A nevv description of Ireland vvherein is described the disposition of the Irish whereunto they are inclined. No lesse admirable to be perused then credible to be beleeued: neither vnprofitable nor vnpleasant to bee read and vnderstood, by those worthy cittizens of London that be now vndertakers in Ireland: by Barnabe Rich, Gent:

CHAP. XI.

Of the maner of the Irish Coshering, and of the cre∣dulity in beleeuing of Lyes.

THere is amongst the Irish, a kinde of feasting or banquetting, which they call Coshering, & this is the maner of it; Good company both of men and women being drawne together a fea∣sting, to entertaine the time betweene meales, they haue their Rythmers & their Harpers; the one, to sing, and the other, to play: the songes that they vse to sing, are vsually in the commendation of Theft, of Murther, of Rebellion, of Treason, and the most of them lying fixions of their owne Collections, inuented but of purpose, to stirre vp their hearts to imitate the example of their Ance∣stors, making repetition how many Cowes they had stoln, how many murthers they had commit∣ted, how many times they had rebeld against their Prince, and what spoiles and out-rages they had done against the English.

The maner of their sitting in this great feasting, is this; Stooles nor Tables they haue none, but a good bundle of Straw strewed about the floure, they set themselues downe one by another: Ano∣ther burden of straw being shaken ouer their legs,

doth serue them to set on their dishes. Perhaps, if it bee in the time of Summer, or where the place will affoord it, then in the stead of Straw they vse greene Rushes; but whether it be Straw or Ru∣shes thus strewed ouer their legges, this is both Table and Table-cloath, wheron they vse to place their dishes.

Victuals they shall haue plenty, Beefe, Mutton, Porke, Hens, Rabits, and all together serued in a great woodden platter: Aqua vite they must haue good store, or else it is not worthy to bee called a feast. Vpon Wednesdayes, Fridayes, and Satter∣daies, they haue like plentie of fish, for vpon those daies, to eate a bit of flesh, is a more deadly sinne, then either drunkennesse or Letchery.

And commonly the Irish custome is, that when they are serued with flesh, they haue no bread with their meat, but if their store be such that they hauebread, their finest Manchets are ordinarily Oaten-Cakes, in this sort prepared.

First, in the remote places of Ireland, in the stead of Threashing their Oats, they vse to burne them out of the straw, and then winnowing them in the wind, from their burnt ashes, they make them in∣to meale, but if I should say how vnhandsomely they doe grinde them, or if I should tel, how my selfe haue seene a woman sitting with a Mustarde Quearne betweene her bare thighes, grinding of Oatmeale, I thinke a man would haue little list to eate of the bread; but of this Meale, as ill in com∣plexion (to looke vppon) as a little durt vnder a mans feet, they make their Cakes, for other bread

they haue none, and it is but seldome when they haue this.

I might tell some other vnmannerly tales vsed by the Irish, in those times of Coshering, but I will let them passe. And as M. Stanihurst saith, the an∣tiquitie of this manner of feasting, is set foorth by Virgil, when Dido entertained the Troyan Prince & his company; but Maister Stanihurst shall neuer make me beleeue, that the Irish maner of Coshering was drawne from that president: but the manner of our Irish writers, haue euer beene, to draw pre∣sidents from ancient and Worme-eaten Authori∣ties: for with these Trifles they doe bewitch the poore ignorant people of the Country, that they make them beleeue what themselues list to per∣swade; and the Irish are wonderfully addicted to giue credit and beleefe, not onely to the fabulous fixions of their lying Poets, but also to the Prog∣nosticating Soothsayers and Witches, like our Husbandmen of the Countrey, that doe draw all their knowledge from the Counsell of a Kalen∣der. And if any of their wise men, or wise women (as they call them) do prognosticate either good or euill fortune, they doe more relie in their pre∣sagements, then they do in the foure Euangelists: and sooner they will beleeue them.

They doe beleeue in Charmes and Incantations: then they haue words and Spels to driue away rats, & to heal diseases: then they haue inchanted Gyr∣dles, that can defend the violence of shot, and are of such defence, that no sword, or any other wea∣pon shall hurt the party that is girded with them.

It were both admirable and incredible for to set downe the obseruations vsed by the Irish, vppon certaine Saints Eeues, but especially on May-Eeue, & Midsommer Eeue; what watching, what ratling, what tinkling vpon pannes and candlesticks, what strewing of Hearbes, what clamors, and what o∣ther Ceremonies are vsed, and not onely in the Countrey, but in Dublyne it selfe, the very markes and badges of infidelity, neither obserued nor be∣leeued amongst any other people in the Worlde, but amongst Infidels, Pagans, and Papists.

And it is a wonder to see, how from these vain fantasies, so many famous impressions do arise, or rather (I may say) how many infamous lies are be∣leeued, and as when a man hath once gotten the end of a Clue, hee may winde off at pleasure what himselfe listeth; so men that are naturally inclined to nourish Nouelties, hauing once receiued any thing for truth, he thinketh it a deede of charity to impart it to his friend, and feareth not to adde something of his owne inuention, the better to make the matter to be beleeued: and thus from a particular errour, by this manner of handling, it becommeth publicke: for as the flixability of our inuentions, to frame reasons vnto all manner of dreames and fantasies, are very apt and readie, so our immaginations are likewise found as easie to receiue impressions from falshoode, deriued from very friuolous and foolish apparitions: but it is commonly saide, that to bee light of beleefe, and easily perswaded, proceedeth from a lightnesse of the wit, and weakenesse of the braine.