hym, Bobdeagh S•…•…egh, that is, a Saxon churle: so that both are churles, and he the onely gentleman, and therupon if the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 pesant of them name hymselfe with hys supe∣rior, he warde sure to place himselfe first, as I and Oneyle, I and you, I and he, I & my mai∣ster, wheras the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of the English lan∣guage is cleane con•…•….
The people are thus enclined, religious, 〈◊〉〈◊〉, amorous, 〈◊〉〈◊〉, sis•…•…rable of infinite paynes, very gratious, many sor•…•…s, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…∣men, be lightes with 〈…〉〈…〉 passing in hospitality. The s•…•…der sorde, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 clearkes and lay men are sensuall & 〈…〉〈…〉 in liuyng. The same beyng ber•…•… 〈…〉〈…〉 vp or reformed, are such iny•…•…re of holynes and austeritie that other nations •…•…eta 〈…〉〈…〉 •…•…∣dow of deuotion in comparison of them. As for abstinence and falling, it is to them a 〈◊〉〈◊〉 kynd of chasstisement.
They follow the dead corpes to the graue wt howlyng and barbarous •…•…teries, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ap∣paraunce, wherof grew, as I suppose, the pro∣uerbe, to weepe Irish.
Gréedy of prayse they be, and fearefull of dis∣honor, and to this ende they esteme theyr Po∣ets, who write Irish learnedly, and pen their sonets her escall, for the which they are •…•…ti∣fully rewarded, if not, they sende 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in disprayse, whereof the Lordes and gentlemen stand in great awe. They loue tenderly theyr foster children, and bequenth so them a childes portion wherby they nourish sure friendship, so beneficiall euery way, that commonly, 500. cowes and better, are giuen in reward to win a noble mans child to foster, they loue & trust theyr foster brethren, more then their owne.
The men are cleane of skin & hew, of statute tall. The women are well fauoured, cleane co∣loured, faire handed, big and large, suffered frō theyr infancy to grow at will, nothing curious of theyr feature and proportion of body.
Their infantes of the meaner sort are neither swadled nor lapped in lynnen, but folded vppe starke naked in a blanket till they can go.
Proud they are of long crisped bushes of heare which they terme glibs, and the same they nou∣rish with all their cūning, to crop ye front there∣of, they take it for a notable piece of villany.
Water cresses, which they terme shamrocks, rootes and other herbes they féede vpon, ote∣meale and butter they cramme together, they drinke whey, mylke, and biefe brothe. Fleshe they deuour without bread, and that halfe raw: the rest boyleth in their stomackes with Aqua vitae, which they swill in after such a surfet by quartes & pottels: they let their cowes bloud, which growen to a gelly, they bake and ouer∣spred with butter, and so eate it in lumpes. No meat they fansie so much in porke, and the fas∣ter the better. One of Iohn Oneales houshold demaunded of his fellow whether biefe were better than porke, that, quoth the other, is as intrigate a question, as to aske whether thou art better then Oneale.
Their noblemen, and noblemens tenauntes now and then make a set feast, which they call, coshering, where to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 all theyr retayners, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 they name followers, their rithmoues, their battles, theyr ha•…•… that féede thē with 〈◊〉〈◊〉, and when the harpet twas •…•…eth or •…•…n∣geth 〈◊〉〈◊〉, all the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 must be whist, or else he 〈◊〉〈◊〉 like •…•…se, by reasō his har∣mony 〈◊〉〈◊〉 not had in better prise. In their coshe∣ring they sit on straw, they are serued on straw and he vpon matresses and pallets of strawe. The antiquitie of this kynde of feasting, is set forth by Virgill, where Dido entertayneth the Croy•…•… prince and his company. They obserue diuo•…•…s degrées, according to which ech man is regarded. Thebasest sort among them are lit∣tle yong wags, called Daltinnes, these are lac∣kies, & are seruiceable to the groomes or horse∣boyes, who are a degrée aboue the Daltins. Of the third degre is the kerne, who is an ordina∣ry 〈◊〉〈◊〉, vsing for weapon his sword & tar∣get, and haue times hys péece, beyng common∣ly so good markemen as they was come within a store 〈◊〉〈◊〉 great castle Kerne signifieth, as no∣ble 〈…〉〈…〉 •…•…pe iudgement informed me, a shower of hell, because they are taken for no better then for ra•…•…ehels, or the deuils blacke garde, by reason of the stinkyng sturre they kéepe, where so euer they be.
The fourth degre is a galloglasse, vsing a kind of pollax for his weapon. These men are com∣monly wayward rather by profession then by nature, grim of countenāce, tall of stature, big of k•…•…nne, burly of body, wel and strongly tim∣berd, chiefly féeding on béefe, porke and butter.
The fift degree is to be an horsman, which is the chiefest next the lord and capitaine. These horsemen when they haue no stay of their own, gad and range from house to house like arrant knights of the round table, and they neuer dis∣mount vntill they ride into the hall, and as far as the table.
There is among them a brotherhood of Kar∣rowes, that profer to play at chartes all ye yere long, and make it their onely occupation. They play away mantle and all to the bare skin, and then trusse themselues in strawe or in leaues, they wayte for passengers in the high way, in∣uite them to game vpon the grene, & aske them no more but companions to holde them sporte. For default of other stuffe, they paune theyr glibs, the nailes of their fingers and toes, their dimissaries, which they léese or redéeme at the