so small a tract of time and circumstances of Ireland I think he would not judge amiss that took it for one of the very last warnings from Heaven to this Nation that the Anger of God was now on the point of overcoming all his patience and his rage and fury at hand since nothing else would do * And indeed it ought the rather to be taken so because that much contrary to Ketings relation so good an Author as Tigernacus many hundred years before his time has told us that the shower of Blood fell in the Reign of this Niall and that the three showers fallen at his Birth were one of Honey one of Silver and one of Wheat Certainly the sequel did soon evince it to have been so 26. For not long after that Prodigious Thunder and Lightning which hapned in the Reign of Aodh Ordnigh the patience of God being wearied and his justice inrag'd by the unreclaimable contumacy of that People he call'd out of their Northern Enclosures his exterminating Angels the Heathen Danes Norvegians and other Easternlings and in the same Reign of Aodh Ordnigh pour'd them in on Ireland to execute on the Christian Irish those very heaviest of Judgments that either such former Warnings would have prevented or such later Prodigies had predicted or that any People in the World for so many years after did suffer Except only those if any such have been whom God design'd to extinguish totally root and branch or the incredulous Jews that must be still preserv'd though still dispers'd among all Nations to be a living Monument of Gods Vengeance on the unpardonable sin of their Ancestors But the sin of the Irish how heinous soever was not of that kind nor was it the design of God to extinguish or extirpate them yet And yet this first War of the Danes upon them besides its having fully paid all their old scores to God that is abundantly punish'd them for above 40 years at least in the very same methods they had offended him and therefore covered all their Provinces with blood and ashes and horrors of death without any discrimination of People or Professions or Parties it reduced them at last to a bondage and slavery far surpassing the Egyptian Circassian or any other I have read of any where on earth For to pass over the life worse than death that those of their Church-men that escaped the Sword were forc'd unto and in particular how Foranan with a few more of the Clergy of Ardmagh * Gracianus Lucius p. 328. relates this matter otherwise He says that Turgesius having taken the City of Ardmagh in the year 843. or 848. made Foranan and all the Clergy and Religious men and all the rest of the Students too of that University Prisoners and Ship'd them all for Limmeric which his People held in their possession at that time What became of them there or any where else after that time we have no account having fled so far as Cashel first and together with the Archbishop of that See and his Clergy too thence again to the horrible habitation of Bogs Woods Rocks and Subterranean Caves about or not far off Jomlaigh Jobhair must have been content to hide themselves there and even to luâ—k for several years like wild Beasts But I say to pass over this condition of their Church-men only wherever any of them did scape the Sword who cannot but be astonisht at the particulars of their bondage in general These particulars I have omitted before and therefore give them now for better satisfaction to the Reader 1. Every Canthred or Division of ground containing one of our Baronies had a Danish King every Tuath or Seigniory a Chieftain every Church a Lay-Danish Heathen Abbot every Town a Serjeant every House a Souldier Cess'd the Irish call'd him a Sairioch or Buanna all of 'em Danes and each commanding absolutely within his own Precinct only subordinate respectively to the higher till they came to the Supream who was Turgesius himself 2. The very Buanna did so command the House wherein he was Cess'd that not so much as an Egg or cup of Milk could be disposed of till he had been serv'd though in the mean time a Sucking Babe did perish for want of it And if his Host had but one Cow in the World he must have kill'd her upon demand to give him flesh Or failing therein or in any other thing demanded of him he was presently taken and lead away Prisoner to the next Danish Rath where he was sure to be detain'd in Fetters till he had fully satisfied all the Buanna ' s demands either of Victuals Money or any thing else whatever 3. Every House-keeper must have yearly paid into the Treasury an ounce of Gold the Irish call'd it Vinghe Oir and failing have his Nose cut off which made them call this kind of Tax Nose-rent 4. Neither Lord nor Lady much less an inferior person suffer'd to wear new Cloaths but only the Cast-cloaths of the Danes 5. None to keep School or be taught any kind of Learning not even in their own Houses 6. None to enter any Monastery Church or Chappel for they were all possess'd by the Danes 7. None to have either Clergy-man or any other Learned man Philosopher Poet Lawyer or other Artist whom they call Sruithe 8. None suffer'd to have any kind of Book but all Books the Danes could light upon either burn'd or taken away by them 9. Neither Lords nor Princes nor even Kings Daughters permitted to embroider in Gold or Silver or so much as work in any kind of Silk 10. Nor even Kings Sons to learn or use any feats of activity 11. None of what quality soever permitted to give or take any kind of entertainment not even from or with his private Familiars but all of 'em must e'â— have contented themselves with the Leavings of the Danes I say nothing of that other barbarous Imposition forc'd on every Bridâ— at her first Marriage to lye the first night with the Danish Captain of the Precinct before she had Bedded her Husband if the Captain desired it but if he did not or dislik'd her in either case to pay him a certain Tax in Money How much this Money was I cannot say Tho I have known a custom derived thence to have been continued in my own time by a Christian Landlord of English extraction one Mr. Scurlog who was commonly call'd Scurlog the Poet a Gentleman of two or three hundred a year in the County of Wexford To whom every Maid living upon his Land when she was Married was bound to pay and accordingly did pay half a Crown English money if he did not remit it However I pass over that Heathen Danish Original of this Un-christian custom because I find nothing of it in Doctor Keting Those other manifold particulars of the Irish bondage undoubtedly true besides all their riches lost and all their best blood spill'd and all their Provinces and Countries laid
consequence would not be govern'd not even in Ecclesiastical affairs but by some of their own without dependance on any other except only the Prelat of that See which from the beginning of Christianity had prescribed some right over them all But enough on this Subject relating to Malachias the former of those two extraordinary Saints rais'd by God in the decrepit Age of the Irish Monarchy The later of them was a Leinster man of Noble Descent his Irish name and sirname Laurace O Tuathil in English Laurence Tool his Father Muirchiortach O Tuathil Lord of Imaile and peradventure some other small adjoyning Tracts in the County of Wickloe his Mother Inghin J. Bhrian i. e. one of O Brian's Daughters and he the youngest of all their Children But for the name of Laurence a name so unusual in that Countrey then 't was given him on this occasion Being born his Father sent him to be Christened at Kildare by Donachadh Lord of that Countrey of purpose to let him know by this Gossipred he was reconciled to him for before they had been at some distance and therefore those that carried the Child were commanded by the Father to Christen him Conchabhar this being that Nobleman's surname who was to be Godfather But a person reputed in that Countrey then such an other as Merlin had been of old among the Brittans meeting them in the High-way charg'd them to call him Laurence assuring them he would himself that night excuse them to their Lord and then adding prophetically in Irish Verse This Child shall be great on Earth and glorious in Heaven he shall command over great multitudes both of rich and poor and Laurence shall be his name When he was but ten years old his Father delivered him an Hostage to Diarmuid the King of Leinster In which condition notwithstanding the innocency of his Age he suffer'd incredible miseries even to extream want of Raiment and Food in a desert place among barbarous people where he had been for two years confined At the expiration of which being return'd back in exchange of other Prisoners though not delivered to the Father himself but to the Bishop of Gleann-da-Logh and his Father coming on the twelfth day not only to see him but to desire the Bishop to learn of God by Lot which of his children he should dedicate to an Ecclesiastick Life and he taking this opportunity and telling his Father That with his leave he himself would be that Child the Father surpriz'd with joy takes him presently by the right hand and offers him up perpetually to God in that holy place dedicated to St. Keuin both Cathedral Church and Abbey the one govern'd by a Bishop the other by an Abbot Where Laurence proves in a little time so singular a proficient in all Virtue that the Abbot dying the unanimous consent both of the Monks and Nobles of the Countrey Voted him Abbot and forc'd him to accept of it in the 25th year of his Age. And now it begun to appear more eminently what spirit he was of For the more he was honour'd the more he abased himself the stricter guard he kept on all his senses and the more intent he was upon his holy ascetick Exercises Above all that Virtue which is the bond of perfection that Virtue which shall never be evacuated but after Faith and Hope are ended shall remain that Virtue which by relieving the afflictions of other mortals makes the Reliever a God to them as Pliny speaks in his Panegyrick to Trajan Charity I mean did at this time shew what power she had over the Soul of Laurence He was no sooner made Abbot than a general Famine oppressing all that Countrey four years continually he no less continually employ'd himself in relieving all that were in want especially the poorer sort with corn and cattel and all the Revenues of his Abbey Revenues that were very great yea far surpassing those of the Bishoprick Nor must we admire they should be so It was one of the most famous ancient Monasteries of the Kingdom founded at first by St. Keuin as we call him but the Irish Ceaghin the Latins Coenginus a person though illustrious for his Royal extraction yet much more celebrated as well for the admirable austerity of his Life as for his manifold prodigious Miracles which made him after his death be assumed Patron both of the Town Abbey Cathedral Church and whole Diocess of Gleann-da-Loch where he lived and died Besides none but Noblemen's children were elected Abbots and the Noblemen themselves of the whole Diocess had by ancient custom their Voices in the election of them as well as the Monks However the large Revenues of the Abbey as they came short of the necessities of the poor in that long and general Famine so they did of the charity of Laurence as may be well concluded out of what follows hereafter Much about the time this Famine had ended the Bishop of Gleann-da-Loch dying he was chosen to succeed But notwithstanding all the importunity of the Electors he declined it though pretending only his un-Canonical Age. Yet so he could not soon after the Archbishoprick of Dublin For Gregory the First Archbishop of this See being dead Laurence by the unanimous consent of the Clergy and People of Dublin says Waraeus was elected Commentar de Praesul Hiber Archbishop and being at last by continual importunities drawn to yield was consecrated at Dublin by Gelasius Primat of Ardmagh and other Bishops Anno 1162. just fourteen years after the death of Malachias in France What more Waraeus thought fit to record of him is That presently after consecration he changed the secular Canons of his Cathedral Church into Regular of the Order of Aroasia whose habit and rule of Life himself also took upon him now That about eleven years after he built the Choire and Steeple with an other addition of three new Chappels to Trinity Church in that City That in the Year 1179. he went to the General Council held then at Rome under Alexander III. That according to the Author of his Life he was there made Legat of Ireland by that Pope soon after return'd back and exercis'd his Legatin Authority in Ireland That Gerald L. 2. expugn Hib. c. 23. Barry commonly call'd Cambrensis seems to intimate he never had been permitted to return to Ireland sed ob privilegia aliqua zelo suae Gentis impetrata but for some priviledges obtain'd from the Pope in that Council for his Countrey prejudicial to the Royal power of Henry II. was detained a long time partly in England partly in France until at last falling sick in his Journey he died at Auge in Normandy the 14th of Novemb. 1180. or as others have it 1181. Finally that in the Year 1225. he was canonized by Pope Honorius III. and his Relicks translated to Trinity Church in Dublin Which being the brief account given by Waraeus of this great Servant of God he leaves us for the rest that is
that Nation at least of such as relate to their Monarchs And because all reason tells us that the Irish Antiquaries who give in a manner the most minute particulars of all the Invasions and Fights in that Countrey either amongst their own Princes or against Foreiners and Battels lost and Victories obtain'd at any time under any of the several Monarchs of Ireland for much above two thousand years until the English Conquest an 1152. would never have omitted at least these mighty Victories told us by Hanmer which if true would much more have made for the glory of their Nation than many or most or perhaps any of those other so exactly and minutely too not a few of them related in their Chronicles Secondly because of all these following particulars than which nothing is more clear and uncontested in all the Irish Chronicles or Histories that are not known Romances 49. For they particularly and unanimously tell us in the first place what in effect I have said before viz. that Gathelus himself otherwise by them and in their Languages named Gacidheal and surnamed Glas from whom originally the whole both Milesian and other Gathelian Irish descended and are therefore jointly callâ—d in Irish Clanna Gaoidheal i. e. the children of Gathelus not only never came to Ireland nay nor into Spain neither but was no where on Earth living some hundreds of years before Mileadh or Milesius was born That under Pharaoh Cingeris he was born in Egypt though begotten by Niall Brother to the King of Scythia That his Father Niull was both contemporary and acquainted with Moses and offered to do him service kindness too when the Children of Israel were upon the banks of the Red Sea to cross it over Niull being then by Pharaoh's gift possessor and Lord of a large Countrey near that place where the Israelites encamp'd at that time That as the Father Niull so the Son Gaodheal or Gathelus and children after him continued in Egypt until Pharaoh Intius banish'd the whole Race of them away and forc'd them to seek their Adventures elsewhere under the conduct of Sruth the son of Easruth son to the said Gathelus or Gaodheal Glas. That Mileadh or Milesius whose posterity long after invaded conquered and possess'd Ireland was the nineteenh Generation from the said Gathelus and Pharaoh Nectanibus being the XVth Pharaoh after Cingeris who had been drown'd in the Red Sea was the King of Egypt who gave his Daughter to Milesius in marriage That although it be from the said Gaodheal Glas the Milesian Race in Ireland and Race also of their Cosins that came with them out of Spain and those and these only of all the Irish be properly called Gaoidhil or Clanna Gaoidheal i. e. the children or descendants of Gathelus yet tste Irish Language is not from him called Gaodhealc but from an other Gathelus or Gaodheal former to him another I mean who either compos'd or at least refin'd and distinguish'd it into those five several different idioms or dialects for Poetry Law Genealogy c. so hard to be understood all of them by any one man that they would require the whole Age of a man to attain unto them Lastly that the posterity of the later Gaodheal I mean Gaodheal Glas and of his Wife Scota at least so called viz. the Milesian Race their Cosins had been possessors of Ireland near 1320 years before the birth Christ In which account or period of time even Cambrensis himself and Polichronicon agree as we have seen before page 6. And therefore that story of Hanmer derived from Harding and Meuin telling us of Gathelus and Scotas coming to these Northern parts or landing in Ireland anno Christi 75. must be one of the most ridiculous stories in the world They were dead well nigh two thousand years before and in their life-time never left Egypt for ought that may be known of them In the next place they tell us that Bartolanus whom they call Partholan enter'd planted and possess'd Ireland anno Mundi 1956. that is about 300 years after the Flood Argument enough that Hanmer knew nothing of the Irish History when he joyn'd together Bartolanus and the Milesian off spring as being of a company and entring Ireland at the same time for this also he does And yet we have seen before that the Milesians came not to Ireland before the year of the World 2736. that is 731 years after Bartolanus had setled there 50. Besides they tell us particularly and unanimously that as we have often seen already in that year of the World 2736. and before Christ 1308 years those Iherians the sons of Milesius landed and conquer'd Ireland How then could they be conducted thither and assign'd that Countrey for their Habitation by Gurguntius King of Great Brittain He was not in being then nor in many Ages after I am sure he was not King of Great Brittain by Hanmer's own relation until the year of the World 3580. Nor was he Conductor of those Iberians to Ireland nor did they swear allegiance to him until the year of the World 3592 and before the birth of Christ 376 according to Campions account That is full 858 years after they had conquer'd that Kingdom And therefore I need not quarrel either Campion or Hanmer about their relating those Iberians or Spaniards before their passing to Ireland to have dwell'd in Gascoign or towards Baiona or within the jurisdiction of that so great and Capital a City then though it be not true Nor need I expostulate with them about their affirming that Gurguntius had the Sovereign Rule of that Countrey and City and consequently of these very Milesians when they dwelt thereabouts before their adventuring to Ireland Enough is said already to ruin this whole story And by consequence enough to overthrow all the supports of that pretended subjection of Ireland to Gurguntius But if I mind you once more that Polichronicon nay Cambrensis himself who is the Ringleader as in many other so particularly in this matter to Campion Hanmer and other late Authors confesses the landing of those Iberians in Ireland full 1800 years before the mission of St. Patrick to Ireland by Celestinus in the year of Christ 431. then I doubt whether I have not said more than enough on the Subject I am sure that by this very computation or confession of Cambrensis and their own account of the year before Christ wherein Hanmer and Campion say Gurguntius met those Iberians at Sea this year before Christ and this meeting of Gurguntius at Sea must be later by a whole thousand years of the World than that assign'd by Cambrensis for the conquest made on Ireland by the same Iberians Moreover the Irish Antiquaries no less particularly tell us that Criossan Niad Nar was Monarch of Ireland Keting when our Saviour was born That this divine Generation happened in the 12th year of his Reign and his Reign lasted in all but four years more That
immediately after the great Victory got by Him over the remainders of the Nation call'd Fir-bholg who till then had kept and inhabited that Tract of ground where this Lake did so burst forth on a sudden and consequently That it happen'd before the year of the World 3751. because according to to the Irish Chronology Fiacha Laurainne came to the Crown of Ireland by killing his Predecessor Eochuidh Fuibherghlas in the year of the World 3727. and held it twenty years more or rather to the year of the World 3751. when himself was likewise kill'd by Eochuidh Mumho that succeeded him in the Sovereignty 3. That such and so early to have been the original of this Lake without either bestiality or Well or other enormous or miraculous cause mention'd by any Irish Records or Books Amhirgin the son of Amhalgadh mhic Mholruana had delivered in the Etymological Book which he not only compos'd of all the chief places Countreys Tracts of Ireland but rehears'd before Diarmuid O Cearbheoil the Monarch and other Princes and Peers of the Nation assembled together at Tarach about the year of Christ 500 adding withal in the same Book that some former Historians were of opinion This Lake had a long time yea many Ages after the beginning taken its denomination of Erne a Maid servant to the famous Meabh Chruachain Queen of Connaght drown'd therein Which Meabh Chruachain was Daughter to Eochuidh Feilioch the Monarch Author of the Pentarchy who ended both his Reign and life in the year of the World 5069. that is according to the account follow'd by Lucius a hundred and thirty one years before the Incarnation of our Lord. 4. That hence appears not only the falsity of the Relation it self but the Ignorance of the Relatour Cambrensis in the History of Ireland where he says That Church-Towers were seen in that Lake he describes to have had so prodigious an original insinuating hereby as if Loch Ern had its beginning after the plantation of Christianity in that Kingdom Whereas we have now seen it was broke out even 1427. before the very birth of Christ which was in the year of the World 5199. Besides it is most certain that those high round narrow Towers of stone built cylinder-wise whereof Cambrensis speaks were never known or built in Ireland as indeed no more were any Castles Houses or even Churches of stone at least in the North of Ireland before the year of Christ 838. when the Heathen Danes possessing a great part of that Countrey built them in several places to serve themselves as Watch-Towers against the Natives Though ere long the Danes being expuls'd the Christian Irish turn'd them to another and much better because a holy use that is to Steeple-Houses or Bell-Fries to hang Bells in for calling the People to Church From which later use made of them it is that ever since to this present they are call'd in Irish Cloctheachs that is Bell-Fries or Bell-Houses Cloc or Clog signifying a Bell and Teach a House in that Language And further yet my Author Gratianus Lucius adds out of the undoubted Monuments or Lives both of Columb Cille and S. Patrick that even as early as either of those holy men's time Loch Erne was the same it is now For O Donel writes in his Life of Columb Cill l. 1. c. 88. That S. Columb by his special blessing and Prayer to God obtained not only that fecundity of Fish to the Lake which ever since it has been blessed with but that the cataract or Fall of it should be lower than it was before whereby the leap of the Salmon became easier And S. Ewin writes part 2. c. 110. of S. Patric's Life that this great Apostle of Ireland to punish the frowardness of the Lord of the Countrey next adjoyning to the Northern side of this Lake curs'd the same side of it and so bereav'd it of its former fruitfulness Out of which Narrations or Lives whatsoever may be said or thought of the Miracles it is plain enough that so long before these narrow high round Turrets built by the Danes Loch Erne was the same it is at present 5. That Ptolomee who flourish'd about the year of Christ 153. describes Loch Erne in the same manner and place the modern Geographers do calling also the Inhabitants of that Tract Erdini 6. That nothing can be more clear and manifest than Girald and Cambden's contradicting one another or certainly both truth and experience each of them For Cambrensis plainly says that the River of Ban flows out of the Lake he reports to have had the foresaid prodigious original and Cambden no less plainly and positively averrs that Lake which had so strange a beginning to be the Lake Erne and yet all Ireland knows and Cambden himself in several places though more perceptibly to the eye in his Map of Ireland shews that the said River Ban flows not out of Loch Ern but out of another by name Loch Neauch which is at least threescore miles from the Lake Ern. 7. And lastly that there are no such Irish Annals known or heard of in Ireland which impute either that cause or effect of it whereof Cambden speaks to those Hebridians mention'd by him or to any other People or Nation whatsoever So that out of all we may safely conclude the whole Relation of the foresaid infamous Original of Loch Erne to be no better than an old Wives Tale. Which after I had lighted by chance on Gratianus I thought my self the rather obliged to observe here because I had formerly in writing and printing what you have in my 59 page either seem'd to be somewhat persuaded by the Authority of Cambden though only taking up the relation from Cambrensis and withal telling us I know not from whom of Irish Annals in the case or because at least I had not sufficienly cleared so injurious a Report 55. And now let me tell you on this occasion that e'n such another if not yet more injurious ill grounded false Report is that which the same Cambrensis is the only first Original Author of in his Topography of Ireland dist 3. cap. 25. where he tells us That the People of Tirconel a Countrey in the North of Vlster created their King in this barbarous abominable manner That all being assembled together in one place a white Beast was brought before them Unto which he that was chosen to be made King approaching declared himself publickly before them all to be such another that is a meer Beast Whereupon the white Beast was cut in pieces boil'd in Water and that done a bath prepar'd for him of the Broth. Into which entring and bathing and then feeding and all the People too about him feeding in the same manner on the flesh boil'd in it at last he drinks of that very broth wherein he had already bathed and this also not by reaching or taking it out of any Cup or other Vessel nay not so much as out of the palm of his