Page images
PDF
EPUB

A

DISCOVERY OF THE TRUE CAUSES

WHY

IRELAND

WAS NEVER ENTIRELY SUBDUED NOR BROUGHT UNDER OBEDIENCE

OF THE

CROWN OF ENGLAND

UNTIL THE BEGINNING OF

HIS MAJESTY'S HAPPY REIGN:

BY

SIR JOHN DAVIES

ATTORNEY-GENERAL FOR IRELAND UNDER JAMES THE FIRST.

MDCXII.

DEDICATED TO THE

KING,

BY HIS

MAJESTY'S ATTORNEY-GENERAL OF IRELAND,

SIR JOHN DAVIES.

Principis est virtus maxima, nôsse suos.

MDCXII.

A

DISCOVERY

OF THE

TRUE CAUSES WHY IRELAND WAS NEVER ENTIRELY SUBDUED AND BROUGHT UNDER OBEDIENCE OF THE CROWN OF ENGLAND, UNTIL THE BEGINNING OF HIS MAJESTY'S HAPPY REIGN.

URING the time of my service in Ireland, which began in

DURING

the first year of His Majesty's reign, I have visited all the provinces of that kingdom in sundry journeys and circuits; wherein I have observed the good temperature of the air; the fruitfulness of the soil; the pleasant and commodious seats for habitation; the safe and large ports and havens lying open for traffic into all the west parts of the world; the long inlets of many navigable rivers and so many great lakes and fresh ponds within the land, as the like are not to be seen in any part of Europe; the rich fishings and wild-fowl of all kinds; and lastly, the bodies and minds of the people endued with extraordinary abilities of nature. 'The observation whereof hath bred in me some curiosity to consider what were the true causes why this kingdom, whereof our kings of England have borne the title of sovereign lords for the space of four hundred and odd years, a period of time wherein divers great monarchies have risen from barbarism to civility, and fallen again to ruin, was not in all that space of time thoroughly subdued and reduced to obedience of the

« PreviousContinue »