than to have such huge increase of cattle and no increase of good conditions. I would, therefore, wish that there were some ordinances made amongst them that whosoever keepeth twenty kine should keep a plough going; for otherwise all men would fall to pasturage and none to husbandry, which is a great cause of this dearth now in England and a cause of the usual stealths in Ireland; for look into all countries that live in such sort by keeping of cattle and you shall find that they are both very barbarous and uncivil, and also greatly given to war. The Tartarians, the Muscovites, the Norwegians, the Goths, the Armenians, and many others do witness the same. And, therefore, since now we purpose to draw the Irish from desire of war and tumults to the love of peace and civility, it is expedient to abridge their great custom of herding1 and augment their trade of tillage and husbandry. As for other occupations and trades, they need not be enforced to, but every man to be bound only to follow one that he thinks himself aptest for. For other trades of artificers will be occupied for very necessity and constrained use. of them; and so, likewise, will merchandise for the gain thereof; but learning and bringing up in liberal sciences will not come of itself, but must be drawn on with strait laws and ordinances. And, therefore, it were meet that such an Act were ordained, that all the sons of lords, gentlemen, and such others as are able to bring them up in learning should be trained up therein from their childhoods, and for that end, every parish should be forced to keep a petty schoolmaster adjoining unto the parish church, to be the more in view, which should bring up their children in the first elements of letters; and that in every country or barony they should keep another able schoolmaster, which should instruct them in grammar and in the principles of sciences, to whom they should be compelled to send their youth to be disciplined; whereby they will in short space grow up to that civil conversa1 Herding, keeping herds.

tion, that both the children will loathe their former rudeness in which they were bred, and also their parents will, even by the ensample of their young children, perceive the foulness of their own behaviour compared to theirs. For learning hath that wonderful power in itself, that it can soften and temper the most stern and savage nature.

Eudox. Surely I am of your mind, that nothing will bring them from their uncivil life sooner than learning and discipline, next after the knowledge and fear of God. And, therefore, I do stiil expect that you should come thereunto and set some order for reformation of Religion, which is first to be respected; according to the saying of Christ, "Seek first the kingdom of heaven, and the righteousness thereof."

Iren. I have in mind so to do; but let me, I pray you, first finish that which I had in hand, whereby all the ordinances which shall afterwards be set for Religion may abide the more firmly and be observed more diligently. Now that this people is thus tithed and ordered, and every one bound unto some honest trade of life, which shall be particularly entered and set down in the tithing-book, yet perhaps there will be some stragglers and runagates which will not of themselves come in and yield themselves to this order; and yet, after the well-finishing of the present war and establishing of the garrisons in all strong places of the country where their wonted refuge was most, I suppose there will few stand out; or if they do, they will shortly be brought in by the ears. But yet, afterwards, lest any one of them should swerve, or any that are tied to a trade should afterwards not follow the same according to this institution, but should straggle up and down the country or mich1 in corners amongst their friends idly, as carrows, bards, jesters, and such-like, I would wish that a provost-marshal should be appointed in every shire, which should continually walk about the country with half-a-dozen or half-a-score horsemen, to 1 Mich, to lie hid, skulk, Carrows," as we have seen, are strolling gamesters.

take up such loose persons as they should find thus wandering, whom he should punish by his own authority with such pains as the person shall seem to deserve; for if he be but once so taken idly roguing, he may punish him more lightly, as with stocks or such-like; but if he be found again so loitering, he may scourge him with whips or rods; after which, if he be again taken, let him have the bitterness of martial law. Likewise, if any relics of the old rebellion be found by any that either have not come in and submitted themselves to the law, or that, having once come in, do break forth again and walk disorderly, let them taste of the same cup, in God's name, for it was due to them for their first guilt; and now, being revived by their latter looseness, let them have their first desert, as now being found unfit to live in the commonwealth.

Eudox. This were a good ordinance; but methinks it is an unnecessary charge, and also unfit to continue the name or form of any martial law, whenas there is a proper officer already appointed for these turns, to wit, the sheriff of the shire, whose peculiar office it is to walk up and down his bailiwick, as you. would have a marshal to snatch up all those runagates and unprofitable members, and to bring them to his gaol to be punished for the same. Therefore this may well be spared.

Iren. Not so, methinks; for though the sheriff have this authority of himself to take up all such stragglers and imprison them, yet shall he not do so much good nor work that terror in the hearts of them that a marshal will, whom they shall know to have power of life and death in such cases, and especially to be appointed for them. Neither doth it hinder but that, though it pertain to the sheriff, the sheriff may do therein what he can and yet the marshal may walk his course besides; for both of them may do the more good and more terrify the idle rogue, knowing that, though he have a watch upon the one, yet he may light upon the other. But this proviso is needful to be had in

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this case, that the sheriff may not have the like power of life as the marshal hath, and as heretofore they have been accustomed; for it is dangerous to give power of life into the hands of him which may have benefit by the party's death; as if any loose liver have any goods of his own, the sheriff is to seize thereupon, whereby it have come to pass that some who have not deserved judgment of death, though otherwise perhaps offending, have been, for their goods' sake, caught up and carried straight to the bough—a thing, indeed, very pitiful and horrible. Therefore by no means I would have the sheriff have such authority, nor yet to imprison that losel till the sessions, for so all gaols might soon be filled; but to send him to the marshal, who eftsoons finding him faulty, shall give him meet correction and send him away forthwith.

Eudox. I do now perceive your reason well. But come we now to that whereof we erst spake-I mean, to Religion and religious men. What order will you set amongst them?

Iren. For Religion little have I to say, myself being, as I said, not professed therein, and itself being but one, so as there is but one way therein; for that which is true only is, and the rest is not at all. Yet in planting of Religion thus much is needful to be observed, that it be not sought forcibly to be impressed into them with terror and sharp penalties, as now is the manner, but rather delivered and intimated with mildness and gentleness, so as it may not be hated before it be understood and their professors despised and rejected. And, therefore, it is expedient that some discreet ministers of their own countrymen be first sent over amongst them, which, by their meek persuasions and instructions, as also by their sober lives and conversations, may draw them first to understand, and afterwards to embrace, the doctrine of their salvation. For if that the ancient godly fathers which first

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converted them when they were infidels to the faith were able to pull them from idolatry and paganism to the true belief in Christ, as St. Patrick and St. Columba, how much more easily shall godly teachers bring them to the true understanding of that which they already professed! Wherein it is great wonder to see the odds which are between the zeal of Popish priests and the ministers of the Gospel. For they spare not to come out of Spain, from Rome and from Rheims, by long toil and dangerous travelling hither, where they know peril of death awaiteth them and no reward or riches are to be found, only to draw the people unto the Church of Rome: whereas some of our idle ministers, having a way for credit and estimation thereby opened unto them, and having the livings of the country offered unto them without pains and without peril, will neither for the same, nor any love of God, nor zeal of religion, nor for all the good they may do by winning souls to God, be drawn forth from their warm nests to look out into God's harvest, which is even ready for the sickle and all the fields yellow long ago. Doubtless those good old godly fathers. will, I fear me, rise up in the Day of Judgment to condemn them.

Eudox. Surely it is great pity, Ireneus, that there are none chosen out of the ministers of England, good, sober, and discreet men, which might be sent over thither to teach and instruct them, and that there is not as much care had of their souls as of their bodies; for the care of both lieth upon the Prince.

Iren. Were there never so many sent over, they should do small good till one enormity be taken from them; that is, that both they be restrained from sending their young men abroad to other universities beyond the sea, as Rheims, Douay, Louvain, and the like; and others from abroad be restrained from coming into them; for they, lurking secretly in their houses and in corners of the country, do more hurt and hindrance to religion with their private persuasions than all the others can do good