Page:A View of the State of Ireland - 1809.djvu/36

 their weaknes hee brought in his lawes, and settled them as now they there remaine; like as William the Conquerour did; so as in thus much they agree; but in the rest, that is the chiefest, they varie: for to whom did King Henry the second impose those lawes? not to the Irish, for the most part of them fled from his power, into deserts and mountaines, leaving the wyde countrey to the conquerour: who in their stead eftsoones placed English men, who possessed all their lands and did quite shut out the Irish, or the most part of them. And to those new inhabitants and colonies he gave his lawes, to wit, the same lawes under which they were borne and bred, the which it was no difficultie to place amongst them, being formerly well inured thereunto; unto whom afterwards there repaired diverse of the poore distressed people of the Irish, for succour and relief e; of whom, such as they thought fit for labour, and industriously disposed, as the most part of their baser sort are, they received unto them as their vassalls, but scarcely vouchsafed to impart unto them the benefit of those lawes, under which themselves lived, but every one made his will and commandement a law unto his owne vassall: thus was not the law of England ever properly applyed unto the Irish nation, as by a purposed plot of government, but as they could insinuate and steale themselves under the same, by their humble carriage and submission.

Eudox. How comes it then to passe, that having beene once so low brought, and thoroughly subjected,