crowned with laurels, from a great victory obtained in Denmark. The Milesian chiefs, wearied out with their tedious pilgrimage, and panting after an asylum, where they might repose from their labours, made an humble supplication to the conqueror, to grant them some place to the west, wherein to settle themselves. This puissant prince, a mirror of humanity and benignity, had compassion on the wanderers ; most graciously made them a present of the Emerald Isle, with all its appurtenances; and moreover kindly furnished guides, to direct them in their voyage thither. And therefore "they should and ought to be the king of England his men."

The migration of the Milesians to Ireland, is stated by O'Connor, one of the most learned antiquarians of the last century, to have taken place eleven hundred years before the Christian era: the act for the attainder of O'Neale was passed in 1583. Thus the claim was quite a recent one, not quite twenty-seven hundred years old!

The reader may perhaps imagine, that, to change the scene, we have taken a flight into the regions of fancy; and that all we have stated, respecting Gurmond, and Belan, and Biscan, and the Orcades, and Heberus, and Heremon, and the great victory in Denmark, and the magnificent present of Ireland, is mere rhodomontade.

But the annexed extract* from the preface to the act for the attainder of Shane O'Neal, will

* Extract from “An Act for the attainder of Shane O'Neile, and the extinguishment of the name of O'Neile, and the entitling of the Queen's majesty, her heirs, and successours, to the country of Tyrone, and other countries and territories in Ulster.

“And now, most deere sovereign ladie, least that any man which list not to seeke and learn the truth, might be ledd eyther of his owne fantasticall imagination, or by the sinister suggestion of others, to think that the sterne or lyne of the Oneyles should or ought, by prioritie of title, to hold and possess anie part of the dominion or territories of Ulster before your majestie, your heyres, and successours, we, your grace's said faithfull and obedient subjects, for avoyding of all such scruple, doubt, and erroneous conceit, doe intend here (pardon first craved of your majestie for our tedious boldness) to disclose unto your highness your auncient and sundry strong authentique tytles, conveyed farr beyonde the said lynage of the Oneyles and all other of the Irishrie to the dignitie, state, title and possesion of this your realm of Ireland.

"And therefore it may like your most excellent majestie to be advertized, that the auncient chronicles of this realm, written both in the Latine, English, and Irish tongues, alledged sundry auncient tytles for the kings of England to this land of Ireland. And first, that at the beginning, afore the comming of Irishmen into the said land, they were dwelling in a province of Spain, the which is called Biscan, whereof Bayon was a member, and the chief citie. And that, at the said Irishmen's comming into Ireland, one king Gurmond, sonne to the noble king Belan, king of Great Britaine, which now is called England, was lord of Bayon, as many of his successours were to the time of king Henry the second, first conqueror of this realm and THEREFORE THE IRISHMEN SHOULD BE THE KING OF ENGLAND HIS PEOPLE, AND IRELAND HIS LAND!!

"Another title is, that at the same time that Irishmen came out of Biscay, as exhiled persons, in sixty ships, they met with

remove all doubt on the subject, and convince him we have been as sober and serious as John Bunyan, when writing the Pilgrim's Progress.

the same king Gurmond upon the sea, at the ysles of Orcades, then comming from Denmark with great victory. Their captains, called Heberus and Heremon, went to this king, and him tolde the cause of their comming out of Biscay, and him prayed, with great instance, that he would graunt unto them, that they might inhabit some land in the west. The king at the last, by advise of the councel, granted them Ireland to inhabite, and assigned unto them guides for the sea, to bring them thither: and THEREFORE THEY SHOULD AND OUGHT TO BE THE KING OF ENGLAND'S MEN!!

66 Another title is, as the clerke Geraldus Cambrensis writeth at large the historie of the conquest of Ireland by king Henry the second, your famous progenitor, how Dermot Mac Morch, prince of Leinster, which is the first part of Ireland, being a tyrant or tyrants, banished, went over the sea into Normandie, in the parts of France, to the said king Henry; and him besely besought of succour, which he obtained, and thereupon became liege man to the said king Henry, through which he brought power of Englishmen into the land, and married his daughter, named Eve, at Waterford, to Sir Richard Fitz-Gilbert, earle of Stranguile in Wales, and to him granted the reversion of Leinster, with the said Eve his daughter. And after that the said earle granted to the said king Henry the citie of Dublin, with certain cantreds of lands next to Dublin, and all the haven towns of Leinster, to have the rest to him in quiet with his grace's favour.

"Another title is, that in the year of our Lord God one thousand one hundred sixtie-two, the aforesaid king Henry landed at the citie of Waterford, within the realm of Ireland, and there came to him Dermot, king of Corke, which is of the nation of the M'Carties, and of his own proper will became liege, tributarie for him and his kingdom, and upon that made his oath and gave his hostages to the king. Then the king roade to Cashell, and there came to him Donalde, king of

Should this work travel to the continent of Europe, it may produce serious consequences to

Limerick, which is of the nation of the O'Brienes, and became his liege, as the other did. Then came to him Donald, king of Ossorie, Mac-Shaglin, king of Ophaly, and all the princes of the south of Ireland, and became his liege men, as aforesaid. Then went the said king Henry to Dublin, and there came to him O'Kernill, king of Uriel, O'Rowcke, king of Meth, and Rotherick, king of all Irishmen of the land, and of Connaught, with all the princes, and men of value of the land; and became liege subjects, and tributaries, by great oathes for them, their kingdoms and lordships to the said king Henry; and that of their own good wills, as it should seem; for that the chronicles make no mention of any warre or chivalrie done by the said king, all the time that he was in Ireland. "And in the year of our Lord God, a thousand, a hundred, four score and five, he gave the land of Ireland to his youngest sonne, John by name, about which time the said John came in person into Ireland, and held the same land.

"Another title is, that all the clergie of this realm assembled at Armagh, at the time of the Conquest, upon the comming over of Englishmen, our forefathers; and there it was decreed and deemed by them, that through the sin of the people of the land, by the sentence of God, the mischief of the Conquest them befell.

"Another title is, that at the first comming and being of king Richard the second in Ireland, at the citie of Dublin, and other places of the land, there came unto him, with their own good wills, O'Neyle, captain of the Irishmen of Ulster, O'Breène, of Thomond, O'Conner of Connaught, Arthur Mac Morchie, captain of Irishmen in Leinster, and all captains of Irishmen of Ireland, and became liege men to the said king Richard, and to him did homage and fealty; and for the more greater suertie bound themselves in great summes of money, by divers instruments, in case they did not truly keep and hold their allegiance in the forme aforesaid: and therefore, sayeth this clerke, that from the beginning of his time, which

the peace and independence of the United States. Many Swedes, and some of the subjects of the sublime and puissant princes of Germany have made considerable settlements in Pennsylvania. And these great potentates, following the example of the successors of Gurmond, may be tempted to lay claim to a large portion, perhaps the whole, of the state. But, alas! the evil may extend further. Certain Knickerbockerites settled New Amsterdam formerly. And therefore the puissant king of Holland may, on the same grounds, claim large sections of New York. It is, moreover, shrewdly suspected, that some of the citizens of the powerful and extensive republic of Ragusa, settled themselves among the pilgrims of New England. The Yankees may therefore look out sharp for squalls.

was about three hundred and four score years past, GOOD IS THE KING OF ENGLAND'S TITLE AND RIGHT TO THE LAND AND LORDSHIP OF IRELAND."285

285 Statutes, 231.