Sidebilder
PDF
ePub

the lapse of a short period, encouraged by the results of the battle of Northampton, Richard passed over into England, with a body of about 5,000 men, chiefly Irish, to aid his son Edward in the struggle for the English throne. Before, however, he could rally his partizans, he was unexpectedly attacked by Margaret, in the neighbourhood of Wakefield, with an army four times more numerous than his own, and completely defeated, with the loss of about 3,000 men. Richard himself fell in the battle, or was afterwards taken and killed on the spot. And thus passed away all hope which the Irish may have entertained of the blessings of equal laws and good government, from the accession of Richard, Duke of York, to the English throne.

The struggle, however, between the rival houses of York and Lancaster was not yet ended. It was renewed by Richard's son, Edward, who struck down the house of Lancaster on the field of Towton. Edward IV. then ascended the throne; but was for a time again displaced by Henry, through the aid of the "King-maker" (as he was surnamed), the Earl of Warwick. But Edward finally prevailed; and, dying in 1483, left his son, Edward V., to succeed him. The reign of this prince was, however, cut short by his uncle, the Duke of Gloucester, who murdered the young prince and his brother in the Tower, and himself ascended the throne under the name of Richard III. His reign was short; for he was unseated by Henry, Earl of Richmond, who slew the tyrant, and completely defeated his army, on the field of Bosworth, in 1485. Richmond immediately ascended the throne, and reigned for twenty-four years, as Henry VII. One of the events of his reign constitutes an important epoch in the history of Ireland.

CHAPTER IX.

Henry VII The territory of the Pale-Invasions of the natives-Tyrannical edicts of the Irish Parliament-Rebellions of Simnel and Perkin Warbeck-Henry attempts to bring the Irish people under the influence of English law-Former Parliaments in Ireland-Sir Edward Poyning's administration-Summonses a Parliament-Poyning's act-Its objects-State of the country.

Ar the accession of Henry VII., the power of the English in Ireland had become very much curtailed. The jurisdiction of the crown extended only over the four counties of Dublin, Louth, Kildare, and Meath! This constituted the territory of the Pale: all beyond it was still subject to Irish laws, not recognising the authority of the English parliament. The natives now, led by the native chiefs, who, though in many cases stript of their possessions by the invaders, were still recognized by the people as their rightful rulers, made frequent inroads even upon the Pale itself, and succeeded in taking forcible possession of estates, from which it was found impossible to dislodge them. This was especially the case

during the wars of the houses of York and Lancaster,-the absence of many of the great landed lords furnishing the native chiefs with the opportunity of recovering their original inheritances, of which they were not slow to take advantage. Those who did not lose their estates, were glad, at least along the borders of the Pale, to purchase exemption from attack by the payment of annual pensions to the native chiefs.

[ocr errors]

Occasional attempts were made by the English of the Pale to defend themselves against these inroads. One of these was, the formation of a fraternity of arms, under the name of the "Brothers of St. George." At the time it was instituted, it consisted of thirteen persons of the highest rank belonging to the four counties above named; who had at their command a force of 120 archers on horseback, 40 men-at-arms, and 40 pages. Contemptible as it was, this force was still further reduced, on the death of the Duke of Clarence (A. D. 1478), to 80 archers on horseback, and 40 spears;" and lest the sum of £600, annually required for its maintenance, should prove too burdensome for the country, it was provided that should Ireland be unable to pay it, the sum was to be sent thither from England!* And such was then the entire standing army of the English government in Ireland! With what perfect ease the native Irish could have crushed this contemptible force, had they been actuated by a spirit of unanimity in favour of national independence! But they then knew nothing whatever of this. The nation was still broken up into septs, each at war with the other; and they would not relinquish their discord for even the prospect of a victory over their common enemy.

66

One would almost have thought that the conscious weakness of the English would now have restrained their insolence, as displayed in the acts of the Parliament of the Pale. But no: their edicts continued as barbarous and unnatural as ever! We give a few of the more remarkable instances:-At a parliament, held at Trim, in 1446, it was enacted, that any man who does not keep his upper lip shaved, may be treated as an Irish enemy." This act continued unrepealed down to the period of Charles I. Another enactment of the same parliament was, that "if an Irishman who is denizened kill or rob, he may be used as an Irish enemy, and slain on the spot." In 1463, a parliament, held at the same place, passed enactments to the following effect :-"That any body may kill thieves or robbers, or any person going to rob or steal, having no faithful men of good name and English apparel in their company; and that the Irish within the Pale shall wear English habit, take English names, and swear allegiance, on pain of forfeiture of goods." The first mentioned of these enactments was virtually a permission to kill Irishmen with perfect impunity, under the pretence that they were "going to rob or steal." How could the miserable Irish prove

* See Cox; also Moore.

that they were not? Surely, this was murderer's law, with a vengeance. In 1475, another barbarous law was passed in a parliament, held by William Sherwood, Bishop of Meath, enacting that "any Englishman, injured by a native not amenable to law, might reprise himself on the whole sept and nation. Thus, the entire Irish nation being pertinaciously refused the benefits of English law, it was made legal for any Englishman who had received an injury, to wreak his vengeance upon them! How unlike is this Bishoply law to the precepts inculcated in Christ's sermon on the mount! But already were the English bishops in Ireland, although catholics like the Irish themselves, "ravenous wolves whose gospel was their maw." We shall just mention one more instance of legislative barbarity at this period: it occurred at a parliament, held at Dublin in 1485, when an act was passed authorizing the men of the town of Ross to "reprise themselves against robbers,"" In other words," says Sir William Betham, "they might rob the innocent to indemnify themselves for having been previously plundered." *

Let us now return to the course of events under the reign of Henry VII. Shortly after his accession to the throne, a rebellion broke out against his authority, headed by a young man named Simnel, who was put forward by the Yorkist party, to personate the young Earl of Warwick, then a prisoner in the Tower. The Irish barons, headed by the Earl of Kildare, immediately declared for the impostor, and had him crowned King in Dublin, under the title of Edward VI. The Irish chiefs and their followers also crowded round him, to support his right to the English throne by force of arms. They invaded England, were met by Henry, and completely defeated. Thus, again, were the Irish made the dupes and the victims of unprincipled adventurers. Yet this failure,

it seems, was not sufficient; for, in a few years after, Perkin Warbeck, another impostor of a similar kind, was brought forward as Richard, Duke of York, the second son of Edward IV., who, it was pretended, made his escape from the Tower, where his elder brother was murdered. This attempt failed as signally as the other; and Henry was confirmed in the possession of his throne more strongly than ever.

But the time had now arrived when it was necessary that something should be done for Ireland, in order that it might continue attached to the English crown. Henry saw that it was at present only a source of weakness, and a point through which the most fatal blows might be inflicted on his power. His attention was accordingly now directed to the state of his dominions in Ireland, with a view to check the progress of anarchy and agrarian despotism. The time was certainly most favourable for carrying into effect an enlarged system of policy for the pacification of Ireland, and for the promotion of her domestic industry. The sword had been tried for more than three hundred years, and mangling and

* Origin and History of the early Parliaments of Ireland.

bloody work had been done by it. Yet Ireland was as little under the dominion of England as at the commencement of that period, and was to her a source of weakness far more than of strength. The English monarchs had hitherto been engaged either in defending their possessions in France, pursuing conquests in Scotland and Wales, or putting down rebellions among their own subjects. But England was now in a state of comparative peace, and the juncture was favourable for attaching the people of Ireland as subjects to the English crown by means of wise and judicious legislation. Henry, though incompetent to tread in the higher walks of statesmanship, had sufficient sense to perceive that it would be much easier to govern the Irish by the law than by the sword; and he accordingly set himself to devise ways and means of bringing the Irish people under the authority of English laws and institutions.

Sir Edward Poyning was the person selected by the king to carry his views into execution; a man possessed of much influence in Ireland, and nearly connected with the families of several powerful Irish chiefs. He possessed the confidence of the monarch, and was feared, because of his severity, by the people. Poyning was accompanied to Ireland by several eminent English lawyers, and he was also attended by a well appointed little army of about 1000 men. The pen and the sword were now to be tried in conjunction as the subjugators and peacemakers of Ireland. The first great cause of misehief to which the new Lord-Deputy's attention was directed was the Parliament of the Pale, which was an irresponsible, self-elected body, packed by the Anglo-Irish aristocracy, and had hitherto been a mere instrument for furthering the despotic designs of those who composed it. Down to the time of which we speak, representative parliaments were unknown in Ireland. The ancient assemblies of the Irish people upon the hill of Tara partook more of the character of military musters, under their respective chiefs, than of parliaments for the purpose of deliberation and legislation, as they have since been assumed to be. When the English obtained a footing in the country, frequent meetings of the barons of course took place, to devise measures of further conquest and spoliation. In course of time, the barons, in addition to the sword, employed the weapon of the legislator-a still more efficient one for their purpose. All the cruel acts, which we have referred to, together with a great many more of kindred spirit, emanated from this body. Though called by the name of Parliament, it had none of the essential features of such a body; no constituencies, no election, no regular return. It was merely an assembly of the men of influence and property (however acquired) met for their own purposes. In course of

*

"Until the period," says Moore, "when regular parliaments began to be held in Ireland, it was usual to transmit thither, from time to time, the laws made by the English legislature, to be there proclaimed, enrolled, and executed, as laws also of Ireland; and there can be little doubt that what was then styled a parliament in that kingdom, was no more than the summoning of the great men of the realm together, reading over to them the law or laws transmitted from England, and enjoining that they should obey them."

time, however, such assemblies assumed to themselves large powers, to which they were most probably tempted by the weak and distracted state of England, and the little care that its monarchs took of all affairs relating to the government of Ireland. Many infamous and revengeful acts had been passed by this parliament of the Pale, which had been productive of vast mischief, but tended greatly to enlarge the powers and authorities of the feudal barons. Henry was resolved to check this provincial despotism of the AngloIrish chiefs, and, as we have already seen, sent over Sir Edward Poyning with the view of devising measures for their restraint, as well as to establish more effectually the authority of the English law in Ireland.

One of the first acts of Poyning, after repressing several outbreaks of the natives, was to summon a parliament at Drogheda; at which was passed the celebrated measure, generally known as Poyning's Act, or Poyning's Law. By this act, a provision was made that, before a parliament could be held in Ireland, the license of the King of England and his council should be obtained for the holding of it, and for all acts to be submitted to it. It also made all statutes which had been passed by the parliament of England effectual in Ireland. Another of the abuses against which this act was aimed, was the maintenance of great numbers of armed retainers by the barons, who had hitherto assumed the power of making peace and war with whom they pleased. All private wars were henceforward prohibited; and to stir up the "Irishry" against the people of the Pale, or to make war upon the chief governor, was declared high treason. It was made felony to permit any "enemies" or rebels to pass the marshes; and all proprietors of marsh lands were obliged to reside there themselves, or, when absent, to leave sufficient deputies in their place, on pain of losing their estates. Another act of the same parliament was directed against the ancient Irish exaction, called "coyne and livery;"* and also against the English method of extortion of a similar kind, called purveyance. The warcries of the barons+ were also strictly prohibited, as provocative of riot and emblems of faction.

What was called "coyne and livery," was only a compendious method of supporting an army, by quartering it immediately upon the people. It meant pay, food and entertainment for the men; and forage for the horses. It was a fertile source of discontent and rebellion; exposing the natives, as it did, to arbitrary exactions, cruelty, rapine, and insult. "Every inconsiderable party," says Leland, "who, under pretence of loyalty, received the king's commission to repel the adversary in some particular district, became pestilent enemies to the inhabitants. Their propertics, their lives, the chastity of their famílies, were all exposed to these barbarians.”

+"The general war-cry of the native Irish was 'Farrah! Farrah! an exclamation of encouragement. The gathering cries of the different chiefs were taken either from their cognizance, as in the case of the O'Briens whose crest is a naked arm holding a sword, or from some accidental circumstance, as in the instance of the Geraldines. The other most remarkable warisons were of the O'Neals, Lamhdearg-aboe,' (the cause of the red or bloody hand,) from their cognizance; of the Fitz-Patricks, Gear-laidir-aboe,' (the cause of the strong and sharp,) from the same circumstance; and of the De Burghos, Gal-Riagh-aboc,' (the cause of the red Englishman), in honour of the second Earl of Ulster, who was commonly called the Red Earl,' and looked upon as the founder of the prosperity of the De Burghos."-TAYLOR.

« ForrigeFortsett »