store of snow did fall to the great damage of the cattle, chiefly in the Northern parts (where it did snow most exceedingly) so as the People were put to hard shifts to bring their cattle in safety to their folds and other covered places. One history among the rest by reason of the strangeness of it, I thinke will not be improper to relate as it hath been asserted to me by very credible persons. A Gentleman living about Ballaneah in the county of Cavan, took great pains to save his sheep, yet missed eleven of them; some dayes after being come forth to course, his man saw from afarre off upon a hill, in a hollow place of a rock, part of it being covered with the top hanging over it, something alive and stirring, they thought it had been a Hare or a Fox, but comming neer they found it was the lost sheep, the which had sheer eaten away all the wool from one anothers back (being destitute of all other food, all round about being covered with deep snow) and which is more wonderfull one of them being dead, the rest did eat her flesh, leaving nothing but the bar bones.

It doth also longer continue there: so as it is an ordinary thing in those by Dublin, and all other high mountains throughout the Land, to see the Snow lying upon the tops of them many dayes, yea weekes, after that in the nether parts and plain countrie, it is thawed and quite vanished.

It Haileth there but seldom, and in thinne short shoures, the hail-stones also being very little.

As for the Hoar-frost, that is as common here, as in other countries, and that not only in the coldest moneths, and during the frost, but even in the Spring: so as commonly during all the fair weather of that season, of some weekes together, whereof we have spoke heretofore, every morning all the green herbs of the gardens and fields are quite covered over

with it.

Sect. 5. Of the Thunder, Lightning, and Earthquakes.

Ireland is as little subject to Thunder and Lightning, as any other countrie in the world, for it is a common thing, to see whole yeares pass without them, and in those yeares, where-in any are, one shall seldom have them above once or

twice in Summer, and that with so weak noise of the Thunder, and so feeble a shining of the Lightning, that even the most fearfull persons are hardly frightned at all there-by, much less any harm done to men or beasts.

From Earthquakes this Iland is not altogether exempt; but withall they are so seldom, that they hardly come once in an age: and it is so long agoe since the last of all was, that it is as much as the most aged persons now alive can even remember.

Sect. 6. Of the Winds.

With Winds it is in this countrie almost as with Rain, Ireland not only having its share in them, as other countries, but being very much subject to them, more than most other parts of the world. For the Winds blow very much at all times of the year, especially in the Winter moneths, when also there are many stormes, which sometimes do continue severall dayes together.

And it is worth the observation, that not only storm-winds, but others also, do in Ireland much seldomer blow out of the East, than out of the West, especially in the Winter; so that commonly there is no need of a Wind to be wafted over into England: where to the contrary, those, who out of England will come over into Ireland, very ordinarily are constrained to wait two or three weekes, and sometimes five or six weekes, yea it hath faln out so more than once, that in two whole moneths, and longer, there hath not been so much East-wind, as to carry ships out of England into Ireland: notable instances whereof the history of the first conquest of Ireland, and that of the Lord Mountjoy, subduer of Tirone's rebellion, doth afford.

But in the Summer-time, and chiefly in the Spring, and in the moneths of March, Aprill, and May, one is not so much subject to that incommodity, as in the other times of the

year.

And as the West-winds are much more common in Ireland, especially upon this coast lying over against Great-Britain, than the East; so likewise the South winds are much more ordinary there, than the North: which two winds there do seldom

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seldom blow alone, but for the most part do accompany one of the two other, especially the North-wind, the which also doth oftner join it self with the East than with the Westwind.

CHAP. XXIII.

Of the Healthfullness of Ireland, and what sicknesses it is free from, and subject unto.

Sect. 1. Many Old and Healthful people in Ireland.

A

LTHOUGH Ireland is obnoxious to excessive wetness,

nevertheless it is very wholesome for the habitation of Men, as clearly doth appear by that there are as few sickly persons, and as many people live to a great age, as in any of the neighbouring countries: for both men and women, setting those aside who through idleness and intemperance do shorten their dayes, attain here for the most part to a fair age, very many living to be very old, and to pass not only the age of fourscore, but of fourscore and ten; and severall there are found at all times, who do very neer reach an hundred yeares, some out-living and passing them. And the most part of those aged persons are in very good disposition, injoying not only their health, but also the use of their limbs, senses, and understanding, even to their utmost yeares. Among the women there are severall found, who do retain not only their customary purgations, but even their fruitfulness, above the age of fifty yeares, and some untill that of sixty: my Brother hath known some, who being above three-score years old, have not only conceived, and brought forth children, but nursed them, and brought them up with their own milk, being wonderfull rare and almost unheard-of in other countries.

Sect. 2. Ireland free from severall Diseases.

Ireland's healthfullness doth further appear by this particular, that severall diseases very common in other countries, are here very rare, and partly altogether unknown. For the Scurvy, an evill so generall in all other Northerly countries

confining upon the Sea, is untill this day utterly unknown in Ireland.

So is the Quartan Ague, the which is ordinary in England, and in severall parts of it doth very much reign at all times.

As for the Tertian Ague, it was heretofore as little known in Ireland as the Quartan: but some yeares since, I know not through what secret change, it hath found access into this Iland, so that at this time some are taken with it, but nothing neer so ordinarily as in other countries.

The plague, which so often and so cruelly infected England, to say nothing of remoter countries, is wonderfull rare in Ireland, and hardly seen once in an age.

Sect. 3. The immunity from certain Diseases consisteth in the Air, not in the bodies of the people.

It is observable concerning the fore-mentioned particular, that this privilege, of being free from severall Diseases, doth not consist in any peculiar quality of the bodies of men, but proceedeth from some hidden property of the Land and the Air it self. This is made manifest two manner of wayes, first, in that strangers comming into Ireland do partake of this same exemption; and as long as they continue there, are as free of those evills, from which that climate is exempt, as the Irish themselves. Secondly, in that the natives, born and brought up in Ireland, comming into other countries, are found to be subject unto those diseases as well as other people, and I have known severall of them, who being come hither into England, have fallen into the Quartan Ague, and have as long and as badly been troubled with it, as ordinarily any Englishman useth to be.

And credible persons have affirmed unto me the same of Scotland, namely that the Quartan Ague never having been seen there, the Scotchmen nevertheless in other countries are as obnoxious to it, as people of any other Nation.

Sect. 4. The most part of all kind of Diseases are found in Ireland as in other Countries.

True it is, notwithstanding that privilege of being exempt from

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from certain evills, that the most part of diseases and infirmities, whereunto man's body is subject in other countries, are also found in Ireland, as well outward as inward; and in the number of the inward not only the suddain ones, and those that in a few dayes or weekes come to an end, being called Morbi acuti by the Physicians, as namely Feavers, Casting of blood, Apoplexies, and others of that nature; but also those of long continuance, as the Falling-sickness, the Palsy, all sorts of Gout, Coughs, the Consumption of the Lungs, the Stone of the Kidneys and of the Bladder, the Colick, the Iaundis, the Dropsy, the grief of the Spleen, and severall sorts of Loosenesses, with all which Evills it is here as in other countries, some of them being very common here, and others happening but seldom, and in few persons: the more particular relation whereof we will leave for the books of Physick, and for those Observations which perhaps my Brother some time or other will publish, of what he hath found concerning these matters, in an ample and flourishing practice of eight yeares, which he hath lived in Dublin.

CHAP. XXIV.

Of the Diseases reigning in Ireland, and whereunto that country is peculiarly subject.

A

Sect. 1. Of the Irish Agues.

S Ireland is subject to most diseases in common with other countries, so there are some, whereunto it is peculiarly obnoxious, being at all times so rife there, that they may justly be reputed for Ireland's Endemii Morbi or reigning Diseases, as indeed they are generally reputed for such.

Of this number is a certain sort of Malignant Feavers, vulgarly in Ireland called Irish Agues, because that at all times they are so common in Ireland, as well among the Inhabitants and the natives, as among those who are newly come thither from other countries. This feaver commonly accompanied with a great pain in the head and in all the bones, great weakness

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