Tabula

Of the condidions and maners of Ir∣londe. ca .xxvii.

SOlinus sayth that men of this lō¦de ben straunge of nacon house∣les and grete fyghters / and acoūt tyght and wronge all one thynge / & ben syn∣gle of clothynge / scarse of mete / cruell of herte / angry of speche / & drynketh fyrst blood of dede men that ben slayne and then wesshen theyr vysages therwith & holde them payd with flesshe and fruyt in stede of mete & with mylke in stede of drynke & vsen moche playen & yolenes and huntynge & trauayll but lytell. In theyr chyldhode they ben harde nourys¦shed and harde fed and they be vnseme¦ly of maners & of clothynge & haue bre¦che and hosen allone of wolle and stray¦te hodes that stretcheth a cubyte ouer y^• sholders behynde & foldynges in stede of mantels and of clokes. Also they 〈◊〉〈◊〉 no sadels bootes ne spores whan they 〈◊〉〈◊〉 de. but they dryue theyr horses with a ••••••¦bred yerde in y^• ouer ende. In stede of by∣tes with trenches and of brydels of re∣est / they vse brydeis that letce not 〈◊〉〈◊〉 hors to etc theyr mete / they fyght ona••∣med naked in body / netheles with twoo dartes & speres / & with brode sparthes they fyght with one honde. These men forsaken tyllynge of ldde & keyen pastu¦re for bestes. They vse longe berdes and longe lockes hangynge downe behynde her h••des / they vse no crafte of flaxe of wolle / of metall / ne of marchaūdyse but gyue hem to ydelnes and to slouth and reken rest for lykynge and for fredome for kyches / And thoughe Scotlonde the doughter of Irlonde vse harpe tymbire and tabour. Netheles Irysshmen be con¦nynge in two manere Instrumentes of musyke / in harpe and tymber that is ar¦med with wyre and strenges of bias In whiche Instrumentes though they play hastely and swyfeely they make tygher merye armonye & weladye with thyche

tewnes werbles and notes and begynne from bemoll and playen secretly vnder dyme sowne in the greate strenges / and torne ayen vnto the same / so that the gree¦test partye of the crafte hydeth the craft as it wolde seme as though the crafte so hydde sholde be ashamed yf it were ta∣ke. These men ben of euyll maners in her lyuynge they paye no tythynges they wedde lawfully / they spare not theyr a∣lyes / but the brother wedde the brothers wyfe / they ben besye to betray her neygh¦bours & other they bere sperthes in their hondes in stede of staues & fyght ayenst them y^• truste moost to them / these men ben varyable and vnstedfaste trechours and gylefull who that dealeth with thē nedethe more to be ware of gyle than of crafte of peas than of brennynge bron∣des / of hony thā of galle / of malyce thā of kuyghthode / they haue suche maners that they ben not stronge in warre and in batayle ne trewe in peas / they become gossybs to them that they wyll falsly be traye in the gossybrede and holy kynred Eueryche drynketh others bloode whā it is shedde / they loue somdele hir nou∣ryce and her playfers whiche that souke the same mylke that they souked whyle they were chyldren. And they purse wher brethern / theyr cosyns and theyr othere kyn / & despysen theyr kyn whyles they lyue / and auenge theyr deth whan they ben slayne. Soo longe hath the vsage of euyll custome endured amonge them y^• it hath goten the maystrye ouer them & torneth treason into kynde so ferforthe that they ben traytours by nature. And alyens and men of straunge londes that dwelle amonge them foloynge theyr ma¦ners that vnneth there is none but he is besmetted with theyr treason also. Amō¦ge them many••men pyssen syttynge and wymmen standynge. There ben many men in that lōde foule shapen in lȳmes & in body / for in theyr lymmes they lac∣ke the benefyce of kynde Soo that noo where ben none better shapen than they that ben there well shapen & none worse shapen than they that ben euyll shapen And skylfully nature hurte and defou∣led by wyckednes of lyuynge bryngethe suche foule gromes and euyll shapen of hem that with vnlawfull delynge with foule maners and euyll lyuynge so wyc¦kedly defouled kynde & nature. In thys londe and in wales olde wyues and wȳ¦men were wonte and ben yet as men sa¦ye ofte for to scape themselfe in lykenes of hares for to mylke theyr neyghbours kyne and stele her mylke and ofte grey houndes rennen after them and pursew¦en them and wenen that they be hares. Also some by craft of Nygromācye ma¦ken fatte swyne for to be reed of colour and selle them in markettes and fayres But as sone as these swyne passe onye water they torne into theyr owne kynde whether it be strawe heye gras of turues But these swyne maye not be kepte by no craft for tendure in lykenes of swy∣ne ouer thre dayes: Amonge these won∣dres and other take hede that in the vt∣termest ende of the worlde falleth newe meruaylles and wondres: As though kȳ¦de playde with large loue secretlye and ferre in thendes / than openly and nygh in the myddell. therfore in this ylonde bē many gryselye wondres & meruaylles.