many crimes and villanyes banished from the townes and houses of honest men, and wandering in waste places, far from danger of law, maketh his mantle his house, and under it covereth himselfe from the wrath of heaven, from the offence of the earth, and from the sight of men. When it raineth it is his pent-house; when it bloweth it is his tent; when it freezeth it is his tabernacle. In Summer he can wear it loose, in winter he can wrap it close; at all times he can use it; never heavy, never cumbersome. Likewise for a rebell it is as serviceable. For in his warre that he maketh (if at least it deserve the name of warre) when he still flyeth from his foe, and lurketh in the thicke woods and straite passages, waiting for advantages, it is his bed, yea and almost his household stuff. For the wood is his house against all weathers, and his mantle is his couch to sleep in. Therein he wrappeth himself round, and coucheth himselfe strongly against the gnats, which in that countrey doe more annoy the naked rebels, whilst they keepe the woods, and doe more sharply wound them then all their enemies swords, or spears, which can seldome come nigh them: yea and oftentimes their mantle serveth them, when they are neere driven, being wrapped about their left arme in stead of a target, for it is hard to cut thorough with a sword, besides it is light to beare, light to throw away, and being (as they commonly are) naked, it is to them all in all. Lastly for a theife it is so handsome, as it may seem it was first invented for him, for under it he may cleanly convey any fit pillage that commeth handsomely in his way, and when he goeth abroad in the night in free-booting, it is his best and surest friend; for lying, as they often do, 2 or 3 nights together abroad to watch for their

booty, with that they can prettily shroud themselves under a bush or a bank side, till they may conveniently do their errand: and when all is over, he can, in his mantle passe thorough any town or company, being close hooded over his head, as he useth, from knowledge of any to whom he is indangered. Besides this, he, or any man els that is disposed to mischeif or villany, may under his mantle goe privily armed without suspicion of any, carry his head-peece, his skean, or pistol if he please, to be alwayes in readines. Thus necessary and fitting is a mantle, for a bad man, and surely for a bad huswife it is no lesse convenient, for of them that bee wandring 'woe men, called of them Mona-shul, it is halfe a wardrobe; for in Summer you shal find her arrayed commonly but in her smock and mantle to be more ready for her light services in Winter, and in her travaile, it is her cloake and safeguard, and also a coverlet for herlewde exercise. Andwhen she hath filled her vessell, under it she can hide both her burden, and her blame; yea, and when her bastard is borne, it serves insteed of swadling clouts. And as for all other good women which love to doe but little worke, how handsome is it to lye in and sleepe, or to louse themselves in the sun-shine, they that have beene but a while in Ireland can well witnes. Sure I am that you will thinke it very unfit for a good huswife to stirre in, or to busie her selfe about her huswifry in such sort as she should. These be some of the abuses for which I would thinke it meet to forbid all mantles.

Eudox. O evill minded man, that having reckoned up so many uses of a mantle, will yet wish it to be abandoned! Sure I thinke Diogenes dish did never serve his master for more turnes, notwithstanding that

he

he made it his dish, his cup, his cap, his measure, his water-pot, then a mantle doth an Irish man. But I see they be most to bad intents, and therefore I will joyne with you in abolishing it. But what blame lay you to the glibbe? take heed (I pray you) that you be not too busie therewith for fear of your own blame, seeing our Englishmen take it up in such a generall fashion to weare their haire so immeasurably long, that some of them exceed the longest Irish glibs.

Iren. I feare not the blame of any undeserved dislikes; but for the Irish glibbes, they are as fit maskes as a mantle is for a thiefe. For whensoever he hath run himself into that peril of law, that he will not be knowne, he either cutteth of his glibbe quite, by which he becommeth nothing like himselfe, or pulleth it so low downe over his eyes, that it is very hard to discerne his theevish countenance. And therefore fit to be trussed up with the mantle.

Eudox. Truly these three Scythian abuses, I hold most fit to bee taken away with sharpe penalties, and sure I wonder how they have beene kept thus long, notwithstand ing so many good provisions and orders, as have beene devised for that people.

Iren. The cause thereof shall appear to you hereafter: but let us now go forward with our Scythian customes. Of which the next that I have to treat of, is the manner of raising the cry in their conflicts, and at other troublesome times of uprore the which is very natural Scythian, as you may read in Diodorus Siculus, and in Herodotus, describing the manner of the Scythians and Parthians comming to give the charge at battles: at which it is said, that they came running with a terrible yell as if heaven and earth would have gone toge

ther, which is the very image of the Irish hubub, which their kerne use at their first encounter. Besides, the same Herodotus writeth, that they used in their battles to call upon the names of their captains or generals, and sometimes upon their greatest kings deceased, as in that battle of Thomyris against Cyrus: which custome to this day manifestly appeareth amongst the Irish. For at their joyning of battle, they lykewise call upon their captaines name, or the word of his auncestours. As they under Oneale cry Laundarg-abo, that is, the bloody hand, which is Oneales bage. They under O Brien call Laun-laider, that is, the strong hand. And to their ensample, the old English also which there remayneth, have gotten up their cryes Scythianlike, as Crom-abo, and Butler-abo. And here also lyeth open an other manifest proofe, that the Irish bee Scythes or Scots, for in all their incounters they use one very common word, crying Ferragh, Ferragh, which is a Scottish word, to wit, the name of one of the first Kings of Scotland, called Feragus, or Fergus, which fought against the Pictes, as you may reade in Buchanan, de rebus Scoticis; but as others write, it was long before that, the name of their chiefe, Captaine, under whom they fought against the Africans, the which was then so fortunate unto them, that ever sithence they have used to call upon his name in their battailes.

Eudor. This is sure an ill custome also, but yet doth not so much concerne civil reformation, as abuse in religion.

Iren. I did not reheerse it as one of the abuses which I thought most worthie of reformation; but having made mention of Irish cryes I thought this manner of lewd crying and howling, not impertinent to be

noted

noted as uncivill and Scythian-like: for by these old customes, and other coniecturall circumstances, the descents of nations can only be proved, where other monuments of writing are not remayning.

Eudox. Then (1 pray you) whensoever in your discourse you meet with them by the way, doc not shun, but boldly touch them: for besides their great pleasure and delight for their antiquity, they bring also profit and helpe unto civility.

Iren. Then sith you will have it so, I will heere take occasion, since I lately spake of their manner of cryes in ioyning of battaile, to speake also somewhat of the manner of their armes, and array in battell, with other customes perhappes worthy the noting. And first of their armes and weapons, amongst which their broad swordes are proper Scythian, for such the Scythes used commonly, as you may read in Olaus Magnus. And the same also the old Scots used, as you may read in Buchanan, and in Solinus, where the pictures of them are in the same forme expressed. Also their short bowes, and little quivers with short bearded arrowes, are very Scythian, as you may read in the same Olaus. And the same sort both of bowes, quivers, and arrowes, are at this day to bee seen commonly amongst the Northerne Irish-Scots, whose Scottish bowes are not past three quarters of a yard long, with a string of wreathed hempe slackly bent, and whose arrowes are not much above halfe an ell long, tipped with steel heads, made like common broad arrow heades, but much more sharpe and slender, that they enter into a man er horse most cruelly, notwithstand ing that they are shot forth weakely. Moreover their long broad shields, made but with wicker roddes, which are commonly used amongst the said Northerne Irish, March 1812.

but especially of the Scots, are brought from the Scythians, as you may read in Olaus Magnus, Solinus, and others: likewise their going to battle without armour on their bodies or heads, but trusting to the thicknes of their glibbs, the which (they say) will sometimes beare off à good stroke, is meere Scythian, as you may see in the said images of the old Scythes or Scots, set forth by Herodianus and others. Besides, their confused kinde of march in heapes without any order or array, their clashing of swords together, their fierce runing upon their enemies, and their manner of fight, resembleth altogether that which is read in histories to have beene used of the Scythians. By which it may almost infallibly be gathered toge ther, with other circumstances, that the Irish are very Scots or Scythes originally, though sithence intermingled with many other nations repairing and joyning unto them. And to these I may also adde another strong conjecture which commeth to my mind, that I have often observed there amongst them, that is, certain religious ceremonies, which are also written by sundry authors, to have bin observed amongst the Scythians, by which it may very vehemently be presumed that the nations were anciently all one. For Plutarch (as I remember) in his Treatise of Homer, indeavouring to search out the truth, what countryman Homer was, prooveth it most strongly (as he thinketh) that he was an Eolian borne, for that in describing a sacrifice of the Greekes, he omitted the loyne, the which all the other Grecians (saving the Eolians) use to burne in their sacrifices: also for that he makes the intrails to be rosted on five spits, which was the proper manner of the Eolians, who onely, of all the nations of Grecia, used to sacrifice in that sort. By which he

inferreth

inferreth necessarily, that Homer was an Æolian. And by the same reason may I as reasonably conelude, that the Irish are decended from the Scythians; for that they use (even to this day) some of the same ceremonies which the Scy thians anciently used. As for example, you may read in Lucian in that sweet dialogue, which is intitled Toxaries, or of friendship, that the common oath of the Scythians was by the sword, and by the fire, for that they accounted those two speciall devine powers, which should worke vengeance on the perjurers. So doe the Irish at this day, when they goe to battaile, say certaine prayers or charmes to their swords, making a crosse therewith upon the earth, and thrusting the points of their blades into the ground; thinking thereby to have the better successe in fight. Also they use commonly to sweare by their swords. Also the Scythians used, when they would binde any solemne vow or combination amongst them, to drink a bowle of blood together, vowing thereby to spend their last blood in that quarrell and even so do the wild Scots, as you may read in Buchanan and some of the Northerne Irish. Likewise at the kindling of the fire, and lighting of candles, they say certaine prayers, and use some other superstitious rites, which shew that they honour the fire and light for all those Northerne nations, having beene used to be annoyed with much colde and darkenesse, are wont therefore to have the fire and the sunne in great veneration; like as contrarywise the Moores and Egyptians, which are much offended and grieved with extreame heat of the sunne, doe every morning, when the sunne ariseth, fall to cursing and banning him as their plague. You may also reade in the same booke, in the Tale of Arsacomas, that it was the

:

manner of the Scythians, when any one of them was heavily wronged, and would assemble unto him any forces of people to joyne with him in his revenge, to sit in some publicke place for certaine dayes upon an oxe hide, to which there would resort all such persons as being disposed to take armes would enter into his pay, or joyne with him in his quarrel. And the same you may likewise reade to have beene the ancient manner of the wilde Scotts, which are indeed the very naturall Irish Moreover the Scythians used to sweare by their Kings hand, as Olaus sheweth. And so do the Irish use now to sweare by their Lords hand, and, to forsweare it, hold it more criminall than to sweare by God. Also the Scythians said, That they were once a yeare turned into wolves, and so it is written of the Irish: Though Master Camden in a better sense doth suppose it was a disease, called Lycanthropia, so named of the wolfe. And yet some of the Irish doe use to make the wolfe their gossip. The Scythians used also to seethe the flesh in the hide: and so do the Northerne Irish. The Scythians used to draw the blood of the beast living, and to make meat thereof: and so do the Irish in the North still. Many such customes I could recount unto you, as of their old manner of marrying, of burying, of dancing, of singing, of feasting, of cursing, though Christians have wyped out the most part of them, by resemblance, whereof it might plainly appear to you, that the nations are the same, but that by the reckoning of these few, which I have told unto you, I finde my speech drawne out to a greater length then I purposed. Thus much onely for this time I hope shall suffice you, to thinke that the Irish are anciently deduced from the Scythians.

Satirical