of England, with this specious preamble: "Because for the common benefit of the land of Ireland, and the unity of the King's territories, the King, by the advice of his counsellors, hath provided, that all the laws and customs of the kingdom of England, may be possessed by the kingdom of Ireland, and that it may hold and be governed by the same laws as King John, when last in Ireland, commanded; because it is the pleasure of the King, that the common laws of England shall be current in Ireland. In like manner, under the authority of the King's new seal, it is commanded to the archbishops, bishops, abbots, priors, earls, barons, &c. that for the peace and tranquillity of the said land, they may permit themselves to be governed by the said laws, and that they may be ob served throughout the land." 1253. granted to ward, In the year twelve hundred and fifty three, Henry Ireland having projected a marriage betwixt his son Prince prince Ed Edward and the Infanta of Spain, made a grant of his kingdom, with certain exceptions, to him and his heirs for ever; but with a special proviso, that Ireland should always be connected with, and dependant on the English crown. The general appointments under government were henceforth made in the name of Edward, and subject to his imme diate authority: yet Henry jealous, lest his son should withdraw this kingdom from its allegiance to him as supreme liege lord, frequently interfered in the administration, and would not permit him to name the deputies the most agreeable to him; he even su perseded some of his writs, and controuled him in 1254. particular acts of government, which had not the sanction of his own letters patent. Henry applies for Henry being engaged in a war upon the continent, more mo- in defence of his territories in France, and pressed for ney to car ry on his war in France, General in, surrections the means to carry it on, his Queen, as appears upon record, transmitted to Ireland the following requisition. "To the archbishops, bishops, abbots, priors, earls, barons, burgesses, freemen, &c, entreating from them assistance of men and money against the King of Castile, who had invaded Gascony, the compliance with which would turn to their immortal honor." This, according to Mr. Mollyneux, proves the antiquity of the Irish parliament, and that neither men nor money could be raised in Ireland without their consent. Miserable was the state of Ireland at this period. in Ireland. M'Carthy rose in arms to expel the English from Des mond, which he claimed as his ancient patrimony. The Geraldines acted as if independent of all government, rose, and were defeated with great slaughter. Walter de Burgo attacked M'Carthy, slew him, and ravaged his country, The Geraldines seized the persons of Richard Capel Lord Justice, Richard de Burgo, and others, and cast them into prison; and the English power was threatened with utter extinction. In 1267 Sir David Barry was made lord justice, who reduced the Geraldines, by taking from them the Castle of Sligo, and all their lands in Connaught; and thereby put an end to a war between them and the Burks. In the next year, Sir Robert de Ufford succeeded him as Lord Justice of Ireland, and in the same year Richard of Excester, was sent over as Lord Jus Quick succession of governors. tice, who made a firmer peace, and lasting conciliation between the Burks and Geraldines, and soon after died. Then Sir James Audley, or De Aldithel, was appointed lord justice, during whose unfortunate government the English were almost exterminated in Connaught. These wars terminated in a great famine and pestilence, which spread over the whole kingdom. During these national calamities, the Pope demanded the tithes of all spiritual promotions for three years, to maintain his wars against the King of Arragon, to which the people, notwithstanding their poverty and misery, submitted. Such in those days was the influence of ecclesiastical power, so often prostituted to temporal purposes. The 23d of June, 1272, this lord justice was killed by a fall from his horse in Thomond, and was replaced by Maurice Fitz Maurice Fitz Gerald, created lord justice, who so continued till the sixteenth day of November, 1272, when Henry died in London, after a reign of six-and-fifty years. 1268. 1272. Edward English CHAPTER V. The Reign of King Edward the First. " THE reign of this wise and political prince, who from his attention to the melioration and establishment called the of the laws of England, has been termed the English Justinian. Justinian, during a reign of 35 years, took so slight an interest in the military operations in Ireland, that scarcely any of the English historians have thought fit to mention a single act of state of this monarch in Ireland during his whole reign: a circumstance the more remarkable, from his having received the grant of this country, which he governed in person some time during his father's life. His knowledge and admiration of the laws of England convinced him, that the full and extensive participation of them by his Irish subjects would be the most beneficial test of his parental regard and royal munificence. To this peculiarity of his reign we shall chiefly therefore direct the reader's attention. Disturbed state of Ireland. Both the Irish and English lords and chieftains were at that time in too disturbed and lawless a state either to be sensible of the benefits intended them by their sovereign, or to act up to the allegiance they had unexceptionably sworn to him. The administration of Irish government, which in the preceding reign had been committed to Maurice Fitz Maurice Fitz Gerald was confirmed to him soon after King Edward's accession to the throne, with a peremptory command to march immediately against some insurgents, who had carried war into the most flourishing parts of Leinster. Such was the weakness of the governor, that his own followers through treachery committed him to prison. His successor Glenville, who had married a daughter of Walter de Lacy, was far from improving the English interest. The very seat of government was insulted, and the British army received a signal defeat. Ulster at the same time was infested by marauders from Scotland; whilst other petty factions both of English and Irish pursued their private schemes of interest and revenge, and bad defiance to all legal authority. 1273. pay 8000 admitted subjects In this state of public and private disorder, those The Irish Irish who lay contiguous to the county lands, or marks to be whose settlements interested those of the King's sub- English jects, suffered most from the manifold disadvantages of adhering to the old institutions, which afforded them less security than the English law. No reasonable hopes of exterminating the English were longer entertained. The more steady and prudent therefore sought to change the state of tributary vassalage to the King of England, for the security and advantage of complete English subjects. They consequently offered, through Ufford, the chief governor, 8000 marks to the King, provided he would grant the free enjoyment of the laws of England to the whole body of Irish natives indiscriminately. The answer of Edward be |