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. XIII.

Of the holy Saintes, that haue bin borne, bred, and brought vp in Ireland.

IF a man may beleeue Maister Stanihurst in his discription of Ireland, there hath bin many holy Saints, natiues of that Countrey, that were full of Miracles, & performed so many wonderful mat∣ters, as there is neuer a wise man in the worlde would beleeue them to be true, and so they con∣tinue still at this present houre. Our holy, holy brood of Iesuites, Seminaries, Fryers and such other, do performe stranges thinges, but specially for the increase and propagation of children, not a barren woman in an house where they be lodged: for she that is not Child-bearing, a blessing from one of these of the holy order will make her so to fruc∣tify, that her husband (whatsoeuer he wanteth be∣sides) shal be sure to want no Children.

But as Maister Stanihurst aduiseth his reader not to be ouer credulous to beleeue all that is written of those holy Saintes themselues, nor yet of their fained Miracles: so I protest, for the loue that I beare to a nūber of my Ireland frends, I could wish them to bee well aware of this holy brood of the Popes Cockrels, the prouerbe is old, and not so old as true: That Pigeons and Priestes do make foule houses.

I haue heard of many Miracles, and there is no place or Countrey where Popery is profest but they are full of Miracles, full visions, and full of

strange euentes, but the Miracles of Ireland, they are more foolish, more ridiculous, more grosse, and more absurd then any other, that I haue either heard or reade of. It were strange to make relation of the Miracles that haue bin wrought at the holy Crosse, but especially at Saint Patricks Purgato∣ry; and it is a peece of Rethoricke, sometimes by see∣ming to affect ignorance, to set forth a subtilty; and he that should but reade, what Maister Stanihurst himselfe hath set downe of that miraculous place of S. Patrickes Purgatory if he hath bin but a little touched with the Tincture of wit, will finde out the very mystery of grosse and palpable Knauery.

And as Ireland is full of strange Miracles, so I thinke there are more Saints known in that Coun∣trey, then euer was heard of in Heauen, or were e∣uer registred in the Popes Golden Legend.

Wee reade of a holy saint that was long sithens in the North of Ireland, called by the name of Saint Wooddoge, to whom was giuen a large portion of lands, the which were after translated to the Byshops sea of Rapo; but some of those landes being houl∣den at this day from the Byshop that now is, and be∣ing called in question vpon what consideration the Church liuinges should bee so detained, there is a recorde brought foorth, how a holy Byshop, many hundred yeares sithens, conueied away that parcell of lād to one Sugere a Boylle, with these plain words, For the vse of his Daughters body. They haue more∣ouer in the North of Ireland, an old monumēt (cald by the name of Baughall Murry) and this is reserued onely for O-Neale to sweare by. There is mention

made of many other Saints; as Saint Colme, Saint Branden, Saint Keuen, Saint Mac-Looge, Saint Do∣locke, and they say there are some few Saintes of a later edition: as Saint Bedloc, Saint Brown, & there is great hope that if Tyrone bee not already in the Popes Kalender that he shall not be long out.

I thinke this Saint Colme before spoken of, is that great Saint in the North, called by the name of Coleme Rille, in great veneration at this day for many strange Miracles, the which they say hee still performeth. Then they had a gentlewoman Saint, that Stanihurst in his History maketh mention of, called by the name of Bridgit, not that Bridgit who in the time of Pope Vrbane errected a certaine order of Nunnes, (called Bridgidians) but this without doubt was a very holy woman, for she lyes buried with two men; namely with Saint Patrick, and Co∣leme Rille, as apeareth by an ancient Monument in the Cathedrall Church of Doune in the North of Ireland, where this inscription is to be reade:

Hi tres in Duno, tumulo tumulantur in vno, Brigidia, Patricia, atque Columba pius.

I haue not numbred Saint Patrick amongst these Saintes that be of Irish birth: for if a man may be∣leeue M. Stanihurst, hee was a Welch-man borne. He setteth downe in his Chronicle the certaine place of his birth, and how comming ouer into Ire∣land, he bound himselfe Prentise to a Maister, that set him to keepe Hogs, and following his Maisters Swine in the fielde, one day as they were rooting, one Hogge among the rest, turned vppe with his snowt a parcell of Gold, the which Patricke taking

vp, brought home his Hogges to his Maister, and with that Gold, he bought his own Freedome: & thus departing againe into his owne Countrey, he trauailed after that to Rome, wher being instructed in the Christian Faith, from thence he returnd again into Ireland, where he established the Christian Re∣ligion, & wrought a great many of Miracles more then were true.

Thus farre M. Stanihurst, and till I had read it of his owne setting downe, in his description of Ire∣land, I would haue layed two to one, that S. Patrick had bin an Irishman borne. But I will be better ad∣uised hereafter, both how I lay any wagers, & how I beleeue any such authorities. But let S. Patricke be what countriman he list, I wonder how he foūd the Irish so confirmable as M. Stanihurst reporteth, that will beleeue nothing now, but what their fa∣thers haue beleeued before them.

They are now so much inclined to custom, that they will giue no place to reason, but let thē stand vpon Custome as much as they list, yet truth is truth, in despite of Customes hart: but presump∣tion is our naturall and originall infirmity, and this opinion of wisdome is the plague of man.

I think the ouer good conceit and self-weening opinion that man hath of himselfe, is the mother of false opinions, both publike & perticular, when there is nothing whereunto men are more addic∣ted, then to giue way to their owne opinions.

It was a bold speach deliuered by Pliny: This on∣ly is sure, that nothing is sure, and nothing more misera∣ble, and yet more arrogant and obstinat then man.

Obstinacie, is no other thing, then a setled and firme purpose and determination, either to do, or not to do something: he that is in this manner re∣solute, is vnfit to receiue either councell or aduise, how wise, how learned, how behouefull, or how honest soeuer. And such men, preferring their own opinions, are the cause of many euils, & do manie times bring themselues and others into extreame dangers: and it is but lost labour to disswade any such persons by the rules of reason, for they presu∣ming to know more then all the world besides, do stop their eares to all good councels, and their eies to all daungers, and persisting in their obstinacie, without reason or iudgement, the Brownists them∣selues are not more precise, nor sir Patricke, (Saint Patrick I meane) the canonized saint of Ireland, was neuer more holy, then these obstinate fooles doe assume vnto themselues in their owne conceits.

Curtesies that are bestowed vpon obstinat per∣sons, are euermore bestowed in vaine, for there is no curtesie nor clemency that can be so vsed, but the nature of obstinacie, is rather to impugn, then to make any shew of humilitie.