The firste [laste] volume of the chronicles of England, Scotlande, and Irelande conteyning the description and chronicles of England, from the first inhabiting vnto the conquest : the description and chronicles of Scotland, from the first original of the Scottes nation till the yeare of our Lorde 1571 : the description and chronicles of Yrelande, likewise from the first originall of that nation untill the yeare 1571 / faithfully gathered and set forth by Raphaell Holinshed.

Of the est•…•… g•…•…nd wonderfull places in Irelande. Cap. 4.

I Thinke it good to beg•…•…ne with S. Patrike his Purgatorie,* 1.1 partly bycause it is most notoriously knowen, & partly the more, that some wryters, as the auctor of Polichro•…•…i∣con, and others that were miscaryed by 〈◊〉〈◊〉 séeme to make great doubt, where they néede not. For they ascribe the finding out of the place not to Patrike that couerted the coun∣trey but to another Patricke a•…•… Abbat, wh•…•…̄ likewise they affirme to haue done employed in conuerting the Islande 〈◊〉〈◊〉 heathe•…•…rie to Christianitie.

But the auctor, that broacheth this opinion, is not founde to carie any such credi•…•…e wyth him, as that a man may certainly affirme it, or probably coniecture it, vnlesse we relye to the olde wythered woorme eaten Legend, lo∣ded with as many lowde lyes, as lewde lines. The better and the more certaine opinion is, that the other Patricke founde it out, in such wise as Cambriēse reporteth.* 1.2 There is a poole as lake, sayeth he, in the partes of Vlster that enuironneth an Island, in the one part where∣of there standeth a Churche much lightned with the brightsome recourse of A•…•…gelles & the other part is onely and gastly, as it were a bedlem allotted to the visible assemblies of horrible and grisly bugges. This part of the Islande contayneth nyne caues. And if any dare be so hardye; as to take one night his lodging in any of these Innes, which hath béene experimented by some rashe and hare∣brayne aduenturers, straight these spirites claw him by the back, and tugge him so rug∣gedly, and tosse him so crabbedly, that nowe and then they make him more francke of his bumme then of his tongue, a payment cor∣respondent to his intertaynemēt. This place is called S. Patricke his purgatorie of the inhabitours. For when S. Patrike laboured the conuersion of the people of Vlster by set∣ting

before their eyes in great heate of spi∣rite, the creation of the worlde, the fall of our progenitours, the redemption of man by the blessed and precious bloude of our Sauiour Iesus Christ, the certayntie of death, the im∣mortalitie of the soule, the generall resurrec∣tion, our latter dumbe, the ioyes of heauen, the paynes of hell, howe that at length euery man, small and great, young and olde, riche and poore, king and keaser, potentate & pea∣saunt must eyther through God his gracious mercy be exalted to the one, to floorish in per∣petuall felicitie, or through his vnsearcheable iustice tumbled downe to the other, to be tor∣mented in eternall miserie: these and the like graue and weightie sentences, wherewith he was aboundantly stored so farre funcke into their heartes, as they séemed very flexible in condescending to hys behest, so that some proofe of his estraunge preaching coulde haue béene veryfied. Wherevpon, wythout further delay, they spake to the prelate in this wyse.

Syr, as we like of your preaching, so we dislyke not of our libertie. You tell vs of ma∣ny gye gawes and estraunge dreames. You woulde haue vs to abandonne infidelitie, to cage vp our libertie, to bridle our pleasure: For which you promise vs for our toyle and labour a place to vs as vnknowen, so as yet vncertayne. You sermon to vs of a dungeon appointed for offenders and miscredentes.

"In deede, if we coulde finde that to be true, we woulde the sooner be weaned from the swéete napple of our libertie, and frame our selues plyaunt to the will of that God, that you reueale vnto vs. s. Patricke cōsidering, that these sealy soules were (as all dulcarna∣nes for y^e more part are) more to be terryfied from infidelitie through the paynes of hell, then allured to Christianitie by the ioyes of heauen, most heartily besought God, sort stoode wyth his gracious pleasure, for the ho∣nour and glorie of his diuine name, to giue out some euident or glimsing token of the matter they importunatly requyred. Finally by the especiall direction of God, he founde in the North edge of Vlster a desolate corner, hemmed in rounde, and in the middle thereof a pit, where he reared a Church, called Reglis or Reglas,* 1.3 at the East end of the Churchyarde a doore leadeth into a closet of stone lyke a long ouen, which they call S. Patricke hys purgatorie, for that the people resorte thither euen at this day for pennaunce, and haue re∣ported at their returne estraunge visions of paine and blisse appearing vnto them.

* 1.4The auctor of Polichronicon wryteth that in the reigne of king Stephane a knight na∣med Owen, pilgrimaged to this purgatorie, being so appalled at the straunge visions that there he sawe, as that vpon his returne from thence, he was wholly mortyfied, and seque∣string himselfe from the worlde, he spent the remnaunt of his lyfe in an Abbay of Luden∣sis.* 1.5 Also Dionisius a Charterhouse Muncke recordeth a vision séene in that place by one Agneius, or Egneius, wherof who so is inqui∣sitiue, may resorte to his Treatise written De quatuor nouissimis.* 1.6 Iohannes Camertes holdeth opinion, which he surmiseth vpon the gueshe of other, that Claudius wryteth of this Purgatorie. Which if it be true, the place must haue béene extant before S. Patricke, but not so famously knowen. The Poet his verses are these.

Est locus, extremū, pandit, qua Gallia littus.* 1.7 Oceani praetentus aquis, quo fertur Vlisses Sanguine libato populum mouisse silentum. Flebilis auditur questus, simulachra coloni Pallida, defunctas{que} vident migrare figuras.

There is a place towarde Ocean sea•…•… from brimme of Gallish shoare, Wherein Vlysses pilgrime straunge wyth offred bloude ygoare, The people there dyd mooue, A skritching shrill from dungeon lugge The dwellers all appale wyth gastly galpe of grisly bugge. The •…•…onely shapes are seene to stare with visage wanne and sad, From nouke to nouke, from place to place, in elfishe skippes to gad.

They that repayre to this place for deuo∣tion his take vse to continue therin foure and twenty houres, which doing otherwhyle with ghostly meditacions, and otherwhyle a dread for the conscience of their desertes, they says they sée a playne resemblaunce of their owne faultes and vertues, with the horrour & com∣fort therevnto belonging, the one •…•…o terrible, the other so ioyous, that they veryly déeme themselues for the time to haue sight of hell & heauen. The reuelatiōs of men that went thither (S. Patricke yet lyuing) are kept wrytten within the Abbeye there adioyning: When any personne is disposed to enter (for the doore is euer sparde) he repayreth first for deuise to the Archebishop,* 1.8 who casteth all pe∣ricles, and diswadeth the pylgrime from the attempt, bicause it is knowen, that diuers en∣tering into that caue, neuer were séene to turne backe againe. But if the partie be fully resolued, he recommendeth him to the Prior, who in like maner fauourably exhorteth him to choose some other kinde of pennaunce, and

not to hazard such a daunger. If notwithstan∣ding he finde the partie fully bent, he conduc∣teth him to the Church, enioyneth him to be∣ginne with prayer, and fast of fiftéene dayes, so long togither as in discretion can be endu∣red. This tyme expyred, if yet he perseuer in his former purpose, the whole conuent accō∣panyeth him with sollem procession and bene∣diction to the mouth of the caue, where they let him in, and so barre vp the doore vntill the next morning. And then wyth lyke ceremo∣nies they awayte his returne and reduce him to the Churche. If he be séene no more, they fast and pray, fiftéene dayes after. Touching the credite of these matters, I sée no cause, but a Christian being perswaded, that there is both hell and heauen may without vanitie vppon sufficient information be perswaded, that it might please God, at sometyme, for considerations to his wisedome knowen, to reueale by myracle the vision of ioyes and paynes eternall. But that altogither in such sorte, and by such maner, and so ordinarily, and to such persons, as the common fame doth vtter, I neyther beléeue, nor wishe to be regarded. I haue conferde with diuers, that had gone this pilgrimage, who affirmed the order of the premisses to be true, but that they saw no sight, saue onely fearefull dreames, when they chaunced to nodde, and those they sayde, were excéeding horrible. Further they added, that the fast is rated more or lesse ac∣cording to the qualitie of the penitent.

* 1.9Cambriense affirmeth, that in the North of Mounster there be two Islandes, the greater and the lesse. In the greater there neuer en∣tereth womā or any liuing female, but foorth∣with it dyeth. This haue béene often prooued by bytches and cattes, which were brought thither to trie this conclusion, and presently they dyed. In this Island the cocke or mascle byrdes are séene to chirppe, and pearche vp & downe the twigs, but y^e hēne or female by in∣stinct of nature abādoneth it, as a place vtter∣ly poysoned. This Islande were a place alone for one that were vexed with a shrewd wyfe. The lesse Islande is called Insula viuentium,* 1.10 bicause none died there, ne may dye by course of nature, as Giraldus Cambriense sayeth.

Howbeit the dwellers, when they are sore frusht with sickenesse, or so farre wythered with age as there is no hope of life, they re∣quest to be cōueighed by boate to y^e greater I∣sland, where they are not sooner inshored, then they yéelde vp their ghostes. For my part, I haue béene very inquisitiue of this Island, but I coulde neuer finde this estraunge propertie soothed by any man of credite in the whole country. Neither truely would I wish any to be so light, as to lende his credite to any such fayned gloses, as are neyther veryfied by ex∣perience nor warranted by any coulourable reason. Wherefore I see not why it shoulde be termed Insula viuentium, vnlesse it be that none dyeth there, as long as the liueth.* 1.11 Cam∣briense telleth further, that there is a Church∣yarde in Vlster, which no female kinde may enter. If the Cocke be there, the Henrie da∣reth not followe. There is also in y^e west part of Connaght an Islande, placed in the sea,* 1.12 called Aren, to which S. Brendan had often recourse. The dead bodies néede not in that Island to be graueled. For the ayre is so pure that the contagiō of any carryen may not in∣fect it. There, as Cambriense sayeth, may the sonne sée his father, his graundefather, hys great graundefather. &c. This Island is ene∣mie to Mize. For none is brought thither, but eyther it leapeth into the sea, or else being stayed, it dyeth presently.

There was in Kyldare an auncient monu∣ment named the Fyrehouse, wherein,* 1.13 Cam∣briense sayeth, was there continuall fire kept day and night, & yet the ashes neuer encrea∣sed. I traueyled of set purpose to the towne of Kyldare to sée this place, where I dyd sée such a monument lyke a vaute, which to this day they call the firehouse.

Touching the heath of Kyldare Cambriense wryteth that it maye not be tylde,* 1.14 and of a certayntie within these fewe yeares it was tryed, and founde, that the corne, which was sowed, dyd not prooue. In this playne, sayth Cambriense, stoode the stones that now stande in Salisbury playne,* 1.15 which were conueyed from thence by the sleight of Merlyne the Welshe prophete, at the request of Aurelius Ambrosius king of the Britons.

There is also in the countye of Kyldare a goodly fielde called Moollcaghmast betwéene the Norrough and Kylka.* 1.16 Diuers blinde pro∣phesies runne of this place, that there shall be a bloudie fielde fought there betwene y^e Enge∣lishe inhabitantes of Irelande and the Irish, and so bloudy forsooth it shall be, that a myll in a vale harde by it shall run foure & twentie houres with the streame of bloude that shall powre downe from the hill. The Irish doubt∣lesse repose a great affiaunce in this baldock∣tom dreame. In the top of this height stande motes or roundels very formally fashioned, where the strength of the English armie, as they say, shall be encamped.

The Earle of Sussex being Lorde Liuete∣naunt of the Irelande was accustomed to wishe,* 1.17 that if any such prophesie were to be fulfilled, it shoulde happen in his gouernement, to the ende he might be generall of the fielde.

〈1 page〉〈1 page〉 〈2 paragraphs〉〈2 paragraphs〉

〈…〉〈…〉 〈2 paragraphs〉〈2 paragraphs〉

Notes

• * 1.1

  S. Patrike his Pur∣gatorie.
• * 1.2

  Camb. lib. •…•… Topog. dist. 2. rub. 6.
• * 1.3

  Reglasse.
• * 1.4

  Polichr. lib. •…•….36.1138.
• * 1.5

  Dyon. Cart. in lib. de quatu. nor∣ciss. art. 48.
• * 1.6

  Iohan Ca∣mert. in lib. Solini. cap. 35.
• * 1.7

  Claud. lib. 1. in Raffin.
• * 1.8

  The cere∣monies v∣sed in en∣tering S. Patricke his Pur∣gatorie.
• * 1.9

  Camb. lib. 1. topog. di∣stinct .2. rub .5.
• * 1.10

  Insula vi∣uentium.
• * 1.11

  Cambrie•…•… codē loc•…•…
• * 1.12

  Arenne.
• * 1.13

  The fyre∣house of Kyldare.
• * 1.14

  The heat of Kildare.
• * 1.15

  The stones of Salisbury playne.
• * 1.16

  Mollcagh mast.
• * 1.17

  The Erle of Sussex.