Page:A View of the State of Ireland - 1809.djvu/71

 or chiefe of that house; wherfore I wonder what just exception you can make against the same.

Iren. Truely Eudoxus, in the pretence of the good of this Statute, you have nothing erred, for it seemeth very expedient and necessary; but the hurt which commeth thereby is greater then the good. For, whilest every chiefe of a sept standeth so bound to the law for every man of his blood or sept that is under him, he is made great by the commaunding of them all. For if hee may not commaund them, then that law doth wrong, that bindeth him to bring them foorth to bee iustified. And if hee may commaund them, then hee may commaund them aswell to ill as to good. Hereby the lords and captaines of countreyes, the principall and heades of septs are made stronger, whome it should bee a most speciall care in policie to weaken, and to set up and strengthen diverse of his underlings against him, which whensoever hee shall swarve from duty, may bee able to beard him; for it is very dangerous to leave the commaund of so many as some septs are, being five or sixe thousand persons, to the will of one man, who may leade them to what he will, as he himselfe shall be inclined.

Eudox. In very deede Iren. it is very dangerous, seeing the disposition of those people is not alwayes inclineable to the best. And therefore I holde it no wisedome to leave unto them too much