an krishman, on the other hand, killed an English- affairs, John de Courcey, a bold adventurer, who man, he was certainly punished with death and had as yet reaped none of the benefits he expectas in times of violence and outrage, the crime of ed, refolved to undertake an expedition against murder was very frequent, the circumstance just the natives, to enrich himself with their spoils. mentioned tended to produce an implacable ha- The Irish were then giving no offence; and theretred between the frith and the English. As the fore pleaded the treaty lately concluded with K. Irish laws were thus more favourable to the bar. Henry; but treaties were of little avail when put barity natural to the tempers of fome individuals, in competition with the neceffities of an indigent many of the English were also tempted to lay afide and rapacious adventurer. The confequence was, the manners and cuftoms of their countrymen al- that the flame of war was kindled through the together, and to affociate themfelves with the whole island. The chieftains took advantage of infh, that, by becoming fubject to their laws, they the war with the English, to commence hoftilities might thus have an opportunity of gratifying their against each other. Desmond and Thomond, in worft paffions with lefs controul than formerly; the fouthern province, were distracted by the jeaand in process of time, these degenerate English, loufies of contending chiefs, and the whole land as they were called, proved more bitter enemies was wafted by bloody quarrels. Treachery and to their countrymen than even the Irish themselves. murder were requitted in kind, fo as to perpetuate Another cause of the diftreffes of Ireland was the a fucceffion of outrages the most horrid, and the great power of the English barons, among whom most difgraceful to humanity. The northern proHenry had divided the greateft part of his Irish wince was a fcene of the like enormities; though dominions. The extent of their authority only the new English fettlers, who were confidered as inflamed them with a defire for more; and, inftead a common enemy, ought to have united the naof contributing their endeavours to increase the tives among themfelves. All were equally stranpower of their fovereign, or to civilize the barba- gers to the virtues of humanity; nor was religion, rous people over whom they were placed, they did in the form it then affumed, capable of restraining every thing in their power to counteract and de-thefe violences. Ireland was thus foon reduced froy each other. Henry himself, indeed, feems to to fuch a ftate, that Henry faw the neceffity of rehave been infected with a very fatal jealoufy in this calling Fitz-Andelm, and appointing another gorefpect; for though the abilities and fidelity of Ray- vernor. Hugh de Lacy was accordingly appointmond had been abundantly manifefted, the king ed to fucceed him, who was a man of a quite never allowed him to continue in the government different difpofition, and every way qualified for of the island; and by degrading him he occafion- the difficult government with which he was invested a fcene of uproar and confufion. Another rea- ed; but the king, by investing his fon John with fon was, that in those parts of the kingdom where the lordship of Ireland, gave occafion to greater the Irish chieftains enjoyed the fovereignty, they disturbances than even those which had already were at full liberty to make war upon each other happened. The new governor entered on liis ofas formerly, without the leaft reftraint. This like- fice with all that spirit and vigour which was newife induced many of the English to degenerate, ceffary; but being mifreprefented to the king by that they might have an opportunity of fharing fome factious barons, he was in a fhort time re the plunder got by these petty wars; so that, on called, and two others, totally unfit for the gothe whole, the island was a perpetual scene of hor. vernment, appointed in his room. This error ror, almost unequalled in the history of any coun- was foon corrected, and Lacy was replaced in try. After the death of earl Richard, Raymond three months. The fame jealousy which produced was immediately elected to fucceed him; but was his first degradation, foon produced a fecond; fuperfeded by the king, who appointed William and Philip de Braofa, or of Worcester, as he is call Fitz-Andelm, a nobleman allied to Raymond, in ed, a man of a moft avaricious difpofition, was his place. The new governor had neither inclina- appointed to fucceed him. This governor beha tion nor abilities for governing. He was ra- ved very tyrannically, but his power was of short pacious, fenfual, and corrupt, and therefore only duration; for now prince John prepared to exertudied how to enrich himself. The native Irish, cife the authority with which his father had invest. provoked by fome depredations of the English, ed him in Ireland. He was attended by a conficommenced hoftilities; but Fitz-Andelm, instead derable military force: his train was formed of a of repreffing these with vigour in the beginning, company of gallant Normans in the pride of youth; treated the chieftains with affected courtefy and but luxurious, infolent, and followed by a numfattery. This they had difcernment to fee, and ber of Englishmen, ftrangers to the country they to defpife; while the original adventurers had the were to vifit, defperate in their fortunes, accufburden of the whole defence of the English pale, tomed to a life of profligacy, and filled with great at the English territories were called, thrown upon expectations of advantage from their fervice. The them, at the fame time that the bad conduct of whole affembly embarked in a fleet of 60 fhips; the governor was the cause of perpetual disorders. and arrived at Waterford after a profperous voyThe confequence was, that the lords avowed their age, filling the whole country with the greatest hatred of Fitz-Andelm: the foldiers were muti- furprise and expectation. The young prince had nous, ill-appointed, and unpaid: and the Irish not yet arrived at the years of difcretion; nor incame in crowds to the governor with perpetual deed, from his fubfequent conduct, doth it appear complaints against the old adventurers, which that his difpofition was fuch as qualified him in were always decided against the latter; and this the leaft for the high dignity to which he was raidecifion increased their confidence, without leffen- fed. The hardy Welchmen who first migrated ing their difaffection. In this unfavourable state of into Ireland, immediately waited upon him to do

him

sin homage; but they were disagreeable to the deceffors. Confederacies every where took place gay courtiers, and to the prince himself, who againft the English, who were every where defeatminded nothing but his pleasures. The Irish lords ed, their towns takeni; and their power would were at first terrified by the magnificent represent certainly have been annihilated, had not the Irish, ation of the force of the English army; and be- -as usual, turned their arms againft each other. ing reconciled to submission by the dignity of the In this desperate situation matters continued duprince's ftation, haftened in crowds to Waterford -ring the whole reign of King Richard, and part of to do him homage. They exhibited a fpectacle to the reign of John, while the diftresses of the coun. the Norman courtiers, which the latter did not try were increased by the diffenfions and difaffail to treat with contempt and ridicule. The fection of the English lords, who aspired at inde. Irish lords, with uncouth attire, thick bushy beards, pendency, and made war upon each other like and hair standing on end, advanced with very lit- Irish chieftains. The prudent conduct of a gotle ceremony; and, according to their own no- i vernor named Meiler Fitz-Henry, however, at tions of respect, offered to kiss the young prince. , laft put an end to these terrible commotions; and His attendants stepped in, and prevented this vio- about 1208, the kingdom was more quiet than it lation of decorum by thrusting away the Irishmen. had been for a long time before. In 1210, Joha The whole assembly burst into peals of laughter, came over to Ireland in person with an army, with pulled the beards, and committed feveral other a design, as he said, to reduce his refractory noindignities on the persons of their guests ; which bles to a sense of their duty. More than 20 Irish were immediately and severely resented. The chiefs waited upon him immediately to do him chieftains left the court, boiling with indignation ; homage ; while three of the Englig barons, Hugh and meeting others of their countrymen haftening and Walter de Lacy and William de Braofa fled to do homage to the prince, they informed them to France. The king, at the desire of his Irish subof the reception they themselves had met with. A jects, granted them, for their information, a releague was instantly formed to extirpate the Eng- gular code and charter of laws, to be depofted lith, and the whole nation flew to arms; while in the exchequer of Dublin, under the king's John and his courtiers, instead of oppofing the feal. For the regular and effectual execution of enemy, employed themselves in haraffing and op- these laws, besides the establishment of the king's prefling those who were under their immediate .courts of judicature in Dublin, there was now jurisdičtion. The country was therefore over-run made a new and more ample division of the king's by the barbarians, agriculture entirely negle&ed, lands of Ireland into counties, where sheriffs and and a dreadful famine threatened to follow the ca. many other officers were appointed. These counlamities of war. This terrible devastation bad ties were, Dublin, Meath, Kildare, Argial, now continued for 8 months before the king was fully called Lowth, Katherlagh, Kilkenny, Wexford, acquainted with it. He then determined to recal Waterford, Cork, Kerry, Limerick, and Tippehis von; but was at a loss whom to appoint his rary; which mark the extent of the English dosuccessor. Lacy had been murdered by an Irish minions at this time as confined to a part of peasant, and the king was at last obliged to have Leinster and Munster, and to those parts of Meath recourse to John de Courcey, whose boisterous and Argial which lie in the province of Ulster, valour seemed now to be absolutely necessary to as now defined. Before his departure, the king · prevent the English from being totally extermina- gave liberty to John de Grey, bishop of Norwich,

ted. The new governor was obliged at first to whom he appointed governor, to coin money of : act on the defensive ; but as his enemies foon for the same weight with that of England, and which got their league, and began their usual hoftilities was made current in both kingdoms. This ecagainst each other, he was at last enabled to main- clefiaftical governor managed affairs so happily, tain the authority of the English government, and that during the violent contests between John and to support their acquisitions in Ireland, though his barons, Ireland enjoyed an unusual degree of aot to extend them. In this situation were the tranquillity. Ireland, however, was not at this, affairs of Ireland when Henry II. died, and was or indeed any other period, till the end of Elizafucceeded by his son Richard I.,

beth's reign, perfectly free from disorders; only (9.) IRELAND, HISTORY OF, FROM K. Rich. they were confined to those diftricts most remote ARD I.'s ACCESSION, TO THE DEATH OF K. John. from the English government. Richard I. was determined on an expedition to the (10.) IRELAND, HISTORY OF, FROM THE AC Holy Land, which left him no leisure to attend to CESSION OF HENRY III. TO THE DEATH OF EDthe affairs of Ireland. John, by virtue of the WARD BRUCE ; WITH ITS DREADFUL STATE AT powers granted him by his father, took upon him THAT PERIOD. In the 3d year of Henry III. A.D. the management of Irish affairs ; and immediately 1219, the commotions were renewed, througte degraded de Courcey from his government, ap- the ambition and contentions of the English bapointing in his place Hugh de Lacy the young- rons, who despised all controul, and oppreffed er. De Courcey, provoked at this indignity, re- the inhabitants dreadfully. The disorders in Eng: tired into Ulfter, where he was immediately en. land during the reign of Henry III. encouraged gaged in a furious war with the natives, and at them to despise the royal authority; they were last almost entirely detached himself from the Eng. ever the secret enemies, and sometimes the avow. lich gorernment. The greatest confusion ensued; ed adversaries of each other; and in many places Hugh de Lacy was recalled from his government, where they had obtained settlements, the natives and William Petit, earl marshal of England, apo were first driven into insurrections by their cruel poipted in his place. Petit's administration pro- ty, and then punished with double cruelty for ved mere unfortunate than that of any of his pre- their reaftance. The English laws, which tended

i to punith the authors of these outrages, were the illustrious houses of Desmon and Kildare, to * fcorned by an imperious aristocratic fa&tion, who, two daughters of the earl of Ulfter. But just at

in the phrenzy of rapine and ambition, trampled this happy period, when the nation seemed to E on the most fálutary inftitutions. In 1928, a re- have some prospect of tranquillity, more dread. : monftrance was presented to the king against this ful calamities were about to take place. The e dangerous suspension of the laws; which he an- Scots had just recovered their liberty under Roo

fwered by a mandate to the chief governor, di- bert Bruce, and were in no danger of being again E re&ting that the whole nobility, knights, free te enslaved by a foreign power. Edward, Robert's

nants, and bailiffs of the several counties, thould brother, as a recompence for his fervices, de

be convened ; that the charter of English laws re- manded a share of the royal authority. This was eceived from King John, and to which they were refused by Robert, and Edward was satisfied by

bound by oath, thould be read over in their pre. being declared heir apparent to the crowa. But sence ; that they should be directed for the future the king, considering the necessity of finding out

ftri&ly to observe and adhere to these ; and that some employment for a youth of such an aspiring i proclamation should be made in every county disposition, pointed out to him the island of Ire

of Ireland, ftri&ly enjoining obedience, on pain land, the conquest of which would be easy, on E of forfeiture of lands and tenements. How lite account of the distracted state in which it almost E tle effect was produced by this order, we may always was, and which would make him an inde

learn from another, dated in 1246;. where the ba. pendent sovereign. This proposal was eagerly rons are commanded, for the peace and tranquil- embraced by Edward, and every thing necessary lity of the land, to permit it to be governed by the for the expedition got ready. On the 2gth of laws of England. "Nothing indeed can be con- May 1315, he landed on the NE. coast of Ireland

ceived more terrible than the state of Ireland du- with 6000 men, to affert his claim to the fove. E ring the reign of Henry III. People of all ranks reignty. The Irish lords of Ulster, who had in

appear to have been sunk in the lowest degree of vited and encouraged him to this enterprise, depravity. The powerful English lords not only focked to his standard, and prepared to wreak fubverted the peace and security of the people, their vengeance on the common enemy. Their by refusing to admit the salutary laws of their own progress was marked by defolation and carnage. country, but bebaved with the utmost injustice The English settlers were Naughtered, or driven and violence to the natives, who did not enjoy the from their possessions, their castles levelled with benefits of the English constitution. The clergy the ground, and their towns set on fire. The Engappear to have been equally abandoned with the lifh lords were neither prepared to resist the invasion, reit: nor indeed could it be otherwise; for thro' nor sufficiently united among themfelves. The Henry's partialities the most worthless among the consequence was, that the enemy for some time English clergy found refuge and promotion in met with no interruption. An intolerable scarcia the church of Ireland.-Matters continued in the ty of provilions, however, prevented Bruce from fame deplorable state during the reign of Edward pursuing his advantages; and though his brother I. with this additional grievance, that the kingdom landed in Ireland with a powerful army, the fawas infested by invasions of the Scots. Edward mine prevented him from being of any essential indeed pofseffed all that prudence and valour service. The forces which he left behind him, which were necessary to have reduced the island however, proved of considerable advantage, and to a state of tranquillity; but his project of con- by their allistance he took Carrickfergus. The quering Scotland left him little leisure to attend terrible devastations committed by. Bruce and his to the distracted ftate of Ireland. He, however, associates, now induced some English lords to en-ient his mandate to the prelates of Ireland, re- ter into an association to defend their possessions, quiring them to interpose their spiritual authority and repel these invaders. For this purpose, they for composing the public disorders. About the raised a considerable body of forces; who coming same time, the Irish who lay contiguous to the to an engagement with Fedlim prince of ConEnglish, and who dwelt among them, presented naught, one of Bruce's priocipal allies, entirely a petition to the king, offering to pay him 8000 defeated and killed him with 8000 of his men. merkes upon condition that they were admitted This defeat, however, had very little effect on the to the privileges of English subjects. To this per operations of Edward. He ravaged the country to tition he returned a favourable answer ; but his the walls of Dublin, traversed the district of Oslo. good intentions were defeated by the licentious ry, and penetrated into Munfter, destroying every nobility, who knew that these laws would have thing with fire and sword. The English conticontrouled their rapacities and oppressions. Similar nued to augment their army, till at lart it amounted petitions were repeatedly prefented, but as often to 30,000 men; and then Bruce, no longer able defeated; though some means were used for the to oppose such a force, retired into Ulfter. His peace of the kingdom, such as the frequent calling retreat was effected with great difficulty; and of parliaments, appointing sheriffs in some new during the time of his inactivity, the distresses of counties, &c. These means were not entirely his army increased to such a degree, that they are without effect. They served to give some check said to have fed upon the bodies of their dead to the disorders of the realm. The incursions of companions. At last an end was put to the sufthe natives were repressed, and the English lords ferings and the life of this adventurer in the batbegan to live on better terms with each other. In tle of Dundalk, in 1318, where he was defeated 1311, under Edward II. the most powerful of and killed by the English under Sir Robert Birthem were reconciled by the marriage of Maurice mingham. A brave English knight, named Marie and Thomas Fitz-John, afterwards the heads of pas, had rushed forward to encounter Brúce him. VOL. XII. PART I.

S

self,

Gif, and both antagonifts had killed each other; the body of Maupas being found, after the battle, tretched upon that of Bruce. The king of Scots had been advancing with powerful faccours to his brother: But Edward, confident of victory, refufed to wait his arrival ; and Robert, on hearing of his brother's death, instantly retired.

rupt; and, as fuch, had frequently been the ob jects of complaint. The clergy were a mean gròveiling race, totally influenced by the crown. Even prelates were commonly made the inferior agents of government in collecting forces, and raifing war against the Irish enemy; but were not to be enticed into this fervice, except by remittances from the exchequer. Attendance in parliament they dreaded as the greatest bardship; and either recurred to mean excuses to avert the penalty of abfence, or fued to the king to be esempted by patent from contributing or affenting to thofe laws by which they were to be governed. In this deplorable fituation the kingdom continued till the time of Henry VII. who laid the fourdation of the future civilization of the Irifb, as he alfo did of the English nation. This he effecting faithful and active governors to fee them put in execution. Of thefe governors Sir Edward Poyning contributed more than any other to the tranquillity of the ftate. During his adminiftration was enacted the law known by the name of POYNING'S LAW, and which hath fince been the fubject of much political debate. (See FLOOD, N° 1.) The purport of it was, That no parlia ment should be held in that island without firft giving notice to the king of England, and acquainting him with the acts to be paffed in that parliament; neither fhould any act paffed, or any parliament held, without the approbation of the king and council, be deemed valid. Thus was the power of the turbulent barons greatly broken; and the governor, not having it in his power to affemble parliaments when he pleafed, became a perfon of much less confequence. The whol Irish legislature alfo became dependent on that of England, and hath continued to be so, ever fince, till the Union, in 1800.

II. IRELAND, HISTORY OF, FROM THE DEATH OF EDWARD BRUCE, TO THE ENACTING OF POYKING'S LAW. The defeat of the Se ttifh invaders did not put an end to the difturbances of this wahappy country. The contentions of the Englift with one another, of the Irish with the Englifh, and among themselves, ftill kept the inland in a ftate of the utmoft barbarity and confusion. The reign of Edward III. proved not much more favourable than preceding times had been. He was too much taken up with the idea of conquered by enacting fome falutary laws, and appointing France, to pay much regard to the interefts of Ireland. The unhappy people, indeed, fenfible of their own miferies, petitioned the king to Ladmit all his fubjects in Ireland to a participation of the Engüth laws; but the petition being delivered as ufual to the chief governor, and laid before the parliament, it was either clandeftinely defeated or openly rejected. A new scene of tumult and bloodshed enfued; which at laft produced an order from the king, prohibiting all Irish men, or Englishmen married and having estates in Ireland, from bearing any public office whatever. This, inftead of promoting peace, increafed the diforder; and at laft produced a remonftrance from the ftates met at Kilkenny, in which they grievoutly complain not only of the diforders of the kingdom, but alfo of the conduct of the king himself in the edict; and to this remonftrance the king gave a gracious anfwer, in order to procure from Ireland the fuccours he wanted in his expedition against France. But mere promifes, unaífifted by vigorous exertion, could make no alteration in the state of a kingdom involved in fo mach. mifery. The diförders at laft became inupportable to the inhabitants themselves; and à parliament was fummoned in 1367, the refult of which was the famous ftatute of KILKENNY. This ftatute could not promote the peace of the kingdom. Instead of removing the animofity between the native Irish and English, it manifeftly tended to increase it. During the whole of this reign, therefore, the Irish government continued greatly difordered and embroiled. The English intereft gradually declined; and the connections of the king's fubjects with the original inhabitants, occationed by their vicinity and neceflary intercourfe, in despite of all legal injunctions, obliged the king to relax the feverity of the statute of Kilkenny, in cafes where they proved impracticable, or oppretlive. The perpetual hoftility, however, in which the different parties lived, proved an of fectual bar to the introduction of thofe arts which contribute to the comfort and refinement of mankind. Even foreign merchants could not venture into fuch a dangerous country without letters of protection from the throne. The perpetual fucceffion of new adventurers from England, Terved only to inflame diffenfion, instead of introducing any effential improvement. Lawyers fent from England were notoriously infufficient, if not cor.

(12.) IRELAND, HISTORY OF, FROM THE ESTABLISHMENT OF POYNING'S LAW, TO THE REDUCTION OF THE REBELS UNDER Q. ELIZA BETH. From this time we may date the revival of the English power in Ireland; from which the Scottish war in the time of Edward II. had gradually declined into a miferable and precarious ftate of weakness. The authority of the crown, which had been defied, infulted, and rejected. even in the English territory, was restored and con firmed, and the rebellious vigorously oppofed and fuppreffed. The feignory of the British crown over the whole body of the Irifh, which in former reigns feemed to have been totally forgotten, was now formally claimed and afferted, and fome of the most ferocious chieftains by their marriage connections became the avowed friends of the English power. An ignominious tribute, called the Black Rent, was indeed paid to fome chiet tains; but their hoftilities were oppofed and chaf tifed, and even in their own diftricts they were made to feel the fuperiority of English govern ment. During the reign of Henry VIII. the Irif affairs were neglected; and the diforders which had only been checked, and never thoroughly eradicated, returned. They were further promo ted by the innovations in religion which the king introduced, and which were exceedingly difagree able both to English and Irish. The Reforma

histon, however, continued to make some progress, TION OF, UNDER James I. reland began to ar

though fowly, during the reign of Edward VI. sume a quite different appearance under K. James and even in the reign of Queen Mary; for, as the 1. who juhly valued himself upon promoting the

perfecution did not reach thither, many Protes- arts of peace, and made it his study to civilize i tants fled to Ireland to avoid the queen's cruelty. his barbarous Irish subjects. By repeated confpi

The machinations of the Spaniards againit Q, É- racies and rebellions, a vast tract of land had erplizabeth excited the Irith to fresh insurrections. cheated to the crown in fix northern counties,

The king of Spain, indeed, not only encouraged Tyrconnel, now called Donncgal, Tyrone, Derry, the natives in those insurrections, but actually fent Fermanagh, Cavan, and Armagh, amounting in ever troops to afsift them in driving out the Eng. about 500,000 acres, a tract of country covered ; fich altogether. This they had well nigh effected; with woods, where rebels and banditti found a ke: but the Spaniards, upon feeing an army of Irish cure refuge. James resolved to dispose of these

defeated by an handful of their enemies, were so lands in such a manner as might introduce all the much provoked, that they surrendered all the happy consequences of peace and cultivation, die places they had made themselves masters of, and caused surveys to be taken of the several counties even offered to affi& the English in reducing the where the new settlements were to bc establimed; rebels; though they did not accept of their allift- described particularly the fate of each; pointed out anee. "The consequence was, that the Irish were the Gtuations proper for the creations of towns Unable to carry on the war, and the grand rebel, and castles ; delineated chara&ters of the Irish O'Neal of Tirowen, or Tirone, after much trea- chieftains, the manner in which they should be chery and evafion was obliged to submit. He treated, the temper and circumstances of the old fell upon his knees before the deputy, petitioned inhabitants, the rights of the new purchasers, for mercy, and subscribed his fubmission in the and the claims of both; together with the impemot ample manner. He implored the queen's dimentą to former plantations, and the methods gracious commiferation ; and humbly fued to be of removing them. At his inftance it was refolvrestored to his dignity, and the fate of a subject, ed, that the persons to whom lands were afligned which he had jolly forfeited. ,. He renounced the should be either new undertakers from Great BțiRame of O'Neal, which he had affumed on ac- tain, especially from Scotland, or servitors, as they count of the great veneration in which it was held were called ; i.e. men who had for some time among the Irish. He abjured all foreign power, served in Ireland, either in civil or military offices, and all dependency except on the crown of Eng. or old Irish chieftains or captains. Among the land ; refigned all claim to any lands except fuch last were included even those Irish who had enas should be conferred upon him by letters patent ; gaged in O'Neal's rebellion, and fill harboured promising to aflift in abolishing all barbarous cul- secret discontents. To gain them, if possible, by toms, and establishing law and civility among his favour and Jenity, they were treated with partipeople. The lord deputy, on the part of the .cular indulgence." Their under-tenants and ferqueen, promifed a fall-pardon to him and all his vants were allowed to be of their own religion ; followers; to himself the restoration of his blood and while all the other planters were obliged to and honours, with a new patent for his lands, take the oath of allegiance, they were tacitly ex. except some portions referved for certain chief. cepted. The feryitors were allowed to take their tains received into favour, and fame for the use of tenants either from Ireland or Britain. The BriEnglish garrisons. No infurgent now remained tifh undertakers were confined to their own counin this kingdom who had not asked or obtained trymen. In the plantations which had been for. mercy. Many, indeed, were driven by necessity merly attempted, the Irish and English had been to the continent, and earned a subsistence by ser- mixed together, in the hopes that the former viag in the armies of Spain, and thus a race of would have learned civility and industry from the Irish exiles was trained to arms, filled with a ma- datter. But experience had now discovered, that ligoant resentment againft the English. Thus the this intercourse served only to make the Irish enbonour of reducing all the enemies of the crown vy the fuperior comforts of their English neighof England in this island, after a continued con- bours, and to take the advantage of a free access teft for 440 years, was reserved for the arms of to their houses to steal their goods and plot against Elizabeth. The ghaftliness of famine and defola. their lives. It was therefore deemed necessary to tion was now fomewhat enlivened by the restora- plant them in separate quarters; and in the choice Lion of tranquillity. Indeed, from the most authen- of these fituations, the errors of former times were tic accounts, the prices of provisions were fo carefully corrected. The original English adven. high, that, considering the value of money at that turers, on their first settlement in Ireland, were time, it is surprising how the inhabitants could captivated by the fair appearance of the plain and fubfift. From an account of the rates of provi. open districts. Here they erected their castles and fions taken by the mayor of Dublin in 1602, it habitations; and forced the old națives into the appears, that wheat had risen from 36s. to gl. the woods and mountains, their natural fortresses. quarter; barley malt from 108. to 438. the barrel; There they kept themselves unknown, living by oat malt from gs. to 228. the barrel; pease from the milk of their kine, without hulbandry or til. 35. to 403. the peck; oats from 38.4d. to 20s. the lage; there they increased to incredible num. barrel ; beef from 268. 8d. to 81. the carcase; mut. bers; there they held their assemblies, and form. ton from 38. to 268. the carcase; veal from 1os. ed their conspiracies without discovery. But now te 298. the carcase; the lamb from 19d. to 6s, and the northern Irish were placed in the moft open pork from 88. to 206.

and accessible parts of the country, where they (135) IRELAND, HISTORY OF THE CIVILIZA- might lie under the close inspection of their neigb

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bours,