"The king, to Geoffry de Maurisco, justiciary of Ireland, greeting.

"We return our manifold thanks, for your good and faithful service performed to John, late king of England, our father, of blessed memory, and to us to be continued, and for those things you have signified to us, by our trusty Ralph of Norwich, clerk.

Seeing then, that by his will, in whose hands are the issues of life and death, our lord and father hath happily departed this life, (whose soul may the heavens receive!) We will you to know, that, the royal obsequies being first solemnly and duly performed in the church of the blessed Mary of Winchester, there were convened at Gloucester the greater number of the nobles of our realm, bishops, abbots, earls, and barons, who adhered faithful and devoted to our father during his lifetime, and very many others: where, on the feast of the apostles Simon and Jude, in the church of Saint Peter, Gloucester, with the acclammations of the clergy and laity, we were, by the hands of the lord Gualon, by the title of St. Martin, presbyter, cardinal and legate of the apostolic see, and those of the bishops then present, with invocation of the Holy Spirit, publicly anointed, and crowned king of England; fealty and homage being of all performed to us. Which we have judged necessary to communicate to you as our liege subject, that you may share the joy of our honour and happy success.

"And whereas we have heard, that some resentment hath arisen between our lord and father aforesaid, and certain nobles of our realm; and for some time subsisted; whether with cause or without cause, we know not; our pleasure is, that it should be for ever abolished and forgotten, so as never to remain in our mind; and in order that the effect may cease with the removal of the cause, whatever resentment was conceived, or subsisted against him, we are ready and willing to the utmost of our power to atone for, by yielding to all persons what reason shall suggest, and the good counsel of our subjects direct, abolishing all evil usages from our realm, and by the restoration of liberties and free customs, so as to recal the gracious days of our ancestors, granting to all our subjects what each may fairly and reasonably claim. For this purpose know ye, that a council being lately convened at Bristol, in which were present all the prelates of England, as well bishops and abbots as priors, and many, as well carls as barons, they did homage and fealty to us, publicly, and generally; and receiving a grant of those liberties and free customs first demanded and approved by them, departed in joy, ready and willing to do our service, each to his particular residence.

"We further hope, and trust in the Lord, that the state of our realm shall, by the divine mercy, be changed considerably for the better.

"As to sending our lady the queen-mother, or our brother, into Ireland, our answer is, that taking the advice and assent of our faithful sub

jects, we shall do that which shall be expedient to our interest and the interest of our realm.

"We therefore desire you our beloved, that as you have been faithful and devoted to John our father, of blessed memory, so you may be the more faithful to continue in fidelity to us, as you know that in this our tender age we have the more occasion for your assistance and counsel; and that you receive the homage of the princes of Ireland, and all others who ought to do it unto us.

"We retain at our court Ralph of Norwich, that by his means we may signify our pleasure to you, more fully, in these and other matters. And our pleasure is, that you and our other faithful subjects of Ireland shall enjoy the same liberties which we have granted to our subjects of England; and these we will grant and confirm to you."

"The king to all archbishops, bishops, abbots, earls, barons, knights, and free tenants, and all our faithful subjects settled throughout Ireland. Greeting.

your

fide

"With our hearty commendation of lity in the Lord, which you have ever exhibited to our lord father, and to us in these our days are to exhibit, our pleasure is, that in token of this your famous and notable fidelity, the liberties granted by our father, and by us, of our grace and gift, to the realm of England, shall in our kingdom of Ireland, be enjoyed by you

and by your heirs for ever. Which liberties, distinctly reduced to writing by the general counsel of all our liege subjects, we transmit to you, sealed with the seals of our lord Gualon, legate of the apostolical see, and of our trusty earl William Marishal, our governor, and the governor of our kingdom; because, as yet, we have no seal. And the same shall in process of time, and on fuller counsel, receive the signature of our own seal. Given at Gloucester the sixth day of February."

The partiality of the chief justice to the Anglo-Irish interest, appears clearly in these grants, which were voluntary concessions of the same rights and privileges extorted from king John by the English. The same partiality appears in the unjust donation of the kingdom of Connaught to his kinsman De Burgo.

After the death of Cathal O'Connor, Richard endeavoured to enforce the grant; but O'Nial interposed, in support of the ancient house, and got Turlough O'Connor proclaimed king. The justice, Geoffry Maurice, had recourse to the established usage of divide and conquer. He marched with an army to Connaught, and set up a rival to the new king, Hugh, the son of Cathal. The demands of the English, in reward for this transfer of power, seeming to him and his party excessive, they resisted them with some success, and took a son of Geoffry prisoner. Invited to an amicable conference by the justice, and assassinated, his uncle Turlough re-assumed the

sovereignty. But De Burgo succeeding Geoffry, as king's deputy, soon raised him another rival. His claims of remuneration appearing exorbitant to Phelim O'Connor, he had recourse to arms. The deputy set all the power of the English settlers in motion against him; and further to weaken his resources, declared for the uncle, against whom he had set him up. Yet Phelim had the good fortune to defeat both the English and their Irish partizans, and re-assume the sovereignty without a rival. But what was still of more advantage than a victory, Hubert was in disgrace; his favourite, De Burgo, ceased to be deputy, and Maurice Fitz Gerald succeeded him.

The king of Connaught took occasion of the favourable moment, and endeavoured to secure his people and country from further insults, by royal protection. The king could not but be astonished at the representations of O'Connor; who, with unaffected candour and simplicity, told the grievous tale of his own and people's sufferings, from the enormity of the settlers; so contrary to the false impressions made on him, by his interested governor, concerning Irish affairs. Accustomed to hear the natives of Ireland described as uncivilized barbarians, he was surprised to see an accomplished and polished gentleman. He was no less shocked to find, that the enormities, falsely imputed to the natives, were most commonly committed by their accusers. In compliance with O'Connor's request, he addressed a letter to Maurice Fitz-Gerald,