12.5. The obteining of the priuilege at Rome. Chap. 5.

The obteining of the priuilege at Rome. Chap. 5.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 IN this meane time the king, though he were in great troubles, & much vnquieted with the wars, yet was he not vnmindfull of his realme of Ireland, as also of the orders made and deuised at the councell of Cashill, for the redresse and reformation of the filthie and loose life of the Irishrie. And therevpon sent his ambassadors vnto Rome to pope Alexander the third, of and from whom he obteined certeine priuileges, and vnder his authoritie; namelie, that he should be lord ouer all the realme of Ireland; and by his power and autho|ritie they to be reduced and brought to the christian faith, after the maner and order of the church of En|gland. This priuilege the king sent ouer into Ire|land by one Nicholas Wallingford then prior, but afterwards abbat of Malmesburie, and William Fitzaldelme. And then being at Waterford, they caused an assemblie and a synod to be had of all the bishops and clergie within that land; and then in the open audience of them, the said grant and priuilege was openlie read and published: as also one other priuilege before giuen and granted by pope Adrian an Englishman borne, at the sute of one Iohn of Salisburie, who was made bishop of Karnoceus at Rome. And by this man also he sent vnto the king for a token, and in signe of a possession thereof, one gold ring, which togither with the priuilege was laid vp in the kings treasurie at Winchester. The tenure of both which priuileges it shall not be amisse here to insert. And concerning the first, these are the words thereof.

Adrian the bishop, the seruant of the seruants of God, to his most déere sonne in Christ the noble king Two priuile|ges sent from Rome to the king of Eng|land. of England sendeth gréeting, and the apostolike be|nediction. Your excellencie hath béene verie care|full and studious how you might inlarge the church of God here in earth, and increase the number of his saints and elects in heauen: in that as a good catho|like king, you haue and doo by all meanes labor and trauell to inlarge and increase Gods church, by teach|ing the ignorant people the true and christian religi|on, and in abolishing and rooting vp the weeds of sin and wickednesse: and wherin you haue and doo craue for your better aid and furtherance the helpe of the a|postolike sée, wherein the more spéedilie and discreet|lie you doo procéed, the better successe we hope God will send. For all they which of a feruent zeale, and loue in religion, doo begin and enterprise anie such thing, shall no doubt in the end haue a good and pros|perous successe. And as for Ireland and all other I|lands where Christ is knowen, and the christian reli|gion receiued, it is out of all doubt, and your excel|lencie well knoweth, they doo all apperteine and be|long to the right of saint Peter, and of the church of Rome. And we are so much the more redie, desirous, & willing to sow the acceptable séed of Gods word, because we know the same in the latter daie will be most seuerelie required at our hands. You haue (our welbeloued in Christ) aduertised and signified EEBO page image 36 vnto vs, that you will enter into the land and realme of Ireland, to the end to bring them obedient vnto law, and vnder your subiection, and to root out from among them their foule sins and wickednesse, as also to yéeld and paie yéerelie out of euerie house a yeare|lie pension of one penie vnto saint Peter: and be|sides also will defend & kéepe the rites of those chur|ches whole and inuiolate. We therefore well allow|ing and fauouring this your godlie disposition & com|mendable affection, doo accept, ratifie, and assent vn|to this your petition: and doo grant that you for the dilating of Gods church, the punishment of sin, the reforming of maners, planting of vertue, and the increasing of christian religion, you doo enter to pos|sesse that land, and there to execute according to your wisedome whatsoeuer shall be for the honor of God, and the safetie of the realme. And further also we doo strictlie charge and require that all the people of that land doo with all humblenesse, dutifulnesse, and honor receiue and accept you as their liege lord and soue|reigne, reseruing and excepting the right of the holie church, which we will be inuiolably preserued; as also the yeerelie pension of the Peter pence out of eue|rie Peter pence. house, which we require to be trulie answered to saint Peter, and to the church of Rome. If therfore you doo mind to bring your godlie purpose to effect, indeuor to trauell to reforme the people to some bet|ter order and trade of life: and that also by your selfe, and by such others as you shall thinke meet, true, and honest, in their life, maners and conuersation, the church of God may be beautified, the true christian religion sowed and planted, and all other things to be doone, that by anie meanes shall or may be to Gods honor, and the saluation of mens soules: whereby you may in the end receiue at Gods hands the re|ward of an euerlasting life, as also in the meane time, and in this life carrie a glorious fame, and an honorable report among all nations. The tenure and effect of the second priuilege is thus.

Alexander the bishop, the seruant of the seruants The second priuilege. of God, to his déerelie beloued son the noble king of England sendeth gréeting, grace, and the apostolike benediction. Forsomuch as things giuen and gran|ted vpon good reasons by our predecessors, are to be well allowed of, ratified, and confirmed; we well considering and pondering the grant and priuilege, for and concerning the dominion of the land of Ire|land to vs apperteining, and latelie giuen by Adrian our predecessor; we following his steps doo in like maner confirme, ratifie, and allow the same: reser|uing and sauing to saint Peter and to the church of Rome the yéerelie pension of one penie out of euerie house as well in England as in Ireland. Prouided also, that the barbarous people of Ireland by your meanes be reformed and recouered from their filthie life and abhominable conuersation; that as in name so in maners and conuersation they may be christi|ans: that as that rude and disordered church by you being reformed, the whole nation also may with the profession of the name be in acts and life followers of the same.

12.6. The titles of the kings of England vnto Ireland. Chap. 6.

The titles of the kings of England vnto Ireland. Chap. 6.

LEt then the enuious & ignorant cease and giue ouer to quarrell, and anouch that the kings of England haue no right nor ti|tle to the realme of Ireland. But let them well vnderstand that by fiue maner of waies, that is to saie, by two ancient titles, and three latter they haue to auouch and defend the same, as in our to|pographie is declared. First it is euident and appa|rent by the histories of England, that Gurguntius the sonne of Belin king of Britaine, as he returned with great triumph from out of Denmarke, he met at the Iles of the Orchades a nauie (1) of a certeine nation or people, named Baldenses, now Baions, and those he sent into Ireland, appointing vnto them certeine guides and leaders to conduct & direct them thither.

Likewise the same histories doo plainlie witnesse, that king Arthur, the famous king of Britaine, had manie of the Irish kings tributarie to him: & he on a time holding & kéeping his court at Westchester, Gillomarus king or monarch of Ireland, with other the princes thereof, came & presented themselues be|fore him. Also the Irishmen came out of (2) Baion, the chiefe citie in Biscaie. And forsomuch as men, be they neuer so frée, yet they maie renounce their right and libertie, and bring themselues into subiection: so it is apparent that the princes of Ireland did fréelie, and of their owne accord, submit & yéeld themselues to king Henrie of England, & swore vnto him faith and loialtie. And albeit such men of a kind of a natu|rall lightnesse and inconstancie, be not ashamed nor afraied to denie and renounce their faith: yet that can not so release and discharge them. Euerie man is at his owne choise and libertie how to contract and bargaine with anie one, but the same once made he can not fléet nor swarue from it. And finallie the holie pope, in whom is the effect of perfection, and who by a certeine prerogatiue and title requireth & clai|meth all Ilands, bicause by him and by him and by his meanes they were first reduced and recouered to the christian faith; he I saie hath ratified and con|firmed this title.

(1) The historie is this, that Gurguntius the son of king Belin made a viage into Denmarke, there to appease the people, who were then vp in rebellion against him: and hauing preuailed and ouercommed them, he in his returning homewards by the Iles of the Orchades; there met him a fléet or a nauie of thir|tie or (as some saie) three score sailes of men and wo|men latelie come and exiled from out of that part of Spaine, called then Baldensis, whereof Baion was the chiefe citie, but now it is a part of the countrie of Gascoigne, whose capteine named (as some write) Bartholomew, did present himselfe before Gurgun|tius, and discoursing vnto him the cause of their tra|uels, besought him to consider of their distresse, and to grant vnto them some dwelling place, and they would béecome his subiects. Which their request the king granted, and taking their oth of allegiance sent and caused them to be conducted into Ireland, where as his subiects they remained and continued.

(2) These people were named Iberi, & before that they came to seeke vnto Gurguntius for a land to dwell in, they dwelled in that part of Spaine, where|of Baion is the metropole, which is now part of Bi|scaie, and this countrie before and long after the time of Gurguntius, was still subiect to the kings of Bri|taine, now called England.

12.7. The rebellion of Donald prince of Li|merike, and of the taking of the citie of Limerike. Chap. 7.

The rebellion of Donald prince of Li|merike, and of the taking of the citie of Limerike. Chap. 7.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 IN the meane while, Donald O Brin prince of Limerike waxed verie insolent, and nothing regarding his former promise and oth made to the king, began & did with|draw his fealtie and seruice. Wherevpon Reimond EEBO page image 37 mustering his armie, gathered and picked out the best and lustiest men which he had. And hauing twen|tie and sir gentlemen, thrée hundred horssemen, and thrée hundred bowmen and footmen in readinesse and well appointed, about the kalends of October mar|ched towards Limerike to assaile the same. When they came thither, the riuer of the Shenin, which inui|roneth and runneth round about the citie, they found the same to be so déepe and stikle, that they could not passe ouer the same. But the lustie yoong gentlemen who were gréedie to haue the preie, but more desi|rous to haue the honor, were in a great agonie and gréefe, that they were thus abarred from approching to assaile the citie. Wherevpon one (1) Dauid Welsh so named of his familie and kinred, although other|wise a Camber or a Welshman borne, and nephue vnto Reimond, who was a lustie and valiant yoong soldior, and a verie tall man aboue all the rest, was verie hot and impatient, that they so long lingered the time about nothing. Wherevpon hauing a grea|ter regard to win fame and honor, than fearing of a|nie perill or death, taking his horsse and putting his spurres to his sides aduentureth the water, which being verie stikle and full of stones and rocks was the more dangerous: but yet he so wiselie marked the course of the streame, and so aduised and guided his horsse, that he passed the riuer, and safelie recoue|red the further side: and then he cried out alowd to his companie, that he had found a foord: but for all that there was neuer a one that would follow, sa|uing one Geffreie.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 But they both returning backe againe to conduct ouer the whole companie, the said Geffreie, his horsse being caried awaie with the violence of the streame, they were both drowned. Which when Meilerius (who was also come thither) did sée, he began to fret with himselfe, partlie for that his cousine & kinsman of so noble an enterprise had so bad a successe: part|lie also disdaining that anie should atchiue to honor but himselfe. Wherevpon being mounted vpon a lu|stie strong horsse, setteth spurre to his side, and being neither dismaied with the stiklenesse and danger of the water, nor afraied with the mishap fallen to the gentleman, who was then drowned, more rashlie than wiselie aduentureth the riuer & recouereth the further side & banke. The citizens some of them wat|ching and méeting him at the waters side, and some standing vpon the towne wals fast by the riuer side, minding and meaning to haue driuen him backe a|gaine, or to haue killed him in the place, hurled stones a good pace vnto him. But this noble and lustie gen|tleman, being thus sharpelie and hardlie beset in the middle of perils and dangers, his enimies on the one side hardlie assailing, and the riuer on the other side stopping and closing him vp from all rescue, standeth to his tackle, and as well as he could couering his head with his shield, defendeth and saueth himselfe from his enimies. Whilest they were thus bicketing there was great showting and noise on both sides of the water. But Reimond being then the generall of the field, and in the rereward, knowing nothing here|of, as soone as he heard of it, came in all hast through the campe vnto the waters side. Where when he saw his nephue on the other side, to be in the middle of his enimies, and like to be vtterlie cast awaie and de|stroied vnlesse he had some spéedie helpe and succour, was in a maruellous griefe & agonie, & verie sharp|lie crieth and calleth out to his men, as followeth.

(1) This Welsh was so called, the same being the name of his familie and kindred, and not of the countrie of Wales, wherein be was borne. He was a woorthie gentleman, and of his race there are yet remaining manie good and woorthie gentlemen, who are chieflie abiding in the prouince and citie of Wa|terford: for there were they first planted.