353 



poem of Robin Hood, in Percy's Relics, the following allusion is made 

 to this weapon: ;d r T • ^irf* «i,«iM n» ,i'u? -^^zj -vVA. ■'/''*' 



" Robin pulled forth an Irish knife 

 And nicked Sir Guy in the face, t 



W ' That he was ne'er of woman bom 



Could know whose head it was." 



' :,Tr 



Of the horse force of the Irish. — " In the age of Cambrensis they 

 had bridles, but no stirrups, boots, or spurs. Even in 1584 when 

 Stanihurst writ, they were without spurs, as was Mac-Murrough in 

 1399. The Irish cavalry were styled Hobillers. * * * Spelman 

 informs us that Hobillers made part of the Irish army up to the reign 

 of Henry the Eighth."* " Mention is made in the records of the 

 Tower of London, that King Edward the Third had issued orders for 

 the sending 2000 Hobillers out of Ireland against the Scots, but it 

 does not appear how many were actually sent. Anno 1347 there were 

 mustered in the army of the same king, at the siege of Calais, twenty- 

 sieven Hobillers, "f- (besides other soldiers,) under Maurice Earl of Kil- 

 dare, and fourteen Hobillers under Sir Fulck De Freign, an Irishman. 

 * * * * These horsemen are mentioned by Camden to have been 

 in use in Britain, and to have served for giving intelligence of the 

 approaches of the enemy by day, as beacons did by night. ''J Stani- 

 hurst furnishes a very long and faithful account of the Hobillers, as 

 also of the Galloglasses and Kerns, which constituted the infantry of 

 the Irish for many centuries before his time. It is, however, too long 

 to append to this Essay, the curious reader will find it in Stanihurst's 

 work, De Rebus Hibernicis, lib. 1. pp. 40, 41, and 42. In 1189, 



• Ledwich's Antiquities, p. 284, and the authorities there cited; and see Spelman's GIos. 

 sary, title " Hobellarii." 



f See Spelman's Glossary, title " Hobellarii." 



+ Ware's Antiquities, c. 22, and the authorities there cited. 



VOL. xvr. z z 



