1 423. the mo narch. CHAPTER XI. The Reign of Henry VI. UPON the death of Henry V. no objections were Infancy of raised to the title of his infant son Henry, who in the tenth month of his age was proclaimed King at Paris. During the minority of the young monarch, the regency of France was committed to his uncle the Duke of Bedford, and that of England to his uncle the Duke of Gloucester. The attention of the English government to the affairs of France in the early part of this reign, and the contest of the houses of York and Lancaster during the remainder of it, not only impeded the final conquest and reformation of Ireland, but greatly increased its disorders, and weakened the English interest within the pale. The native Irish, and some of the degenera te English broke the borders, and wasted the English settlements. Earl of tenant. Those, who acted under the regency sought to Lord Lieu- afford redress more from the powers of parliament than of arms. In order to give credit and effect to the English interest in Ireland, Edmund the Earl of Marche and Ulster, closely allied to the royal blood, was appointed lieutenant. He at first disdained to administer the Irish government in person, and deputed, under his private seal, the bishop of Meath to govern in his absence. The legality of this commission was protested against by the archbishop of Dublin, then chancellor of the realm, who refused to administer the oaths, or receive him as governor. The nomination, however, was warmly supported by some of the English of the first consequence. Such in those days was the general disposition to crimination on each side, that persons were not wanting to indite the bishop of Meath (a prelate of exemplary conduct) for sacrilegiously stealing a chalice. The malicious prosecution ended however in the confession of one of the accomplices, who from remorse acknowledged his guilt, and discovered the real perpetrators. 1423. the Earl of and Scotch The coast of Ulster afforded perpetual opportunities Death of to the contiguous adventurers from Scotland to pour Marche, into Ireland, where they were retained by the Irish invaders. chieftains, and assisted in ravaging the English settlements. The deputy acknowledged his own inability to repel these northern marauders; and the parliament enabled him to purchase the assistance of De Burgos with his followers, as well as that of the citizens of Dublin by particular bounties. The Earl of Marche and Ulster soon thought it necessary to repair to Ireland, to rescue his inheritance; but his sudden death at Trim inflamed the public mind, and increased the disorders of the state. Talbot, Lord Furnival, succeeded him as lord justice; and in the same year the Earl of Ormond was constituted lord deputy for the third time. During the administrations of these noblemen, several of the Irish submitted to the English claims, and acknowledged themselves vassals to the King of England, with promises to keep his peace, and assist him against his 1425. enemies and rebels. They renounced all right and title to the lands of English settlers, which they had seized, and atoned for their offences by fine; utterly relinquishing the tribute sometimes received from the English settlements, as the price of their protection, and known by the name of the Black Rent; and promising even to take arms against those, who should attempt to exact that imposition. The administration of this earl was followed by a considerable interval of general tranquillity, without any other occurrence worthy of being recorded, than a rapid succession of governors, known by little more than their names, who sometimes appointed their own deputies and returned to England. Causes of increasing So violent however was the restless spirit of the disasters. English and Irish chieftains, that no public considerations could long withhold them from feuds and wars with each other, . This national misfortune was aggravated by the erection of English sovereignties. According to Sir John Davies, "the power to make warre and peace did raise the English lordes to that height of pride and ambition, as that they could not endure each other, but grew to a mortal warre and dissention amongst themselves, as appeareth by all the records and stories of this kingdom." Not only the general state policy of England was misdirected and abused by the servants of the crown in Ireland, which increased and perpetuated disunion and hatred between the two nations, but the very sources of justice • Dav. Disc. and legislation were perverted to the like effect. The same author says, that "the Irish generally were held and reputed aliens or rather enemies to the crowne of England; insomuch as they were not only disabled to bring anie actions, but they were so farre out of the protection of the lawe, that it was often adjudged no felony to kill a mere Irishman in the time of peace." Oppressive laws against By the fourth chapter of the statutes made at Trim, 25 Henry VI. it was enacted, that if any the Irish, were found with their upper lips unshaven by the Another space of a fortnight (it was the Irish fashion to wear the beard on the upper lip), it should be lawful for any man to take them and their goods as Irish enemies, and to ransom them as Irish enemies. very singular statute was passed, to commit the punishment of offenders to every private liege man of the King, without reference to trial by judge or jury t. Ormond was frequently in this reign placed at the Ormond ac * Dav. Disc. + 28 Hen. VI. c. iii. This inhuman encouragement to murder was further increased by large rewards given to those, who should execute summary justice from their own fallible or corrupt judg ments upon persons going to rob and steal, or coming from robbing and stealing; for, by 50 Edw. IV. c. 2 (A. D. 1465), it was enacted, "that it should be lawful to all manner of men, that found any thieves robbing by day or by night, or going or coming to rob or steal, in or out, going or coming, having no faithful man of good name and fame in their company in English apparel, upon any of the liege people of the King, to take and kill those, and to cut off their heads, without any impeachment of our sovereign lord the King, his heirs, officers, or ministers, or of any others." R & cused of infidelity to goverament. head of the Irish government. When there for the fifth time, he was compelled to march with all the armed force he could collect against Desmond, wish whom he found it necessary to treat, as with an independent sovereign. Ormond lost his popularity, was heavily charged, and summoned to appear before the King. He was succeeded by the Earl of Shrewsbury and Waterford, who by his address and resolution, prevented the disorders of this distracted kingdom from increasing, though he could not altogether suppress them. The party hostile to Ormond, though very powerful, failed in criminating him in the eyes of his sovereign, although they charged him with high treason. The special protection of Henry appears to have laid the foundation of that marked attachment, which the Butler family ever after showed to the house of Lancaster. Edmund Earl of Marche, who from motives of policy was appointed the first chief governor of Ireland in this reign, was descended in the female line from Lionel Duke of Clarence, elder brother to the prince, from whom the house of Lancaster derived all they claimed. In order to keep him in the back ground of English politics, it was deemed necessary to send him over to Ireland. By his sudden death, the rights of his family devolved on his brother Richard, a man every way qualified for prac Richard Talbot, Archbishop of Dublin, brother to the Earl of Shrewsbury, who in the former reign was once, and in the present reign six several times invested with the chief government of Ireland, wrote a tract De alusû regiminis Jacobi Comitis Ormondia dum Hiberniæ esset locum tenens,ˆ |