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ADVERTISEMENT.

THE Hiftory of Ireland, during a long period, confifting of one continued infurrection, feldom diverfified, it neither required nor admitted of Marginal Notes fo uniformly as the preceding Volumes of the Work. Where fuch Notes, therefore, appear lefs frequently than usual, the intervals are to be imputed to the fimilarity of the fubject....

THE

HISTORY

OF

IRELA N D.

CHA P. I.

From the earliest authentic Accounts of Ireland to the Acceffion of Edward III.

T

HE Irifh, more than the inhabitants of any other nation, appear to be zealous for the antiquity of their country, and pretend to trace their origin from the ages almoft immediately fubfequent to the deluge. According to their traditions, the firft inhabitants of that ifland came from Spain; though the more probable accounts are, that it was originally peopled from Britain. But whether from one or the other, and at whatever period, it is certain, that the Irifh hiftory, before the reign of Henry II. of England, is involved in fable and perplexity; and with that epoch, therefore, in conformity to the most judicious of the Irifh Hiftorians, we fhall begin the prefent work.

The fmall principalities, into which Ireland was anciently divided, exercifed perpetual rapine and violence against

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Ancient

land.

against each other; the uncertain fucceffion of their princes was a continual fource of domestic convulfions; the ufual ftate of Ire- title of each petty sovereign was the murder of his predeceffor; courage and force, though exercised in the commiflion of crimes, were more honoured than any pacific virtues; and the moft fimple arts of life, even that of agriculture, were almost wholly unknown among them. They had experienced the invafions of the Danes and the other northern tribes; but thefe inroads, which had spread barbarism in other parts of Europe, tended rather to improve the Irish; and the only towns, which were to be found in the ifland, had been planted along the coaft by the freebooters of Norway and Denmark. The other inhabitants exercifed pafturage in the open country; fought, in their forefts and moraffes, for protection from any danger; and being divided by the fierceft animofities against each other, were ftill more intent on the means of mutual injury, than on the expedients for common or even for private interest.

Befide many fmall tribes, there were in the age of Henry II. five principal fovereignties in the island. Thefe were Munster, Leinster, Meath, Ulfter, and Cormaught; and as it had been usual for one or the other of these to take the lead in their wars, there was com monly fome prince, who feemed, for the time, to act as monarch of Ireland. Roderic O'Connor, king of Connaught, was then advanced to this dignity; but his government, ill obeyed even within his own territory, could not unite the people in any measures, either for the eftablishment of order, or for defence against foreigners. The ambition of Henry had, very early in his reign, been moved, by the profpect of thofe advantages, to attempt the fubjecting of Ireland; and a pretence was only wanting to invade a people, who, being always confined to their own island, had never given any reafon of complaint to any of their neighbours. For this purpose, he had recourfe to Rome, which affumed a right to difpofe of kingdoms and empires; and not forefeeing the dangerous difputes, which he was one day to maintain with that fee, he contributed, for prefent, or rather for an imaginary, convenience, to give fanction to claims which were now become dangerous to all fovereigns. Adrian III. who then filled the papal chair, was by birth an Englishman; and being, on that account, the more difpofed to oblige Henry, he was eafily perfuaded to make, without any hazard or expence, the acquifition of a great island to his

fpiritual

a.

fpiritual jurifdiction The Irish had, by preceding miffionaries from the Britons, been imperfectly converted to Chriftianity; and, what the pope regarded as the surest mark of their imperfect converfion, they followed the doctrines of their first teachers, and had never acknow leged any fubjection to the fee of Rome. Adrian, there- A.D.116. fore, in the year 1156, iffued a bull in favour of Henry; in which, after premifing, that this prince had ever fhown The pope an anxious care to enlarge the church of God on earth, grants Henand to increase the number of his faints and elect in hea- 11. a bull for Jubdu. ven; he represents his defign of fubduing Ireland as de- ing ireland. rived from the fame pious motives: he confiders Henry's care of previously applying for the apoftolic fanction as a fure earnest of fuccefs and victory; and having established it as a point inconteftible, that all Christian kingdoms belong to the patrimony of St. Peter, he acknowleges it to be his own duty to fow among them the feeds of the Gofpel: he exhorts the king to invade Ireland, in order to extirpate the vice and wickedness of the natives, and oblige them to pay yearly, from every house, a penny to the fee of Rome: he gives him entire right and authority over the ifland, and commands all the inhabitants to obey him as their fovereign. Henry, though armed with this authority, did not immediately put his defign in execution; but being detained by more interefting bufinefs on the continent, waited for a favourable opportunity of invad ing Ireland.

Dermot Macmorrogh, king of Leinfter, had, by his licentious tyranny, rendered himself odious to his fubjects, who feized with alacrity the firft occafion that offered, of throwing off the yoke, which they found to be extremely oppreffive. This prince had formed a defign on Dovergilda, wife of Ororic, prince of Breffiny; and taking advantage of her husband's abfence, who, being obliged to vifit a diftant part of his territory, had left his wife fecure, as he thought, in an ifland, furrounded by a bog, he fuddenly invaded the place, and carried off the princefs. This exploit provoked the refentment of the hufband; who having collected forces, and being ftrengthened by the alliance of Roderic, king of Con naught, invaded the dominions of Dermot, and expelled him his kingdom. The exiled prince had recourfe to Henry, who was at this time in Guienne, craved his affistance in restoring him to his fovereignty, and offered, a Brompton, Neubrig.

on that events to hold his kingdom in vaffalage under the crown of England. Henry, whofe views were already turned towards making acquifitions in Ireland, readily accepted the offer; but being at that time embarraffed by the rebellions of his French fubjects, as well as by his difputes with the fee of Rome, he declined, for the prefent, embarking in the enterprize, and gave Dermot no farther affiftance than letters-patent, by which he empowered all his fubjects to aid the Irifh prince in the recovery of his dominions. Dermot, fupported by this authority, came to Bristol; and, after endeavouring, though for fome time in vain, to engage adventurers in the enterprize, he at laft formed a treaty with Richard, furnamed Strongbow, earl of Strigul. This nobleman, who was of the houfe of Clare, had impaired his fortune by expenfive pleasures; and being ready for any defparate undertaking, he promifed afliftance to Dermot, on condition that he should elpoufe Eva, daughter of that prince, and be declared heir to all his dominions. While Richard was affembling his fuccours, Dermot went into Wales; and meeting with Robert Fitz-Stephens, conftable of Abertivi, and Maurice Fitz-Gerald, he alfo engaged them in his fervice, and obtained their promife of invading Ireland. Being now affured of fuccour, he returned privately to his own state; and lurking in the monaftery of Fernes, which he had founded, waited impatiently for the return of spring, AD 1169 when the English auxiliaries were to arrive. The intelligence was induftriously spread abroad, and ferved to animate his adherents. As the fecret of his return could not be long concealed, he affumed the appearance of the utmoft confidence; and marching at the head of his adherents, poffeffed himfelf of a part of his dominions called Hi-Kenfelah. Yet fecretly tormented by delay, and dreading a disappointment, he dispatched a messenger to England, to haften the promifed fuccours, and to follicit others, with an affurance of rich fettlements and large rewards to all adventurers.

Conqueft of
Ireland.

Fitz-Stephen, whofe troops were first ready, landed in Ireland with thirty knights, fixty efquires, and three hundred archers; and this fmall body, being brave men, not unacquainted with difcipline, and completely armed, à thing almost unknown in Ireland, ftruck a great terror into the barbarous inhabitants. The conjunction of Maurice de Pendergast, who, about the fame time, brought c. Ibid.

b Girald. Camb.

over

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