Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 Gurguntius aduising himselfe hereof, remem|bred Gurguntius appointeth the Spani|ards fears in Ireland to liue vnder his subiection. with what trouble he held the Irish in subiecti|on, and conceiuing hope that those strangers should either subdue or wholie destroie that vnrulie genera|tion, tooke the othes of those Spaniards with hosta|ges; and furnishing them and their ships with all things néedfull, set them ouer into Ireland, where as|sisted with such Britons as Gurguntius had appoin|ted The arriuall of the Spa|niards in I|reland, Geffreic Mon. to go with them for their guids, they made a con|quest of the whole conntrie, & setled themselues in the same. Some write, that Ireland was before that pre|sent void of all inhabitants: but yet they agrée that these Spaniards were guided thither by the Bri|tons, & that vnder such conditions as before is reci|ted. So that it appéereth the kings of this our Britain had an elder right to the realme of Ireland, than by the conquest of Henrie the second, which title they e|uer mainteined, and sometimes preuailed in pursu|ing thereof, as in the daies of king Arthur, to whom the Irish (as in some histories is remembred) ac|knowledged The Irish were subiect to K. Arthur. Westchester. their due subiection with paiement of their tribute, and making their appéerance at the ci|tie called in the British toong Caer Lheon. Where|vnto when their [...]rée assent, the submission of their princes with lawfull conquest and prescription are adioined, an inuincible title must néeds be inforced.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 But now to our purpose. The Spaniards sub|stantiallie aided by the Britons, setled themselues, and diuided their seats in quarters, the foure bre|thren reigning seuerallie apart in foure sundrie por|tions in good quiet and increase of welth, vntill their Disse [...]tion betwixt the brethren. pride and ambition armed two of them against the other two: as Hiberus and one of his brethren a|gainst Such are the fruits o [...] [...]. Hermion and the other brother. In this dis|sention Hermion slue his brother Hiberus. Of whom at the same time the countrie (as some hold) Sée more hereof in the description. was named Hibernia, as in the description further EEBO page image 50 appeareth: although some rather hold, that it tooke the nam [...] of iron, of the plentifull mines of that kind of mettall wherewith that land aboundeth: and so those ancient writers which name it Ierna, named it more aptlie after the spéech of the inhabitants than others, which name it Hibernia. But to procéed. Her|mion herevpon to auoid the ill opinion of men, for that he had thus atteined to the souereignetie by the [...] [...]ime so [...] or detestable that wanteth a colourable pretense to ex|cuse it. vnnaturall slaughter of his brother, in that vnhap|pie ciuill warre, purged himselfe to his subiects, that neither maliciouslie nor contentiouslie, but for his necessarie defense and safetie he had borne armes a|gainst his brethren: and to witnesse how farre he was from all desire to rule alone, he appointed cer|teine capteins as kings, to rule vnder him seuerall countries, reseruing to himselfe but one fourth part, and the portion of Meth allotted to the monarchie for the better maintenance of his estate.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 4 These parts appointed foorth in this wise at length Ireland diui|ded into fiue kingdomes. One soue|reigne ruler ouer the rest. grew to fiue kingdomes, Leinster, Connagh, Ul|ster, and Mounster diuided into two parts, and some|time to more, by vsurping or compounding among themselues: but euer one was chosen to be chiefe so|uereigne monarch ouer them all. Thus it séemeth that certeinelie the Spaniards of the north parts of Spaine, inhabiting the countries about Biscaie and Galicia, came and peopled Ireland (as both their owne histories and the British doo wholie agrée:) but from whense they came first to inhabit those coun|tries of Spaine, verelie I haue not otherwise to a|nouch for no other writers that I can remember, but (such as haue registred the Scotish chronicles) make mention of the comming thither of Gathelus with his wife Scota and their people, in maner as by the said chronicles is pretended. But now to our pur|pose. An hundred and thirtie chiefe kings are recko|ned of this nation from Hermion to Laogirius, the sonne of Nealus Magnus, in whose time that holie estéemed man Patrike conuerted them to christiani|tie. But now in the meane time whilest the Irishmen liued in some tollerable order and rest vnder their se|uerall kings, one Rodorike a Scithian prince with a small co [...]panie of men, being weather driuen round about the coasts of Britaine, was by chance cast vpon the shore of Ireland.