1.7. The diſpoſition and maners of the meere Iriſh, commonly called the wyld Iriſhe. Chap. 8.

The diſpoſition and maners of the meere Iriſh, commonly called the wyld Iriſhe. Chap. 8.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 BEfore I attempt the vnfoldyng of the ma|ners of the méere Iriſh, I thinke it expedi|ent, to forewarne thée reader, not to impute a|ny barbarous cuſtome that ſhall be here layde downe, to the citizens, towneſmen, and the in|habitants of the engliſh pale, in that they differ little or nothyng from the auncient cuſtomes and diſpoſitions of their progenitors, the En|gliſh and Walſhmen, beyng therfore as mor|tally behated of y^e Iriſh, as thoſe that are borne in England. For the Iriſhe man ſtandeth ſo much vpon hys gentilitie,Iriſh gen|tilitie. that he termeth any one of the Engliſh ſept, and planted in Irelãd, Bobdeagh Galteagh, that is, Engliſh churle: but if he be an Engliſhman borne, then he na|meth EEBO page image 28 hym, Bobdeagh S [...]egh, that is, a Saxon churle: ſo that both are churles, and he the onely gentleman, and therupon if the [...] peſant of them name hymſelfe with hys ſupe|rior, he warde ſure to place himſelfe firſt, as I and Oneyle, I and you, I and he, I & my mai|ſter, wheras the [...] of the Engliſh lan|guage is cleane con [...].

Compare 1587 edition: 1 The incli| [...] of the people. The people are thus enclined, religious, fra(n)ke, amorous, irefull, sufferable of infinite paynes, very glorious, many sorcerers, excellent horsemen, delighted with wars, great almesgiuers, passing in hospitality. The lewder sorte, both clearkes and lay men are sensuall & ouer loose and liuyng. The same beyng vertuously bred vp or reformed, are such myrors of holynes and austeritie, that other nations retaine but a shadow of deuotion in comparison of them. As for abstinence and fasting, it is to them a familiar kynd of chastisement.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 They follow the dead corpes to the graue w^t howlyng and barbarous [...]teries, [...] ap|paraunce, wherof grew, as I ſuppoſe, the pro|uerbe,to weepe Iriſhe. to weepe Iriſh.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 Gréedy of prayſe they be, and fearefull of diſ|honor, and to this ende they eſteme theyr Po|ets, who write Iriſh learnedly, and pen their ſonets her eſcall, for the which they are [...]ti|fully rewarded, if not, they ſende [...] in diſprayſe, whereof the Lordes and gentlemen ſtand in great awe. They loue tenderly theyr foſter children,foſter children. and bequenth ſo them a childes portion wherby they nouriſh ſure friendſhip, ſo beneficiall euery way, that commonly, 500. cowes and better, are giuen in reward to win a noble mans child to foſter, they loue & truſt theyr foſter brethren, more then their owne.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 The ſta|tute of the people.The men are cleane of ſkin & hew, of ſtatute tall. The women are well fauoured, cleane co|loured, faire handed, big and large, ſuffered frõ theyr infancy to grow at will, nothing curious of theyr feature and proportion of body.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 Infants.Their infantes of the meaner ſort are neither ſwadled nor lapped in lynnen, but folded vppe ſtarke naked in a blanket till they can go.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 Proud they are of long criſped buſhes of heare which they terme glibs, and the ſame they nou|riſh with all their cũning,Cubbes. to crop y^e front there|of, they take it for a notable piece of villany.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 Their lyet.Water creſſes, which they terme ſhamrocks, rootes and other herbes they féede vpon, ote|meale and butter they cramme together, they drinke whey, mylke, and biefe brothe. Fleſhe they deuour without bread, and that halfe raw: the reſt boyleth in their ſtomackes with Aqua vitae, which they ſwill in after ſuch a ſurfet by quartes & pottels: they let their cowes bloud, which growen to a gelly, they bake and ouer|ſpred with butter, and ſo eate it in lumpes. No meat they fanſie ſo much in porke,Porcke. and the faſ|ter the better. One of Iohn Oneales houſhold demaunded of his fellow whether biefe were better than porke, that, quoth the other, is as intrigate a queſtion, as to aſke whether thou art better then Oneale.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 Their noblemen, and noblemens tenauntes now and then make a ſet feaſt, which they call,Coſhering coſhering, where to [...] all theyr retayners, [...] they name followers, their rithmoues,Folowers. their battles, theyr ha [...] that féede thẽ with [...], and when the harpet twas [...]eth or [...]n|geth [...], all the [...] muſt be whiſt, or elſe he [...] like [...]ſe, by reaſõ his har|mony [...] not had in better prise. In their coſhe|ring they ſit on ſtraw, they are ſerued on ſtraw and he vpon matreſſes and pallets of ſtrawe.Lib. pri. En. circa finem The antiquitie of this kynde of feaſting, is ſet forth by Virgill, where Dido entertayneth the Croy [...] prince and his company. They obſerue diuo [...]s degrées, according to which ech man is regarded. Thebaſeſt ſort among them are lit|tle yong wags, called Daltinnes,Daltyn. Groome. theſe are lac|kies, & are ſeruiceable to the groomes or horſe|boyes, who are a degrée aboue the Daltins. Of the third degre is the kerne,Kearene. who is an ordina|ry [...], vſing for weapon his ſword & tar|get, and haue times hys péece, beyng common|ly ſo good markemen as they was come within a ſtore [...] great caſtle Kerne ſignifieth, as no|ble [...] [...]pe iudgement informed me, a ſhower of hell, becauſe they are taken for no better then for ra [...]ehels, or the deuils blacke garde, by reaſon of the ſtinkyng ſturre they kéepe, where ſo euer they be.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 The fourth degre is a galloglaſſe,Gallo|glaſſe. vſing a kind of pollax for his weapon. Theſe men are com|monly wayward rather by profeſſion then by nature, grim of countenãce, tall of ſtature, big of k [...]nne, burly of body, wel and ſtrongly tim|berd, chiefly féeding on béefe, porke and butter.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 The fift degree is to be an horſman,Horſeman. which is the chiefeſt next the lord and capitaine. Theſe horſemen when they haue no ſtay of their own, gad and range from houſe to houſe like arrant knights of the round table, and they neuer diſ|mount vntill they ride into the hall, and as far as the table.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 There is among them a brotherhood of Kar|rowes,Karrow. that profer to play at chartes all y^e yere long, and make it their onely occupation. They play away mantle and all to the bare ſkin, and then truſſe themſelues in ſtrawe or in leaues, they wayte for paſſengers in the high way, in|uite them to game vpon the grene, & aſke them no more but companions to holde them ſporte. For default of other ſtuffe, they paune theyr glibs, the nailes of their fingers and toes, their dimiſſaries, which they léeſe or redéeme at the EEBO page image 601 curteſie of the wynner.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 A taletel|ler.One office in the houſe of noble men is a tale|teller, who bringeth, his lord a ſtéeps withtales vayne and feiuolous, whereunto, the [...]umbat giue ſooth & credite.Latin ſpo|ken as a vulgare language. Without eyther preceptes or obſeruation of congraltie, then ſpeake latin lyke a vulgar language, learned [...]uetheir com|mon ſchooles of leachecraft and lawe, where at they begin childrẽ, and hold on [...] [...]eres, connyng by rote the Aphoriſmes of Hy [...]|tes, and the ciuill inſtitutes, with a fewe other paringes of thoſe ſac [...]es. In the [...] ſchooles, they groouel vpõ couches of ſti [...], their bookes at their noles, themſelues lys fla [...] [...]cat [...]. & ſo they chaime out with a lowd vdyce their leſ|ſons by peeremeale, repeating two or thrée wordes 30. or 40. byn [...]es together. Other lawyers they haue lyable to certaine families, which after the cuſtome of the countrey deter|mine & iudge cauſes. Theſe cõſider of wrongs offered and receyued among their neighbors: be it murther, felony, or treſpaſſe, all is reme|died by compoſition (except the grudge of par|ties ſeeke reuenge) and the tyme they haue to ſpare from ſpoyling and preding, they lightly beſtowe in parling about ſuch matters.Breighon. The Breighon (ſo they call this kinde of Lawyer) ſitteth on a banke, the lordes and gentlemen at variance round about him, and then they pro|ceede: To robbe and ſpoile their enemies they déeme it none offence, nor ſéeke any meanes to recouer their loſſe, but euen to watch them the lyke turne. But if neighbors and friendes ſend their purueyors to purloyne one an other ſuch actions are iudged by the Breighons aforeſaid.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 Religious fauoured.They honour and reuerence Friers and pil|grimes, by ſuffring them to paſſe quietly, and by ſparing theyr manſiõs, whatſoeuer outrage they ſhew to the countrey beſides them. The lyke fauour do they extend to their Poetes and Rithmours.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 Matrimo|ny abuſed.In olde tyme they much abuſed the honoura|ble ſtate of marriage, either in contractes vn|lawfull, méetyng the degrées of prohibition, or in diuorcementes at pleaſure, or in retaynyng concubines or harlots for wyues: yea euen at this day where the clergy is fainte, they can be content to marry for a yeare and a day of pro|bation, and at the yeres ende [...]ny tyme af|ter, to returne hir home with hir marriage [...]es, or as much in valure, vpon light [...]|r [...] if the gentlewomans friendes [...]s vnable to reuenge, the [...]. In lyke maner may ſhe forſake hir huſband.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 In some corner of the land they vsed a damnable superstition, Superſti|tiõ in bap|tiſme. leauyng the right armes of their infantes vnchristened (as they terme it) to the intent it might giue a more vngracious [...] Io [...] [...] & deadly blowe. Others write that gentlemens children were baptized in mylke, and the infantes of poore folke in water, who had the better or rather the onely choyce.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 2 Diuers other vaype and erecrable ſuperſtiti| [...] they obſerue, that for a complete recitall,Irelande why ſu|perſticious would require a ſeueral volume. Wherto they are the more ſtifly wedded, becauſe ſuch ſingle preachers as they haue, reproue not in theyr ſermons the pieuiſhneſſe and fondneſſe of theſe [...]iualous dreamers. But theſe and the like en|comities haue taken ſo deepe roote [...] that peo|ple, as commonly a preacher is ſooner by their naughty lyues corrupted, then their naughty lyues by his preaching amended. Againe the very Engliſh of birth, conuerſant with the ſa|uage ſort of that people become degenerate, & as though they had taſted of Circos poyſoned cup, are quite altered. Such a force hath adu [...]a|tion to make or marre.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 God with the be [...]nes of hys grace, clarifie the eyes of that rude people, that at lẽgth they may ſée theyr miſerable eſtate: and alſo that ſuch, as are deputed to the gouernment therof, bend their induſtry with conſcionable pollicye to reduce them from rudeneſſe to knowledge, from rebellion to obedience, from trechery to honeſty, from ſauageneſſe to ciuilitie, frõ idle|nes to labour, from wickedneſſe to godlyneſſe, wherby they may the ſooner eſpy their blynde|neſſe, acknowledge their looſeneſſe, amende their liues, frame thẽſelues plyable to y^e lawes and ordinaunces of hir Maieſtie, whom God with his gracious aſſiſtance preſerue, as wel to the proſperous gouernment of hir realme of England, as to the happye reformation of hir realme of Ireland.