The titles of the kings of England vnto Ireland. Chap. 6.
LEt then the enuious & ignorant cease and giue ouer to quarrell, and anouch that the kings of England haue no right nor ti∣tle to the realme of Ireland. But let them well vnderstand that by fiue maner of waies, that is to saie, by two ancient titles, and three latter they haue to auouch and defend the same, as in our to∣pographie is declared. First it is euident and appa∣rent by the histories of England, that Gurguntius the sonne of Belin king of Britaine, as he returned with great triumph from out of Denmarke, he met at the Iles of the Orchades a nauie (1) of a certeine nation or people, named Baldenses, now Baions, and those he sent into Ireland, appointing vnto them certeine guides and leaders to conduct & direct them thither.
Likewise the same histories doo plainlie witnesse, that king Arthur, the famous king of Britaine, had manie of the Irish kings tributarie to him: & he on a time holding & kéeping his court at Westchester, Gillomarus king or monarch of Ireland, with other the princes thereof, came & presented themselues be∣fore him. Also the Irishmen came out of (2) Baion, the chiefe citie in Biscaie. And forsomuch as men, be they neuer so frée, yet they maie renounce their right and libertie, and bring themselues into subiection: so it is apparent that the princes of Ireland did fréelie, and of their owne accord, submit & yéeld themselues to king Henrie of England, & swore vnto him faith and loialtie. And albeit such men of a kind of a natu∣rall lightnesse and inconstancie, be not ashamed nor afraied to denie and renounce their faith: yet that can not so release and discharge them. Euerie man is at his owne choise and libertie how to contract and bargaine with anie one, but the same once made he can not fléet nor swarue from it. And finallie the holie pope, in whom is the effect of perfection, and who by a certeine prerogatiue and title requireth & clai∣meth all Ilands, bicause by him and by him and by his meanes they were first reduced and recouered to the christian faith; he I saie hath ratified and con∣firmed this title.
(1) The historie is this, that Gurguntius the son of king Belin made a viage into Denmarke, there to appease the people, who were then vp in rebellion against him: and hauing preuailed and ouercommed them, he in his returning homewards by the Iles of the Orchades; there met him a fléet or a nauie of thir∣tie or (as some saie) three score sailes of men and wo∣men latelie come and exiled from out of that part of Spaine, called then Baldensis, whereof Baion was the chiefe citie, but now it is a part of the countrie of Gascoigne, whose capteine named (as some write) Bartholomew, did present himselfe before Gurgun∣tius, and discoursing vnto him the cause of their tra∣uels, besought him to consider of their distresse, and to grant vnto them some dwelling place, and they would béecome his subiects. Which their request the king granted, and taking their oth of allegiance sent and caused them to be conducted into Ireland, where as his subiects they remained and continued.
(2) These people were named Iberi, & before that they came to seeke vnto Gurguntius for a land to dwell in, they dwelled in that part of Spaine, where∣of Baion is the metropole, which is now part of Bi∣scaie, and this countrie before and long after the time of Gurguntius, was still subiect to the kings of Bri∣taine, now called England.