Compare 1587 edition: 1 2 Ireland is deuided into foure regiõs,

1. Lagenia.

2. Cõnatia.

3. Hultonia.

4. Momo|nia.

5. Media.

Weſt Méeth, & caſt Méeth

Lein|ſter, eaſte Connaght, weſt: [...]iſter, north: Moũ|ſter, ſouth: and into a fift plot, defalked from euery fourth parte, and yet [...]earyng on eche part, called therof Media, Méeth, compriſing as well eaſt Méeth, as weſt Méeth. Leinſter butteth vpõ England: Vlſter vpõ y^e Scottiſh Iſlands, which face w^t Hebriades ſcattered betwene both the realmes,Hebriades. wherein at this day the Iriſh Scot, ſucceſſor of y^e elder Scy|thian, Pine, or Redſhanke dwelleth. Eche of theſe fiue, where they are framable to ciuili|tie, and aunſwer the writtes of the Princes courtes,The ſhires and coun|ties of Ireland. be ſundred into Shieres or Coũties in this maner. In Leinſter lyeth the Coun|ties of Dublin, Hildare, Welſeford or Gueiſ|ford, Catherlach, Kilkenny, the Countyes of Leiſe and Ophaly, called the King & Quenes counties, theſe two lately ſo named by Par|liament, in the raignes of Phillip and Mary, hauing ſhiere townes accordaunt, Phillips|towne and Maryborough. Connaght hath the countie Clare: Vlſter the countyes of Louthe, Doune, Antrim, one moyetie of the towne of Droghedagh (for y^e reſt is in Méeth) and Carregfergus. In Mounſter, lye the Countyes of Waterforde, Lymmericke, Corcke, Countie Palentine of Typperary, Keary, and the croſſe of Typperary. Moun|ſter was of olde tyme deuided into eaſt Moũ|ſter, Ormond, Weſt Mounſter, Deſmonde, South Mounſter, Toonmound. The occaſion why Ireland was parted into theſe v. princi|pall EEBO page image 575 pull regions grew of this.

An. mundi. 2533.

Cambrienſ. lib. .1. diſt. 3. rub .5. & 6.

There arriued in Ireland fiue brethren, that were [...]e valiant and martiall gentlemen: to withe, Gandius, Genandius, Sagandus, otherwyſe named Gangandius, Rorheragus, or Rutheranius, and Slanius. Theſe fiue perceiuing that the countrey was not ſufficiently peopled, were agreed, as if were, to caſt lottes, and to ſhare the whole realme betwene themſelues. The foure elder wethren ſeueryng the countrey in|to foure partes, and beyng lo [...] for vſe theyr yongeſt brother lyke an outcaſt or ſtepſonne, condeſcended that eche of them foure, ſhould at there own portion allotte to Slanius a pa|ryng or parcell of their enheritaunce. Which beyng as hart [...]y receiued by Slanius, as it was bountifully graunted by them, he ſetled himſelfe them, and of that particion it tooke the appellation of Media,Méeth whence it is named. Meethe. The foure partes méete at a certayne none at Méethe, neere the caſtle of Kilayre, as an indifferent meare to ſeuer the iiij. regions. But although Slanius in the beginning had the leſt parcel, yet in ſhort ſpare he ſtoode ſo well to his tack|linges, and ener [...]acht ſo far vpon his neigh|bors, that he obtayned the whole Monarchie of Irelãd. At which tyme he did not ſuppreſſe in obliuion his enheritance of Méethe,Méeth appointed for y^e king his table. but did enlarge it, and decréed it ſhould be a country appendant to the Monarch his diet or table. And albeit the confines thereof were by Sla|nius ſtretched, yet it conteyneth not ſo much land, as any of the other foure partes com|prehendeth, but rather by moiſ [...]erent ſuruey, the halfe deale, whereof alſo it is not vnlikely, named Méeth. For where as in the tyme of Slanius eche of the foure partes compriſeth [...]r.Cantared. cantareder. Méeth conteineth but xvj. can|taredes. A cantarede is named ſo much land as conteyneth an hundred towneſhips. This Slanius is entoombed at an hill in Méethe, which of hym is named Slane.Slane.