Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 7.djvu/127

 IS59-] SHAN a NEIL. 107 tains and woods, because they would not succour them with victuals and other necessaries. ' The next sort is called the ' Shankee.' They also have great plenty of cattle wherewith they do succour the rebels. They make the ignorant men of the country believe that they be descended of Alexander the Great, or of Darius, or of Caesar, or of some other notable prince, which makes the ignorant people to run mad and care not what they do the which is very hurtful to the realm. ' The third sort is called ' Denisdan,' which is to say in English the 'Boulde.' These people be very hurtful to the commonwealth, for they chiefly maintain the rebels ; and further they do cause them that would be true, to be rebellious thieves, extortioners, murder- ers, raveners yea and worse if it was possible. Their first practice, if they see any young man descended of the septs of or Mac, and have half a dozen about him, then .will they make a rhyme wherein they will commend his father and his ancestors, numbering how many heads they have cut off, how many towns they have burned, how many virgins they have deflowered, how many notable murders they have done ; and in the end they will compare them to Annibal, or Scipio, or Hercules, or some other famous person wherewithal the poor fool runs mad and thinks indeed it is so. Then will he gather a sort of rascals to him, and he must get him a prophesier who shall tell him how he shall speed as he thinks. Then will he get him lurking to the side of a