Senfible of thofe impreffions of humanity and tenderness, which muft affect his majesty on the recent and melancholy event of the death of his Royal Highness the Duke of York, we beg leave to affure your Excelleney it adds greatly to that concern which we fhall always feel on any diminution of his illuftrious family; but which muft moft fenfibly affect us, when we recollect that his Royal Highnefs's many eminent virtues had fo justly endeared him to his Majefty and all his fubjects.

Your Excellency's warm recommendation of the fupport of our Proteftant charter fchools, and your attention to whatever may contribute to the encouragement and extenfion of our linen

to affure your Excellency, that we fhall ufe our best endeavours to render your Excellency's adminif tration eafy and honourable.

His Excellency's answer.

I return my thanks to your Lordships for this affectionate addrefs, and for the very obliging manner in which you exprefs your good opinion of me: I will always endeavour to preferve it, by mak ing his Majefty's fervice, and the intereft of this kingdom, the objects of my utmost care and at, tention.

The bumble address of the House of
Commons to his Excellency,
May it please your Excellency,
E his Majefty's duti

with the government of Ireland your Excellency has adopted the true and real intereft of it; and we esteem it a particular inftance of his Majefty's goodness to us, that he has intrusted the government of this kingdom to your Excellency, who is defcended from a nobleman who fo eminently fupported the intereft of his illuftrious houfe, on which our happiness entirely depends, and who has himself fo greatly contributed to the extenfion of his Majesty's dominions in America.

Convinced by the experience of his Majefty's goodness to us, we entirely depend on his gracious difpofition to confent to all fuch Laws as fhall be for the welfare and true interest of his kingdom; and fully affured, that your Excellency will concur with us in every thing that may promote the public good, and our happiness and profperity, we, on our parts, think it our duty

2

Commons of Ireland in parliament affembled, beg leave to attend your Excellency with our fincere thanks for your most excellent fpeech from the throne, and to exprefs our fatisfaction in his Majesty's affectionate regard for the profperity of this kingdom, fo warmly fhewn by. the appointment of a chief governor, who defcended from ancestors diftinguished by their inviolable attachment to the cause of liberty, and the great fupport of it, the fucceffion in the illuftrious house of Hanover, inherits the fame principles, and fteadily adheres to the fame fentiments.

When we reflect on the important fervices and great military experience of your Excellency for many years in different parts of the globe, and on your happy fuccefs in raifing the fame and extending the dominions of Great Britain; when we now fee the fword of justice entrusted to the

fame perfon, who has conftantly ufed the fword of war for the honour of his fovereign and the glory of his country, we must look up to your Excellency with the higheft expectation and confidence. And when we recollect the confiderable fhare, which you have taken in planning and carrying into execution in England, an effectual national militia, we cannot but acknowledge that the civil power could not be more fafely or ufefully delegated, than to your Excellency.

Happy in uniting a paffion for glory with a love for the laws, and zeal for the fecurity of the conftitution, your Excellency has given us à molt favourable prefage of your future adminiftration, by your early attention to the impar. tial diftribution of justice and we fee with joy and veneration the warm regard and concern which animate his Majefty's royal breaft, for the fecurity of the rights and liberties of his faithful fubjects of Ireland, in his Majefty's gracious recommendation to us to make a proper provifion for fecuring the judges in the enjoyment of their offices and appointments during their good behaviour; a work which we fhall proceed upon with the most grateful fenfe of his Majefty's paternal affection for our welfare, as a fecurity long and ardently wished for in this kingdom, to the religion, the laws, the liberties and properties of the fubject; the accomplishment of which will be a strong mark of his Majefty's juft confidence in us, and will remain an honourable memorial of your Excellency's administration.

We fhall cheerfully concur in granting fuch fupplies, as the ne

ceffary fupport of government, and fafety of this kingdom fhalj require.

The proteftant charter schools well deferve our conftant affiftance, as great fources of industry, virtue, and true religion; and we fhall efteem ourselves peculiarly happy in diftinguishing your Excellency's adminiftration by fo fingular a benefit to the linen manufacture of this kingdom, as the prevention of foreigners from interfering in any article of that important branch of our trade.

But most particularly we beg leave to make our moft fincere acknowledgments for your Excellency's declarations of his Majesty's gracious difpofition to confent to all fuch laws as fhall be for the welfare and true intereft of Ireland, and of your own warm wishes to concur in every thing that may promote the public good.

Fully confident from thefe affurances, that this nation will, under your Excellency's government, be made happy in the acquifition of every law, which can promote the honour of the crown, and advance the happiness and profperity of the people of Ireland; we,

on our parts, fhan make it our study to contribute every thing in our power to the cafe, the honour, and the dignity of your Excellency's adminiftration.

His Excellency's answer.

I am extremely obliged to the houfe of Commons for the very favourable opinion which they entertain of me. I will endeavour to merit the continuance of it by exerting my utmost endeavours to promote the fervice of the crown, and the true interest of this kingdom.

CHA

General Character of the Welsh, as it was in the time of Henry the Second; taken from Lord Lyttelton's Hiftory of that Prince, and by him principally extracted from the writings of Giraldus Cambrenfis, a celebrated contemporary Hiftorian.

He
E tells us, that not only the

whole people of Wales, were univerfally addicted to arms: that they gave no attention to commerce, navigation, or mechanical arts, and but little to agriculture; depending for fuftenance chiefly on their cattle; and difliking, or rather difdaining, any labour, except the toils of war and hunting, in which, from their infascy, they trained themfelves up with unwearied alacrity; military exercifes, or the fevereft fatigues in the woods and mountains, being their conftant diverfions in time of peace. Their bodies were naturally not robuft; but, by this manner of life, they became exceedingly active, hardy, and dextrous in the ufe of their arms, and ever ready to take them up when occafion required it. To fight for their country, and lofe their lives in defence of its honour and liberty, was their chief pride: but to die in their beds they thought dif. graceful.

VOL. X.

A very honourable teftimony was given to their valour by King Henry the Second, in a letter to the Greek Emperor, Emanuel Comnenus. This prince, having defired that an account might be fent him of all that was moft remarkable in the island of Britain, Henry, in answer to that requefl, was pleafed to take notice, among

ordinary courage and fiercenefs of the Welsh, "who were not afraid to fight unarmed with enemies armed at all points, willingly fhedding their blood in the caufe of their country, and purchafing glory at the expence of their lives.' But thefe words must not be taken in too ftrict a fenfe, as if they had abfolutely worn no armour : for they ufed fmall and light targets, which were commonly made of hides, and fometimes of iron: but, except their breafts, which thefe guarded, all the rest of their bodies was left defencelefs: nor did they cover their heads with cafques, or helmets; fo that in comparison of the English, or other nations of Europe, they might be called "unarmed." Their offenfive weapons were arrows and long pikes, or fpears, which were of great ufe againft cavalry; and these they, occafionally, either pufhed with, or darted; in which exercise the whole nation was wonderfully ex

pert; but more especially the men of North-Wales, who had pikes fo ftrong and well-pointed, that they would pierce through an iron coat of mail; but thofe of SouthWales, and particularly the province of Guent, or Monmouth, which was then a part of that kingdom, were accounted the best archers, not being inferior, in the ufe of the long bow, to the Normans themselves.

The, common people fought on foot; but fome of the nobility began now to ride upon horfes bred in their own country, which were high-mettled, and fwift, but not very ftrong and even thefe gentlemen would frequently difmount, both in combating, and when they fled; the nature of their country, as well as their difcipline, being better adapted to foot than horfe. Their first onfet was terrible; but, if foutly refifted, they foon gave ground, and could never be rallied; in which they refemble other bar barous nations, and particularly the Britons and Celts, their forefathers. Yet, though defeated and difperfed, they were not fubducd; but prefently returned to make war again upon thofe from whom they had fled, by ambufcades and night marches, or by fudden affaults, when they were leaft expected; in which their agility, fpirit, and impetuofity made up what they wanted in weight and firmnefs; fo that, although they were eafily overcome in a battle by regular troops, they were with great difficulty vanquished in a

awe or concern, before their fu periors, or in public affemblies. But from this fire in their tempers they were all very paffionate, vindictive, and fanguinary in their refentments: nor was their revenge only fudden and violent, when they received any perfonal injury or affront, or while the fting of it was recent in their minds; but it was frequently carried back, by a falfe fenfe of honour, even to very remote and traditional quarrels, in which any of their family had been ever engaged. For not only the nobles and gentry, but even the lowest among them, had each by heart his own genealogy, together with which he retained a conftant remembrance of every injury, difgrace, or lofs, his forefathers had fuffered, and thought it would be degeneracy not to refent it as perfonal to himself. So that the va nity of this people, with regard to their families, ferved to perpetuate implacable feuds, and a kind of civil war among private men, befides the diffenfions it excited a mong their kings and chief lords, which proved the deftruction of their national union, and confequently broke their national ftrength.

They were in their nature very light and inconftant, eafily im. pelled to any undertaking, even the moft wicked and dangerous, and as eafily induced to quit it. again; defirous of change, and not to be held by any bonds of faith or oaths, which they violated without fcruple or fenfe of fhame, both in public and private tranfactions. To plunder and rob was fcarce accounted difhonourable among them, even when committed

againft

against their own countrymen, much lefs against foreigners. They hardly ever married without a prior cohabitation; it being cuftomary for parents to let out their daughters to young men upon trial, for a fum of money paid down, and under a penalty agreed upon between them, if the girls were returned. The people in general, and more especially their princes and nobles, gave themfelves up to exceffive lewdness; but were remarkably temperate in eating and drinking, conftantly fafting till evening, and then mak. ing a fober meal; unless when they were entertained at the tables of foreigners, where they indulg ed themselves immoderately both in liquor and food, paffing at once from their habit of abftinence to the most riotous and brutal excess: but, nevertheless, whenthey came home, they returned with great eafe to their former courfe of life; and none of their nobles were led by the example of the English to run out their fortunes by a profufenefs in keeping a table. No kind of luxury was yet introduced into their manner of living: not even a decent convenience, or neatnefs. They feemed to be proud of not wanting thofe delicacies which other nations are proud of enjoy. ing. Their kings, indeed, and a few of their principal nobles, had built fome cattles in imitation of the English; but most of their gentry ftill continued to dwell in huts made of wattles, and fituated in folitudes, by the fides of the woods, as moft convenient for bunting and pafture, or for a retreat in time of war. hey had no gardens, nor orchards, nor any improvements about their dwell.

ings, which they commonly changed every year, and removed to other places (as the Britons and Celts, their ancestors, had been accuftomed to do) for the fake of fresh pafture and a new fupply of game.

Their furniture was as fimple and mean as their houfes, fuch as might anfwer the mere neceffities of grofs and uncivilized nature. The only elegance among them was mufic, which they were fo fond of, that in every family there generally were fome who played on the harp; and fkill in that inftrument was valued by them more than all other knowledge. This greatly contributed to keep up that cheerfulness, which was more univerfal and conftant in the Welsh than in the Saxons or Normans.

Notwithstanding their poverty, they were fo hofpitable that every man's houfe was open to all; and thus no wants were felt by the moft indigent, nor was there a beggar in the nation. When any ftranger, or traveller, came to a houfe, he ufed no other ceremony than, at his firft entrance, to deliver his arms into the hands of the mafter, who thereupon offered to. wath his feet; which if he accepted, it was understood to fignify his intention of ftaying there all night; and none who did fo was refufed. Whatever the number or quality of their guests might happen to be, the matter and miftrefs of the house waited on them, and would not fit down at table with them, or tafte any food, till they had fupped. The fire was placed in the middle of the room, on each fide of which was fpread a coarfe bed of hemp over a thin mat of rufhes, where the whole

B 2

family