaughter by the same Edmund upon Omorthe at Balitcham Anno 1317. The said Lievtenant delivered the Earle of Vlster out of the Castle of Dublin and after Whitsuntide hee banished out of Meath Sir Walter and Sir Hugh de Lacy and gave their lands unto his souldiers and they together with Edward Bruse went back into Scotland and Alexander Bignor was consecrated Archbishop of Dublin Anno 1318. The Lord Roger Mortimer went againe into England and Alexander Bignor was made Lord Iustice and Edward Bruse and the said Walter and Hugh de Lacy with a great Army landed at Dundalke upon Saint Calixtus the Popes day and there the Lord Iohn Brimingham Richard Tute and Miles Verdon with one thousand three hundred twenty foure men incountred them and slew the said Edward Bruse with eight thousand two hundred seventie foure of his men and the said Iohn Birmingham did cary the head of the said Edward into England and gave it to King Edward and the King gave unto the said Iohn and his heires males the Earledome of Lowth and the Barony of Athirdee to him and his heires also Sir Richard de Clare with foure Knights and many others were slaine in Thomond Anno 1319. The Lord Roger Mortimer came over againe Lord of Iustice of Ireland And the Towne of Athessell and Plebs were burned by the Lord Iohn Fitz Thomas brother to the Lord Maurice Fitz Thomas And the Bridge of Kilcolin was built by Maurice Iâ—kis Anno 1320. The Lord Iohn Fitz Iohn Earle of Kildare was made Lord Iustice. And the bridge of Leiglin was built by Maurice Iakis Anno 1321. There was a very great slaughter made of the Oconhurs at Balibagan by the English of Leinster and Meath And the said Earle of Lowth was made Lord Iustice Anno 1322. Died the Lord Richard Birmingham Lord of Athenry the Lord Edmund Butler and the Lord Thomas Persivall Moreover the Lord Andrew Birmingham and Sir Richard de la Londe were slaine by Onolan Anno 1323. Iohn Darcy came over Lord Iustice of Ireland Anno 1325. Deceased Nicolas Fitz Simon Gonvill Anno 1326. The Lord Richard Burgh Earle of Vlster died Edward the third sonne to Edward the second after the Conquest at the age of fifteene yeeres in his fathers life time upon Candlemas day was crowned King at Westminster In the beginning of whose raigne there was great likelyhood of good successe to follow For then also the Earth received fruitfulnesse the Ayre temperature and Sea
lands unto the Monastery of Saint Iames of Keynisham Anno 1421. Our Lady day fell out to be upon Munday in Easter weeke Also the Parliament began the third time at Dublin the Munday after Saint Ambroses day and there it was ordained that agents should be sent over unto the King for reformation of matters touching the state of the land namely the Archbishop of Armagh and Sir Christopher Preston Knight At the same time Richard Ottdian Bishop of Casshell was accused of Iohn Gese Bishop of Lismore and Waterford upon thirty articles among other one was that he made very much of the Irish and that he loved none of the English nation and that he bestowed no Benefice upon any English man and that he counselled other Bishops not to give the least Benefice to any of them that he counterfeited the Kings Seale and letters Patents that he went about to make himselfe King of Munster and that hee had taken a Ring from the image of Saint Patricke which the Earle of Desmond had offered and bestowed it upon his Concubine And he exhibited many other enormious matters against him in writing by whom the Lords and Commons were troubled Also in the same Parliament there arose a contention betwixt Adam Payn Bishop of Clone because the said Adam would have united unto his See the Church of another Prelate and the other would not give way unto it and so they were dismissed unto the Court of Rome the Parliament continued eighteene dayes Then newes were stirring that the Lord Thomas of Lancaster Duke of Clarence was slaine in France and many other with him Vpon the seventh of May there was slaughter made upon the Earle of Ormonds the Lord Lievetenants men by Omordris neere unto the Monastery of Leys and there were seaven and twenty English men slaine the chiefe whereof were Purcell and Grant tenne Noble men were taken prisoners and two hundred fled unto the said Abbey and so saved themselves About the Ides of May dyed Sir Iohn Bedloe knight and Ieffery Galon sometime Maior of Dublin who was buried in the house of the Fryers Preachers of the same City About the same time Mac Mahon an Irish Lord did much hurt in Vrgile by wasting and burning all before him Vpon the seaventh of Iune the Lord Lievetenant entred into the Country about Leys upon Omordris leading a very great army and for the space of foure dayes together slaying the people till the Irish were glad to sue for peace On the feast of Saint Michael the Arch-angell Thomas Stanley with all the Knights and Esquires of Meath and Irel tooke Neyle O Donnell prisoner and slue the rest in the fourteenth yeere of the raigne of King Henry the sixt Here endeth the Chronicle of Henry Marleburrough FINIS A VIEW OF THE STATE OF IRELAND Written dialogue-wise betweene Eudoxus and Irenaeus By EDMUND SPENSER Esq. in the yeare 1596. VVhereunto is added the History of IRELAND By EDMUND CAMPION sometime fellow of St Iohn's Colledge in Oxford Published by Sir IAMES WARE Knight DUBLIN Printed by the Society of Stationers M.DC.XXXIII TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE THOMAS LO VISCOVNT WENTWORTH LO DEPVTY GENERALL OF IRELAND LO PRESIDENT OF HIS MAIESTIES COVNCELL ESTABLISHED IN THE NORTH PARTS OF ENGLAND AND ONE OF HIS MAIESTIES MOST HONORABLE PRIVIE COVNCELL RIGHT HONORABLE THE sence of that happy peace which by the divine providence this Kingdome hath enjoyed since the beginning of the raigne of his late Majestie of ever sacred memory doth then take the deeper impression when these our halcyon dayes are compared with the former turbulent and tempestuous times and with the miseries of severall kindes incident unto them Those calamities are fully set out and to the life by Mr Spenser with a discovery of their causes and remedies being for the most part excellent grounds of reformation And so much may be justly expected from him in regard of his long abode and experience of this Kingdome In these respects and for other good uses which the collections now communicated doe afford for matter of history and policy I am incouraged to dedicate them to your Lordship and humbly to desire your favourable acceptance of them and of Your Lordships ever humbly devoted IAMES WARE THE PREFACE HOw far these collections may conduce to the knowledge of the antiquities and state of this Land let the fit reader judge yet something I may not passe by touching Mr Edmund Spenser the worke it selfe lest I should seeme to offer injury to his worth by others so much celebrated Hee was borne in London of an ancient and noble family and brought up in the Vniversitie of Cambridge where as the fruites of his after labours doe manifest he mispent not his time After this he became Secretary to Arthur Lord Grey of Wilton Lord Deputy of Ireland a valiant and worthy Governour and shortly after for his services to the Crowne he had bestowed upon him by Queene Elizabeth 3000. acres of land in the Countie of Corke There hee finished the later part of that excellent poem of his Faery Queene which was soone after unfortunately lost by the disorder and abuse of his servant whom he had sent before him into England being then a rebellibus as Camdens words are è laribus ejectus bonis spoliatus He deceased at Westminster in the yeare 1599. others have it wrongly 1598. soone after his returne into England and was buried according to his owne desire in the collegiat Church there neere unto Chaucer whom he worthily imitated at the costes of Robert Earle of Essex wherupon this Epitaph was framed Hîc prope Chaucerum situs est Spenserius illi proximus ingenio proximus ut tumulo Hîc prope Chaucerum Spensere poeta poetam conderis versu quà m tumulo propior Anglica te vivo vixit plausitque poesis nunc moritura timet te moriente mori As for his worke now published although it sufficiently testifieth his learning and deepe judgement yet we may wish that in some passages it had bin tempered with more moderation The troubles and miseries of the time when he wrote it doe partly excuse him And surely wee may conceive that if hee had lived to see these times and the good effects which the last 30. yeares peace have produced in this land both for obedience to the lawes as also in traffique husbandry civility learning he would have omitted those passages which may seeme to lay either any particular aspersion upon some families or generall upon the Nation For now we may truly say jam cuncti gens una sumus and that upon just cause those ancient statutes wherein the natives of Irish descent were held to be and named Irish enemies and wherein those of English bloud were forbidden to marry and commerce with them were repealed by act of Parlament in the raigne of our late Soveraigne King IAMES of ever blessed memory His proofes although most of them conjecturall concerning the
of the Lord deceased but the next to him of blood that is the eldest worthiest as commonly the next brother unto him if he have any or the next cousin or so forth as any is elder in that kinred or sept and then next to him doe they choose the next of the blood to be Tanist who shall next succeed him in the said Captainry if he live therunto Eudox. Doe they not use any ceremony in this election for all barbarous nations are commonly great observers of ceremonies and superstitious rites Iren. They vse to place him that shal be their Captaine upon a stone alwayes reserved for that purpose placed commonly upon a hill In some of which I have seen formed ingraven a foot which they say was the measure of their first Captaines foot whereon hee standing receive an oath to preserve all the auncient former customes of the Countrey inviolable and to deliver up the succession peaceably to his Tanist and then hath a wand delivered unto him by some whose proper office that is after which descending from the stone he turneth himselfe round thrice forward thrice backward Eudox. But how is the Tanist chosen Iren. They say he setteth but one foot upon the stone and receiveth the like oath that the Captaine did Eudox. Have you ever heard what was the occasion and first beginning of this custome for it is good to know the same and may perhaps discover some secret meaning and intent therein very materiall to the state of that government Iren. I have heard that the beginning cause of this ordinance amongst the Irish was specially for the defence and maintenance of their Lands in their posteritie and for excluding all innovation or alienation thereof unto strangers and specially to the English For when their Captaine dieth if the Signiorie should descend to his child he perhaps an Infant another peradventure step in between or thrust him out by strong hand being then unable to defend his right or to withstand the force of a forreiner and therfore they doe appoint the eldest of the kinne to have the Signiorie for that he commonly is a man of stronger yeares and better experience to maintain the inheritance and to defend the Countrey either against the next bordering Lords which use commonly to incroach one upon another as each one is stronger or against the English which they thinke lye still in waite to wype them out of their Lands and Territoryes And to this end the Tanist is alwayes ready knowne if it should happen the Captaine suddenly to dye or to be slaine in battell or to be out of the Countrey to defend and keepe it from all such doubts and dangers For which cause the Tanist hath also a share of the Country allotted unto him and certaine cuttings and spendings upon all the inhabitants under the Lord. Eudox. When I heard this word Tanist it bringeth to my remembrance what I have read of Tania that it should signifie a Province or Seigniorie as Aquitania Lusitania and Britania the which some thinke to be derived of Dania that is from the Danes but I thinke amisse But sure it seemeth that it came anciently from those barbarous nations that over-ranne the world which possessed those Dominions whereof they are now so called And so it may well be that from thence the first originall of this word Tanist and Tanistry came and the custome thereof hath sithence as many others els beene continued But to that generall subjection of the Land whereof wee formerly spake me seemes that this custome or tenure can be no barre nor impeachment seeing that in open Parliament by their said acknowledgment they waved the benefite thereof and submitted themselves to the benefite of their new Soveraigne Iren. Yea but they say as I earst tolde you that they reserved their titles tenures and Seigniories whole and sound to themselves and for proofe alledge that they have ever sithence remained to them untouched so as now to alter them should say they be a great wrong Eudox. What remedie is there then or meanes to avoide this inconvenience for without first cutting of this dangerous custome it seemeth hard to plant any sound ordenance or reduce them to a civill government since all their ill customes are permitted unto them Iren. Surely nothing hard for by this Act of Parliament whereof wee speake nothing was given to K. Henry which he had not before from his Auncestors but onely the bare name of a King for all other absolute power of principality he had in himselfe before derived from many former Kings his famous Progenitours and worthy Conquerors of that Land The which sithence they first conquered and by force subdued unto them what needed afterwards to enter into any such idle termes with them to be called their King when it is in the power of the Conqueror to take upon himself what title he will over his Dominions conquered For all is the Conquerours as Tully to Brutus faith Therefore me seemes instead of so great and meritorious a service as they boast they performed to the King in bringing all the Irish to acknowledge him for their Liege they did great hurt unto his Title and have left a perpetuall gall in the minde of the people who before being absolutely bound to his obedience are now tyed but with termes whereas else both their lives their lands and their liberties were in his free power to appoint what tenures what lawes what conditions hee would over them which were all his against which there could be no rightfull resistance or if there were he might when he would establish them with a stronger hand Eudox. Yea but perhaps it seemed better unto that noble King to bring them by their owne accord to his obedience and to plant a peaceable government amongst them then by such violent means to pluck them under Neither yet hath he therby lost any thing that he formerly had for having all before absolutely in his owne power it remaineth so still unto him he having thereby neither forgiven nor forgone any thing thereby unto them but having received somthing from them that is a more voluntary and loyall subjection So as her Majesty may yet when it shall please her alter any thing of those former ordinances or appoint other lawes that may be more both for her owne behoofe and for the good of that people Iren. Not so for it is not so easie now that things are growne unto an habit and have their certaine course to change the channell turne their streames another way for they may have now a colorable pretence to withstand such innovations having accepted of other lawes and rules already Eudox. But you say they do not accept of them but delight rather to leane to their old customes Brehon lawes though they be more unjust and also more inconvenient for the common people as by your late relation of them I have gathered As for the lawes of England
having beene once so low brought and thoroughly subjected they afterwards lifted up themselves so strongly againe and sithence doe stand so stiffely against all rule and government Iren. They say that they continued in that lowlinesse untill the time that the division between the two houses of Lancaster and Yorke arose for the Crowne of England at which time all the great English Lords and Gentlemen which had great possessions in Ireland repaired over hither into England some to succour their Friends here and to strengthen their partie for to obtaine the Crowne others to defend their lands and possessions here against such as hovered after the same upon hope of the alteration of the kingdome and successe of that side which they favoured and affected Then the Irish whom before they had banished into the mountaines where they lived onely upon whitt meates as it is recorded seeing now their lands so dispeopled and weakened came downe into all the plaines adjoyning and thence expelling those few English that remained repossessed them againe since which they have remained in them and growing greater have brought under them many of the English which were before their Lords This was one of the occasions by which all those Countreyes which lying neere unto any Mountaines or Irish desarts had beene planted with English were shortly displanted and lost As namely in Mounster all the lands adjoyning unto Slewlogher Arlo and the bog of Allon In Connaght all the Countries bordering upon the Curlues Mointerolis and Orourkes Countrey In Leinster all the lands bordering unto the Mountaines of Glanmalour unto Shillelah unto the Brackenah and Polmonte In Vlster all the Countreyes neere unto Tirconnel Tyrone and the Scottes Eudox. Surely this was a great violence but yet by your speach it seemeth that onely the Countreyes and valleyes neere adjoyning unto those mountaines and desarts were thus recovered by the Irish but how comes it now that we see almost all that Realme repossessed of them was there any more such evill occasions growing by the troubles of England Or did the Irish out of those places so by them gotten breake further and stretch themselves out thorough the whole land for now for ought that I can understand there is no part but the bare English Pale in which the Irish have not the greatest footing Iren. But out of these small beginings by them gotten neare to the mountaines did they spread themselves into the Inland and also to their further advantage there did other like unhappy accidents happen out of England which gave heart and good opportunity to them to regaine their old possessions For in the raigne of King Edward the fourth things remained yet in the same state that they were after the late breaking out of the Irish which I spake of and that noble Prince began to cast an Eye unto Ireland and to minde the reformation of things there runne amisse for he sent over his brother the worthy Duke of Clarence who having married the heire of the Earle of Vlster and by her having all the Earledome of Vlster and much in Meath and in Mounster very carefully went about the redressing of all those late evills and though he could not beate out the Irish againe by reason of his short continuance yet hee did shut them up within those narrow corners and glynnes under the mountaines foote in which they lurked and so kept them from breaking any further by building strong holdes upon every border and fortifying all passages Amongst the which hee repaired the Castle of Clare in Thomond of which Countrey he had the inheritance and of Mortimers lands adjoyning which is now by the Irish called Killaloe But the times of that good King growing also troublesome did lett the thorough reformation of all things And thereunto soone after was added another fatall mischeife which wrought a greater calamity then all the former For the said Duke of Clarence then Lord Lieutenant of Ireland was by practise of evill persons about the King his brother called thence away and soone after by sinister meanes was cleane made away Presently after whose death all the North revolting did set up Oneale for their Captaine being before that of small power and regard and there arose in that part of Thomond one of the O-Briens called Murrogh en-Ranagh that is Morrice of the Ferne or wast wilde places who gathering unto him all the reliques of the discontented Irish eftsoones surprised the said Castle of Clare burnt and spoyled all the English there dwelling and in short space possessed all that countrey beyond the River of Shanan and neere adjoyning Whence shortly breaking forth like a suddaine tempest he over-ran all Mounster and Connaght breaking downe all the holds and fortresses of the English defacing and utterly subverting all corporate Townes that were not strongly walled for those he had no meanes nor Engines to overthrow neither indeed would hee stay at all about them but speedily ran forward counting his suddennesse his most advantage that he might overtake the English before they could fortifie or gather themselves together So in short space hee cleane wyped out many great Townes as first Inchequin then Killalow before called Clariford also Thurles Mourne Buttevant and many others whose names I cannot remember and of some of which there is now no memory nor signe remaining Vpon report whereof there flocked unto him all the scumme of the Irish out of all places that ere long he had a mighty Army and thence marched foorth into Leinster where he wrought great out-rages wasting all the Countrey where he went for it was his policie to leave no hold behinde him but to make all plaine and waste In the which he soone after created himselfe King and was called King of all Ireland which before him I doe not reade that any did so generally but onely Edward le Bruce Eudox. What was there ever any generall King of all Ireland I never heard it before but that it was alwayes whilst it was under the Irish divided into foure and sometimes into five kingdomes or dominions But this Edward le Bruce what was hee that could make himselfe King of all Ireland Iren. I would tell you in case you would not challenge me anon for forgetting the matter which I had in hand that is the inconvenience and unfitnesse which I supposed to be in the lawes of the Land Eudox. No surely I have no cause for neither is this impertinent thereunto for sithence you did set your course as I remember in your first part to treate of the evils which hindered the peace and good ordering of that Land amongst which that of the inconvenience in the lawes was the first which you had in hand this discourse of the over-running wasting of the Realme is very materiall thereunto for that it was the begining of al the other evils which sithence have afflicted that land opened a way unto the Irish to recover their possession to beat out the English which had
Lordships to Feoffees in trust wherby he reserveth to himselfe but a state for terme of life which being determined either by the sword or by the halter their lands straight commeth to their heire and the Queen is defrauded of the intent of the Law which laide that grievous punishment upon Traytors to forfeite all their lands to the Prince to the end that men might the rather be terrified from committing treasons for many which would little esteeme of their owne lives yet for remorse of their wives and children would bee with-held from that haynous crime This appeared plainely in the late Earle of Desmond For before his breaking forth into open Rebellion hee had conveyed secretly all his lands to Feoffees of trust in hope to have cut off her Maiestie from the escheate of his Lands Eudox. Yea but that was well enough avoided for the Act of Parliament which gave all his lands to the Queene did as I have heard cut off and frustrate all such conveyances as had at any time by the space of twelve yeares before his rebellion beene made within the compasse whereof the fraudulent Feoffement and many the like of others his accomplices and fellow-traytors were contained Iren. Very true but how hardly that Act of Parliament was wrought out of them I can witnesse and were it to be passed againe I dare undertake it would never be compassed But were it also that such Acts might be easily brought to passe against Traytors and Fellons yet were it not an endlesse trouble that no Traitour or Fellon should be attainted but a Parliament must be called for bringing of his Lands to the Queene which the Common-Law giveth her Eudox. Then this is no fault of the Common Law but of the persons which worke this fraud to her Majestie Iren. Yes marry for the Common-Law hath left them this benefite whereof they make advantage and wrest it to their bad purposes So as thereby they are the bolder to enter into evill actions knowing that if the worst befall them they shall lose nothing but themselves whereof they seeme surely very carelesse Eudox. But what meant you of Fugitives herein Or how doth this concerne them Iren Yes very greatly for you shall understand that there bee many ill disposed and undutifull persons of that Realme like as in this point there are also in this Realme of England too many which being men of good inheritance are for dislike of Religion or danger of the law into which they are run or discontent of the present government fled beyond the seas where they live under Princes which are her M ties professed enemies converse are confederat with other traitors fugitives which are there abiding The which neverthelesse have the benefits profits of their lands here by pretence of such colourable conveyances thereof formerly made by them unto their privie Friends heere in trust who privily doe send over unto them the said Revenues wherwith they are there maintained and enabled against her Majestie Eudox. I doe not thinke that there be any such fugitives which are relieved by the profite of their Lands in England for there is a straighter order taken And if there bee any such in Ireland it were good it were likewise looked unto for this evill may easily be remedied But proceede Iren. It is also inconvenient in the Realme of Ireland that the Wards and Marriages of Gentlemens children should be in the disposition of any of those Irish Lords as now they are by reason that their Lands bee held by Knights service of those Lords By which means it comes to passe that those Gentlemen being thus in the ward of those Lords are not onely thereby brought up lewdly and Irish-like but also for ever after so bound to their services they will runne with them into any disloyall action Eudox. This greivance Iren. is also complained of in England but how can it be remedied since the service must follow the tenure of the lands and the lands were given away by the Kings of England to those Lords when they first conquered that Realme and to say troth this also would be some prejudice to the Prince in her wardshipps Iren. I doe not meane this by the Princes wards but by such as fall into the hands of Irish Lords for I could wish and this I could enforce that all those wardships were in the Princes disposition for then it might be hoped that she for the universall reformation of that Realme would take better order for bringing up those wards in good nurture and not suffer them to come into so bad hands And although these things bee already passed away by her Progenitours former grants unto those said Lords yet I could finde a way to remedie a great part thereof as hereafter when fit time serves shall appeare And since we are entred into speech of such graunts of former Princes to sundry persons of this Realme of Ireland I will mention unto you some other of like nature to this and of like inconvenience by which the former Kings of England passed unto them a great part of their prerogatives which though then it was well intended and perhaps well deserved of them which received the same yet now such a gapp of mischeife lyes open thereby that I could wish it were well stopped Of this sort are the graunts of Counties palatines in Ireland which though at first were granted upon good consideration when they were first conquered for that those lands lay then as a very border to the wild Irish subject to continuall invasion so as it was needfull to give them great priviledges for the defence of the Inhabitants thereof yet now that it is no more a border nor frontired with enemies why should such priviledges bee any more continued Eudox. I would gladly know what you call a County palatine and whence it so called Iren. It was I suppose first named palatine of a pale as it were a pale and defense to their inward lands so as it is called the English Pale and therefore is a Palsgrave named an Earle Palatine Others thinke of the Latine palare that is to forrage or out-run because those marchers and borderers use commonly so to doe So as to have a county palatine is in effect to have a priviledge to spoyle the enemies borders adjoyning And surely so it is used at this day as a priviledged place of spoiles and stealthes for the county of Tipperary which is now the onely countie palatine in Ireland is by abuse of some bad ones made a receptacle to rob the rest of the Counties about it by meanes of whose priviledges none will follow their stealthes so as it being situate in the very lap of all the land is made now a border which how inconvenient it is let every man judge And though that right noble man that is the Lord of the liberty do paine himselfe all he may to yeeld equall Iustice unto all yet can there not but great abuses
Countrey of warre as it is handled and allwayes full of Souldiours they which have the government whether they finde it the most ease to the Queenes purse or the most ready meanes at hand for victualing of the Souldiour or that necessity inforceth them thereunto doe scatter the Army abroad in the Countrey and place them in Villages to take their victuals of them at such vacant times as they lye not in Campe nor are otherwise imployed in service Another kinde of Cesse is the imposing of provision for the Governors house-keeping which though it be most necessary and be also for avoyding of all the evills formerly therein used lately brought to a composition yet it is not without great inconveniences no lesse then here in England or rather much more The like Cesse is also charged upon the Countrey sometimes for victualling of the Souldiours when they lye in Garrison at such times as there is none remayning in the Queenes store or that the same cannot be conveniently conveyed to their place of Garrison But these two are not easily to be redressed when necessity thereto compelleth but as for the former as it is not necessary so is it most hurtfull and offensive to the poore country and nothing convenient for the Souldiours themselves who during their lying at Cesse use all kinde of outragious disorder and villany both towards the poore men which victuall and lodge them as also to all the Country round about them whom they abuse oppresse spoyle afflict by all the meanes they can invent for they will not onely not content themselves with such victuals as their hostes nor yet as the place perhaps affords but they will have other meate provided for them and Aqua vitae sent for yea and money besides laide at their trenchers which if they want then about the house they walke with the wretched poore man and his silly wife who are glad to purchase their peace with any thing By which vile manner of abuse the countrey people yea and the very English which dwell abroad and see and sometimes feele this outrage growe into great detestation of the Souldiours and thereby into hatred of the very government which draweth upon them such evills And therefore this you may also ioyne unto the former evill customes which we have to reprove in Ireland Eudox. Truly this is one not the least and though the persons by whom it is used be of better note then the former roguish sort which you reckoned yet the fault me thinkes is no lesse worthy of a marshall Iren. That were a harder course Eudoxus to redresse every abuse by a marshall it would seeme to you very evill surgery to cut off every unsound or sicke part of the body which being by other due meanes recovered might afterwards doe very good service to the body againe and haply helpe to save the whole Therefore I thinke better that some good salve for the redresse of the evill bee sought forth then the least part suffered to perish but hereof wee have to speake in another place Now we will proceede to other like defects amongst which there is one generall inconvenience which raigneth almost throughout all Ireland that is the Lords of land and free-holders doe not there use to set out their land in farme or for tearme of yeares to their Tennants but onely from yeare to yeare and some during pleasure neither indeede will the Irish Tennant or husbandman otherwise take his land then so long as he list himselfe The reason hereof in the Tennant is for that the Land-lords there use most shamefully to racke their Tennants laying upon them Coigny and Livery at pleasure exacting of them besides his Covenants what he pleaseth So that the poore husbandman either dare not binde himselfe to him for longer tearme or thinketh by his continuall liberty of change to keepe his Land-lord the rather in awe from wronging of him And the reason why the Land-lord will no longer covenant with him is for that he dayly looketh after change and alteration and hovereth in expectation of new worlds Eudox. But what evill commeth hereby to the Common-wealth or what reason is it that any Land-lord should not set nor any Tennant take his land as himselfe list Iren. Marry the evils which commeth hereby is great for by this meanes both the Land-lord thinketh that he hath his Tennant more at commaund to follow him into what action soever hee shall enter and also the Tennant being left at his liberty is fit for every occasion of change that shall be offered by time and so much also the more ready and willing is he to runne into the same for that hee hath no such state in any his houlding no such building upon any farme no such coste imployed in fensing or husbanding the same as might with-hold him from any such willfull course as his Lords cause or his owne lewde disposition may carry him unto All which hee hath forborne and spared so much expence for that he had no firme estate in his Tenement but was onely a Tennant at will or little more and so at will may leave it And this inconvenience may be reason enough to ground any ordinance for the good of the Common-wealth against the private behoofe or will of any Landlord that shall refuse to graunt any such terme or estate unto his Tennant as may tende to the good of the whole Realme Eudox. Indeede me thinkes it is a great willfullnes in any such Land-lord to refuse to make any longer farmes unto their Tennants as may besides the generall good of the Realme be also greatly for their owne profit and availe For what reasonable man will not thinke that the Tenement shal be made much better for the Lords behoofe if the Tennant may by such good meanes bee drawne to build himselfe some handsome habitation thereon to ditch and inclose his ground to manure and husband it as good Farmours use For when his Tennants terme shal be expired it will yeeld him in the renewing his lease both a good fine and also a better rent And also it shall be for the good of the Tennant likewise who by such buildings and inclosures shall receive many benefits first by the handsomenesse of his house he shall take more comfort of his life more safe dwelling and a delight to keepe his said house neate and cleanely which now being as they commonly are rather swyne-styes then houses is the cheifest cause of his so beastly manner of life and savage condition lying and living together with his beast in one house in one roome in one bed that is cleane strawe or rather a foule dunghill And to all these other commodities hee shall in sort time finde a greater added that is his owne wealth and riches increased and wonderfully inlarged by keeping his Cattle in inclosures where they shall allwayes have fresh pasture that now is all trampled and over-runne warme covert that now lyeth open to all weather safe
broken of all the Lords and best Gentle-men of Fealtie to the Kings which now is no lesse needfull because many of them are suspected to have taken an other Oath privily to some bad purposes and thereupon to have received the Sacrament and beene sworne to a Priest which they thinke bindeth them more then their alleagiance to their Prince or love of their Countrey Eudox. This tything to the Common people and taking sureties of Lords and Gentlemen I like very well but that it wil be very troublesome should it not be as well for to have them all booked and the Lords Gentle-men to take all the meaner sort upon themselves for they are best able to bring them in whensoever any of them starteth out Iren. This indeed Eudoxus hath beene hitherto and yet is a common order amongst them to have all the people booked by the Lords and Gentlemen but yet the worst order that ever was devised for by this booking of men all the inferiour sort are brought under the command of their Lords and forced to follow them into any action whatsoever Now this you are to understand that all the Rebellions which you see from time to time happen in Ireland are not begun by the common people but by the Lords and Captaines of Countries upon pride or willfull obstinacy against the government which whensoever they will enter into they drawe with them all their people and followers which thinke themselves bound to goe with them because they have booked them and undertaken for them and this is the reason that in England you have few such bad occasions by reason that the noble men how ever they should happen to be evill disposed have no commaund at all over the Communalty though dwelling under them because that every man standeth upon himselfe and buildeth his fortunes upon his owne faith and firme assurance The which this manner of tything the poles will worke also in Ireland For by this the people are broken into many small parts like little streames that they cannot easily come together into one head which is the principall regard that is to be had in Ireland to keepe them from growing unto such a head and adhering unto great men Eudox. But yet I cannot see how this can bee well brought without doing great wrong unto the noble men there for at the first conquest of that Realme those great Seigniories and Lordships were given them by the king that they should bee the stronger against the Irish by the multitudes of followers and tennants under them All which hold their tenements of them by fealty and such services whereby they are by the first graunt of the King made bounden unto them and tyed to rise out with them into all occasions of service And this I have often heard that when the Lord Deputy hath raised any generall hostings the Noble men have claimed the leading of them by graunt from the Kings of England under the great Seale exhibited so as the Deputies could not refuse them to have the leading of them or if they did they would so worke as none of their followers should rise forth to the hostage Iren. You say very true but will you see the fruite of those grants I have knowne when those Lords have had the leading of their owne followers under them to the generall hostings that they have for the same cut upon every plowland within their country 40. shil or more whereby some of them have gathered above seven or eight hundred pounds and others much more into their purse in lieu whereof they have gathered unto themselves a number of loose Kearne out of all parts which they have carried forth with them to whom they never gave any penny of entertainement allowed by the Countrey or forced by them but let them feede upon the Countryes and extort upon all men where they come for that people will never aske better entertainement then to have a colour of service or imployment given them by which they will pole and spoyle so outragiously as the very enemy cannot doe much worse And they also sometimes turne to the enemy Eudox. It seemes the first intent of those graunts was against the Irish which now some of them use against the Queene her selfe But now what remedy is there for this or how can those graunts of the Kings be avoyded without wronging of those Lords which had those lands and Lordships given them Iren. Surely they may be well enough for most of those Lords since their first graunts from the Kings by which those lands were given them have sithence bestowed the most part of them amongst their Kinsfolke as every Lord perhaps hath given in his time one another of his principall Castles to his younger Sonne and other to others as largely and as amply as they were given to him and others they have sold and others they have bought which were not in their first graunt which now neverthelesse they bring within the compasse thereof and take and exact upon them as upon their first demeasnes all those kinde of services yea and the very wilde exactions Coignie Livery Sorehon and such like by which they pole and utterly undoe the poore Tennants and Free-houlders under them which either thorough ignorance know not their tenures or through greatnes of their new Lords dare not challenge them yea and some Lords of countryes also as great ones as themselves are now by strong hand brought under them and made their Vassalls As for example Arundell of the Stronde in the county of Corke who was aunciently a great Lord and was able to spend 3500. pounds by the yeare as appeareth by good Recordes is now become the Lord Barries man and doth to him all those services which are due unto her Majesty For reformation of all which I wish that there were a commission graunted forth under the great Seale as I have seene one recorded in the old Councell Booke of Mounster that was sent forth in the time of Sir William Drurie unto persons of speciall trust and judgement to inquire thoroughout all Ireland beginning with one county first and so resting a while till the same were settled by the verdict of a sound and substantiall Iury how every man houldeth his land of whom and by what tenure so that every one should be admitted to shew and exhibite what right he hath and by what services hee houldeth his land whether in cheife or in soccage or by Knights service or how else soever Thereupon would appeare first how all those great English Lords doe claime those great services what Seigniories they usurpe what wardships they take from the Queene what lands of hers they conceale and then how those Irish Captaines of Countryes have incroached upon the Queenes Free-holders and Tennants how they have translated the tenures of them from English houlding unto Irish Tanistry and defeated her Majesty of all her rights and dutyes which are to acrew to her thereout as wardships
through a pleasant Plaine Till with the Fanchin she her selfe doe wed And both combin'd themselves in one faire river spred Nath'lesse Diana full of indignation Thence-forth abandond her delicious brooke In whose sweet streame before that bad occasion So much delight to bathe her limbes she tooke Ne onely her but also quite forsooke All those faire forrests about Arlo hid And all that Mountaine which doth over-looke The richest champain that may else be rid And the faire Shure in which are thousand Salmons bred Them all and all that she so deare did way Thence-forth she left and parting from the place Thereon an heavy haplesse curse did lay To weet that Wolves where she was wont to space Should harbour'd be and all those Woods deface And Thieves should rob and spoile that Coast around Since which those Woods and all that goodly Chase Doth to this day with Wolves and Thieves abound Which too-too true that lands in-dwellers since have found To the right honourable Thomas Earle of Ormond and Ossory REceive most noble Lord a simple taste Of the wild fruit which savage soyle hath bred Which being through long warres left almost waste With brutish barbarisme is overspred And in so faire a Land as may be red Not one Parnassus nor one Helicon Left for sweet Muses to be harboured But where thy selfe hast thy brave mansion There indeed dwell faire Graces many one And gentle Nymphes delights of learned wits And in thy person without Paragone All goodly bounty and true honour sits Such therefore as that wasted soyle doth yield Receive deare Lord in worth the fruit of barren field E. S. To the most renowned valiant Lord Arthur Lord Grey of VVilton Knight of the noble order of the Garter c. MOst noble Lord the pillor of my life And Patron of my Muses pupillage Through whose large bountie poured on me rife In the first season of my feeble age I now doe live bound yours by vassalage Sith nothing ever may redeeme or reave Out of your endlesse debt so sure a gage Vouchsafe in worth this small gift to receive Which in your noble hands for pledge I leave Of all the rest that I am tyde t' account Rude rimes the which a rustick Muse did weave In savage soyle far from Parnasso mount And roughly wrought in an unlearned Loome The which vouchsafe deare Lord your favourable doome E. S. To the right noble Lord and most valiant Captaine Sir Iohn Norris Knight Lord President of Mounster VVHo ever gave more honourable prize To the sweet Muse then did the Martiall crew That their brave deeds she might immortalize In her shrill tromp and sound their praises dew Who then ought more to favour her then you Most noble Lord the honour of this age And Precedent of all that Armes ensue Whose warlike prowesse and manly courage Tempred with reason and advizement sage Hath filld sad Belgick with victorious spoile In France and Ireland left a famous gage And lately shak't the Lusitanian soile Sith then each where thou hast disspred thy fame Love him that hath eternized your name E. S. A translation made ex tempore by Mr Edm. Spenser upon this distich written on a Booke belonging to the right honorable Richard Earle of Corke c. NVlla dies pereat pereat pars nulla dieâ— Ne tu sic pereas ut periêre dies LEt no day passe passe no part of the day Lest thou doe passe as dayes doe passe away Verses upon the said Earles Lute VVHilst vitall sapp did make me spring And leafe and bough did flourish brave I then was dumbe and could not sing Ne had the voice which now I have But when the axe my life did end The Muses nine this voice did send E. S. This Booke includeth the first part of Cambrensis devided by him into 3 distinctions Which was delivered me by Iames Stanihurst Lagenia Conatia Hultonia Momonia Mediâ— Leinster An. Philip Mar. 3o. 4o. Irish families taken out of S. Henry Sidneys collections Dublinum Lib. fl Suir fl Meath Irish families Connaght Galvia Irish fam Ororicke Vlster Boyn fl Lacus â—oilus Dist. 1. Mounster Shanon fl Irish families Bishops in Ireland Bern. in vita Malach. An. 1148. Province of Ardmagh Dublin an 1212. S. Pat. booke of Recordeâ— Cashell Tuam English pale Flatsbury Stowe Flatsbury Baron of Aâ—ry Baron of Ardigh Baronets Gentlemen most ancient in Ireland of English bloud Aquavitae Camb. part 1. Io. Bohem. lib. 3 c. 26. Munst. lib. 1. Dist. 3. lib. 12.32 Barnacles Anseres arborei Volat. lib. 3. de grege Camb. dist 1. lib. 1. Anglor hist. cap. 1. I le of Man Gathelus Simon Brecke Epiph. cont heros l. â— tom 1. Munst. l. 2. Irish tongue Hibernia Irlamale Fab. part â— cap. 32. Hiberus in Cign cant Pliny writeth it Iuuernia Ibernis Iuerland Iâ—â—land Io. Ma. Sco. l. 1. c. 9. Old customes of the Irish. Epistle of an Irish Monke In praefat l. 1. dec 1. Cesara An. Dom. 1656 Rab. Isaac in Gen. 5. Anno mundi 1957. after the best authors which make 300. yeares and not 100 betweene Noes floud and Babeâ—l Bastolenus Clem. recogn l. 4. Giants first in Ireland Clem recognit l. 4. Gen. 9. Anno mundi 2257. Ruanus who is of some thought to be Fin Macoole Gen. 5. Gen. 10. Anno Mundi â—â—17 Nemodus Ann. mundi 2714. The sonnes of Dela Cantredes Meth. Ann. mundi 2800. Brennus Hector Boâ—th l. 1. Hist. Scot. Ioh. Major de gestis Scot. lib. 1. cap. 9. Gathelus Exod. 14. Hector Boeth lib. 1. Ann. mundi 2642. Hiberus and Hirimon The head Captaine was Bartholmew as many Authors affirme Fab. part 2. Grafton p. 60. Ann. mundi 3â—92 Severall Kingdomes in Ireland An. Dom 120. Bed l. 1. c. 1. Picts Ioh. Maior de gest Scot l. 1. c. 10. The words of Roderick King of Picts The Answer Iohn Stow. Bede lived an Dom. 7â—0 Anno Mundi 57â—7 ante Christum 330. Ioh. Major lib. 2. cap. 1. An. Dom. 160. Ioh Major l. 1. cap. 11. Bed l 1. c. 1. Rheuda Ioh. Maior de gest Scot. l. 5 c. 15. Lucan li. 5. An. Dom. 2â—8 An. Dom. 353. To. Maior li. 2. c. 1. An. Dom. 398. An. Dom. 423· Distinct. 3. Ioh Major l. 1. cap. 10. Pol. l. 1. Angl. hist. An. Dom. 42â— Nicephor l. 14· cap. 40· Plat. in Caelestin 1. Vita S. Patricij Ioh. Major l. â— cap 2. Prosp. Aquit in Chroni The life of S. Patrick Ioselin of Furness Ex Epist. Patricij An. Dom. 386. An Dom· 430. An. Dom. 492. Polichro l. 1. ca. 35. Trevis ibid. Distinct 3.6 Brigid Colum. Ex Vitis sanctorum Hiberniae An. Dom. 439. An Dom. 4â—8 Senanus An. Dom. 493. Brendan An. Dom 456. Edan or Madoc Molingus Fintan Malachias· An. Dom. 1014 Bernard in vita Malach. Banchor 1148. King of Mounster 586. Careticus K. of Brittaine Turgesius â—10 Turgesius murdered The words of O-malaghlien King of Meth. Waterford Limericke Dublin 1050.
forthwith take our own armour and weapons against us well well the Mouse is in the cubbord the Fire is in the lappe and the Serpent is in the bosome the enemie is at hand ready to oppresse his adversarie and the guest is in place with small curtesie to requite his host If our enemies when they come in good array and well appointed to give the onset and to wage battel against us if they should happen to have the victorie the vpperhand over us would they deale in pitty and mercy would they grant us our lives would they put us to ransome Tush what needs many words when the deeds are apparent our victory is to bee used that the destruction of these few may bee a terror to many whereby all others and this wild and rebellious nation may take example and bewar how they meddle and encounter with us of two things we are to make choice of one for either we must valiantly and couragiously stand to performe what we have taken in hand and all fond pitty set aside boldly and stoutly to overthrowe and vanquish this rebellious and stubborne people or if we shall after the mind and opinion of Reimond altogether be pittiful and full of mercy we must hoise up our sailes and returne home leaving both the Country and all that we have already gotten to this miserable and wretched people When Herveie had made an end of his speech they put it to voyces and the voyces went on Herveis side whereupon the Captaines as men condemned were brought to the Rockes and after their Limbs were broken they were cast head long into the Seas and drowned every mothers sonne Vpon the 23. of August being Saint Bartholomewes Eeve and yeere aforesaid to wit Anno 1170. Richard surnamed Strangbow Earle of Strigulia whose original and of-spring in another place herafter if God permit shall bee laid downe landed in the Haven of Waterford where Dermos Mac Morogh Robert Fitz Stephens and Maurice Fitz Gerauld and Reimond le Grosse met him and joyned their forces together Reimond le Grosse was made generall of the field they tooke small rest after their arrivall for upon Bartholomew day being tuesday with Banners displayed in good aray they assaulted the City by water and by land the townesmen manfully defended themselves and gave them two repulses Reimond having compassed the towne espied without adjoyning unto the towne wall where now standeth a strong Bulwarke an old Cabban propped with old timber and entred into the old wall the which proppes they sawed asunder then downe falleth the cabban and withall a great part of the wall the breach thus made the Brittains doe enter and in the streets kill man woman and child and there left them in heapes In Reignald tower upon the wall of the tower they found one Reignald I take it the tower beareth the name of him and Omalaghlin Ophelim Lord of the Decies whose lives Dermot Mac Morogh saved they found there other two whom they put to the sword they rifled the houses they ransacked the City they made havock of all lastly they left there a strong ward Then according to precedent covenants Dermot gave his daughter Eva in marriage to Richard Strangbow and after solemnity thereof they all marched with their forces towards Dublin For Dermot bare them a deadly hatred and hitherto winked at them untill further oportunity served for the villany and cruelty they shewed to his father the townsmen of Dublin foreseeing his revenging mind procured to their aid as many as they could throughout the land they trenched they plashed in paces streets and narrow places all the wayes along to Waterford to hinder their march Dermot was not ignorant thereof whereupon he led the army from out the common and beaten way through the Mountaines of Glandelogh and came safe to the walles of Dublin There the Citizens sent messengers to intreat for peace and amongst others Laurence O Toole Arcbishop of Dublin while they parled without for peace Sir Remond le grosse and Sir Miles Cogan scaled the wals for saith Cambrensis they were more desirous to fight under Mars in the field then in the Senate to sit with Iupiter in Councell they made a breach they enter the Citie they put all to the sword in the meane while Hastulphus the Commander of the City with a great many of the better sort with their Riches and Iewels escaped and fled by the Sea to the North Ilands When the Earle had spent a few daies in the towne he left Miles Cogan Governour therof and by the perswasion of Dermot Mac Morogh he drew his forces into Meth to be avenged of Ororicke whom some call Morice some Murdich who was the cause of his exile and whose wife Dermot had formerly taken away The Earle no sooner entred the Countrey but the Army was given wholly to the spoile they robbed they spoiled they burned and wasted all before them Roderic King of Conoght and Monarch of Ireland seeing his neighbours house set one fire thought it high time to looke to his owne and wrotte to Dermot Mac Morogh contrary to the order of Peace formerly concluded thou hast procured and allured a swarme and multitude of strangers to invade this land all the while thou didst containe thy selfe within compasse of thine owne territories we winked at thy proceedings but forasmuch as now thou not caring for thy oath nor regarding the safety of thy hostages hast so fondly and falsly passed thy bounds I require thee that thou wouldest retire and withdraw these excourses and inrodes of strangers or else to begin I will not faile to cut off thy sonnes head and send it to thee with speed Dermot despised the messenger and would scarce vouchsafe to reade his letter upon the messengers returne Roderic was mad and in his rage caused his pledges head the sonne of Dermot Mac Morogh to be cut off In this troublesome time the Primate of Armagh called the Prelates and Clergie to a Synod at Armagh assembled a Councell where according to their wisedomes they endeavoured to finde out the cause of these miseries that fell upon the land they inquired not whether the Bishops had bought their Bishoprickes for money whether their Parsons did pray whether their Ministers were lettered what whoredome symony or lechery with other enormities raigned among the Clergie but simply like themselves posted over all to the Laytie and concluded insipienter that the iust plague fell upon the people for merchandizing of the English nation for then they bought and sold of the English birth such as they found and made them bondslaves so they served Saint Patricke called the Apostle of Ireland who was a bondman sixe yeeres in Ireland but Patricke preached Christ and the English nation reformed the land Here the sacred letters reconcile all the stone which the builders refused is become the corner stone and why so the answer followeth it is the Lords doing and it is marvellous in our eyes
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