[Copy of 'Briefe Relation of Irland and the diversity of Irish in the same' by Philip O'Sullivan Beare.]

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Copy of "Briefe Relation of Irland and the diversity of Irish in the same" by Philip O'Sullivan Beare. Written: c. 1618-1625.

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[ ] relation of Irland [ ] [ ] Irish in the [same] [ ] of Irland ther be 3. kind of Irish [ ] Irish, english Irish, & mixt [ ancient], Irish, discend from the Span[ish] [ ] [thowsand?] yeares agoe, gott that [ m] the grecians. and governed it, wth, [ ] [ ], being holpen therin, by th[ ] [ ] holines of many holy miracu[ ]s, and [ ] of ther owne, untill the comi[ng] [ ]anes, the wch, by ouerthrowinge & distroinge [ ] uniuers[itis], in that [Iland], brought much barb [ ] [c]ustoms [wch tyrr?ny]; after wch, [f?d] even in the Irish themselues, sines and offen[c?s ] [civell?] wars, and domesticall hattred, [ ].

Notable [w]as the wickenes of Dormitius O Mo[ ], kinge of Leinster, one of the fyve kings of Irland, who toke away, by force, the wyffe of O Rourke another kinge of [the same?] Iland, for wch the said D[e]rmitius, beinge pursued by O Rourke, was [faine] to [flie] the land, & to [crave] aid, and [assistance], of Henry the 2: kinge of England; who at that tyme was in Frannce, who gave free lybertie to all his subiectes, that voluntarily would h[ ] Dormitius to recover his lost kingdome; wh[ ] wch aid, wth certaine of the kinge of Englands [ ] he recovered his owne, and laid hold [ ] [mens] land besides: Henry the 2: seinge th[ ] devided [amo]ngest them selves, by a fa[lse]

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Relation, as they say, to pope Adryan the 4:th, an Inglishman, obtained of his holines Licence to conquer the land, and to be collector of the Church rents, wch the sea Apostolicke had in Irland, wth titell of Lord of Irland; but after the kings of England, forsakinge there true faythe, have by ther owne proper authority, intytuled them selues, kings of Irland. Theese English, wch at fyrst, past over into Irland wth Dermitius, and others also that came after, are devided into towe sorts, the cheefe nobility and gent~, married the daughters of the ancient Irishe, and soe have ther desenden[ce] downe, after them, in such sort that those who nowe doe inherit, haue equall, as much of the Irish blode, as of the English and in ther langwadge, howbeit, and custome doe confourme themselues for the most part wth the Irish and these, are they whom I call mixt Irish. Such are the Earles of Kildare, Desmond, Clanrickard, Ormond, Vicount Barry, Roche &c. The English that did not marry wth the anncient Irish nor tooke hold other of ther customs, manners, or langwadge, but kept there former Inglish stile, Theese are called Inglish Irish, and are all, for the most part marchants and men of trade in all the Cittys and towns of Irland, thear be also some knights, and gent~, wch liuethe

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liuethe in the county of East meathe, and abowte. In this, and in the counties that the Irish call the pale; these seuerall kinds of Irish agree one all, in one thinge, to wit in beinge true catholicks and Children of the Church of Rome; yett doe they differ in ther manner of lyvinge, naturall inclinations, and desires, to have princes, and lawes over them, every one desiringe his naturall, and imitatinge his predecessors. And therfore the anncient Irish, as they say, that are desended from the Spaniards, desire alwaies to be governed by kings of Spaine, and ther successors, and beare great affection, and lowe to the Spanysh nation; contrarywyse, great hate, and enmity wth there enymies; and in sharpnes of witt, and valor in warr, are altogether, licke unto the Spaniard. The English Irish followe, the inclination of the Inglish, and affect the lawes, manners, and goverment, wch they had fyrst from them; and if the kinge of England, would grannt them Lybertie of consience, or permytt to keepe in there howses priests, to say masse privatly, and minister the holly sacraments; they would be right glad, that there should be noe change of lawes, in Irland, nor of goverment, of kinge and amonge these sorts, unlesse it be, some ecclestiasticall man, to whom the pope hathe assigned some benyfice, or church rent, there

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There is none that carethe much whether there be restitution of Church liuings or not; or whether the Church obtaine thir publique goverment; nay many of them have noe other lands, nor liuings, but such as weare taken from the Church, when the kings of England wthdrewe themselues from their obedince. The myxt Irish as ther bloode is myngled wth Inglish and Irish soe ther inclinations, and manner of lyfe, dothe incline severally; for notwthstandinge that most of them, and the noblest, and best qualified, doe followe the inclination of the anncient Irish; yett doe others followe that of the English; Theese three kind of Irish have theire aboue said inclination soe deeply rooted in them, that in what state soeuer they live they keepe them still; wch is true, not only in seculers, as knights, soldiors, and others; but alsoe in others, as schollers, preests, yea and Religius men; yett as man hathe free will, by wch he may forsake his owne inclination, and followe the contrary; Soe we have seene somtymes, that an English Irished, hathe followed or Imitated the anncient Irish, and are anncient Irish; The English as it fell out wth Capten Whyt whoe beinge an Englished Irish fought against the English for the kinge of Spaine, and the Earle of Tomond, beinge an anncient

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Irish did help the English. This difference of naturall inclination and loue, did plainly appeare in the last warrs, w[ch] the Irish holpen by his Catholike maiestie, made against the English: for the anncient Irish and also the moste and noblest of the mixt Irish, held for the kinge of Spaine: and almost all the Englished Irish held wth the kinge of England; yett after that peace was confirmed betwixt Spaine and England; great persecution was used against all three sorts of Irish, wthout exception; wherby the Englished Irish myght p~ceave howe farre they weare overs[ene?], in helpinge the English in resistinge the anncient Irish and myxt; and nowe at this present they repent it very much and are very desirous to gett occasion, to make sattisfaccion, and to serve the catholyke kinge of Spaine: But if they weare shutt of there p~secution, and trubles, theire naturall inclination, cariethe them more towardes the English kinge and nation; And to the end that the Lords of the counsell, and officers of his ma~tie, may knowe of what Irish they may make use of, in the kings occasion, we will lay downe a table of theire names, and estats of such as hathe beene bred theare, and speake the Spanyshe tonge, and serve his ma~tie in several places in his domynions

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