Page:A View of the State of Ireland - 1809.djvu/109

 But his Scota rather comes of the Greek, that is, darknes, which hath not let him see the light of the truth.

Iren. You know not Eudoxus, how well M. Stan, could see in the darke: perhaps he hath owles or cats eyes: but well I wot he seeth not well the very light in matters of more weight. But as for Ferragh I have told my coniecture only, and yet thus much I have more to prove a likelyhood, that there be yet at this day in Ireland, many Irish men (chiefly in the Northerne parts) called by the name of Ferragh. But let that now be: this only for this place suffiseth, that it is a word used in their common hububs, the which (with all the rest) is to be abolished, for that it discovereth an affectation to Irish captainry, which in this platform I indevour specially to beat down. There be other sorts of cryes also used among the, Irish, which savour greatly of the Scythian barbarisme, as their lamentations at their buryals, with dispairfull out-cryes, and immoderate waylings, the which M. Stanihurst might also have used for an argument to proove them Egyptians. For so in Scripture it is mentioned, that the Egyptians lamented for the death of Ioseph. Others thinke this custome to come from the Spaniards, for that they doe immeasurably likewise bewayle their dead. But the same is not proper Spanish, but altogether heathenish, brought in thither first either by the Scythians, or the Moores that were Africans, and long possessed