"I have laid downe heere to the reader his view, a breefe discourse, whereof I trust he shall take no great surfet. And when I am aduertised that he will digest the thin fare that heere is disht before him, it may be (God willing) heereafter that he shall find my booke with store of more licorous deinties farsed and furnished; leauing to his choice either nicelie to pickle, or greedilie to swallow, as much as to his contentation shall best beseeme him." RICHARD STANIHURST. PRINTED BY GEORGE BARCLAY, CASTLE STREET, LEICESTER SQUARE. · Brehon Law Paying Eric Monster Meetings-"Ireland and the Irish"- Troops -O'Connell's Quotations 1641--State of the Country in the 16th Century Lawyers and Clergy-Irish Innocence-English Crimes— Irish Mercy and Love of Justice - Despair of CHAP. II.-Dress-Froissart's Description of the Four Kings - Glibs-Ladies' Dress and Per- 133 and the White Knight-Training the Earl of Desmond for a Courtier-Changing Horses- Death of the last Earl of Desmond - Earl of Kildare at Slidegroat Retainers-Timely Submission-English degenerate in Ireland- Law of Inheritance- Kildare before Henry the Seventh-Countess of Ossory-Efficacy of CHAP. III. - Food of Ancient Irish - Drink - Shane O'Neill – His Mudbath and Rushlight - Harper - Ancient Cads - Coshering - Act to put down-Gambling-Card Party in Straw - Vanity - Hoaxing Merlin taken in Ploughing by the Tail-Act to prevent Plucking Sheep-Cow's Compulsion Bill- Burning Corn instead of Threshing . All CHAP. IV.-Facts from Gweedore-M'Kye's In- ventory-Going to Bed-Houses in Donegal A Schoolmaster at Home-A Gutter Sama- ritan-Anecdotes-A Harrowing Spectacle- Comparison of ancient and present State of PADDIANA, &c., &c. EXECUTIONS. I HAVE been compelled to witness many executions during the seven years of my sojourning in Ireland. I shall take the first, as it was most characteristic of the country and people. It happened at Clonmel, and will follow, appropriately enough, the story of the adventure with the Geoghegans. An individual of the name of Mara had, notwithstanding the cautioning of friends, threatening letters, intimidating notices, and all the means usually resorted to on such occasions, persisted in taking some land "over the heads," as it is called, of the former tenants; and for this Irish crime, not only the offending individual VOL. II. B |