Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 10.djvu/239

 1567.] STATE OF IRELAND. the world is otherwise framed, for they consider that there is a God, and under Him a most worthy prince, by whom they are preserved to live in better estate than ever their ancestors did/ J This flourishing description did not continue of long application, and the morass soon returned to its ancient limits. Nevertheless, in and about the towns, there was a certain degree of enduring industry, and the reader will be interested in seeing an account of the same part of the island which was drawn up a year or two later by a person who was under no temptation to exaggerate either the virtues or the vices of the Irish race. Philip II., finding himself besieged by the entreaties of the Irish bishops and chiefs to come to their rescue, and having but a vague conception of the country of which he had once been titular sovereign, 2 sent an emissary to examine into the capabilities and condition of the peo- ple. The following extract contains the more curious parts of the report which was brought back to him : ' Water ford/ says Diego Ortiz, 'contains nearly a thousand houses. It is surrounded by a stone wall, something less than a mile in circumference, with seven- 1 George Wise to Cecil, June 20, 1567 : M8S. Ireland. 2 Philip has left on record an amusing illustration of his ignorance. Don Guerau in one of his despatches spoke of Waterford as a desirable post of occupation for a Spanish force, and seemed to describe it as twelve miles from London doce millas do Londres. The mistake probably arose in the decipher, but Philip gravely wrote on the margin, que en decir que es doce millas de Londres parece que es en Inglaterra, y por otras cosas en Irlanda. No se si el Duque de Feria sabia algo de este puerto.' Descifrada de G. Despes, xiv. Junio, 1569: MSS. Simancas.
 * No eutiendo donde es este puerto,