IGO IRELAND PREVIOUS TO THE INVASION BY THK ENGLISH. 



MILESIAN CONQUEST. 



Some time about the 2900th year of the world, the Irish historians 

 describe the arrival of an adventurer in their country of the name of Ith. 

 This prince, who was a son of Milesius, sailed from Galicia, in Spain, 

 and belonged to a wandering tribe of Egyptians or Phoenicians, which 

 had lately settled in Spain. On the death of Ith, Heber and Heremon, 

 his two surviving brothers, jointly ruled the country ; in whose reign 

 the Picts are said to have attempted the invasion of the island, but un- 

 successfully. To Heremon, the surviving brother, succeeded a series of 

 monarchs of the same line, the sum of our information respecting whom, 

 being their character for valour, the number of battles they had fought, 

 and the violent deaths that awaited them. And it is here worthy of 

 remark, that of 121 kings which belonged to this line, not above ten or 

 twelve are described as having died a natural death. They fell, either 

 by assassination or in the field of battle. 



A monarch of more than ordinary merit, however, appears early in 

 the series, who deserves particular notice, of the name of 011am Fodlah, 

 and who appears to have united the talents of legislator to those of the 

 warrior. In his reign, and by his command, was instituted the as- 

 sembly convened at Tarah every three years ; to which, along with the 

 nobility, the learned from all parts of the kingdom were summoned ; 

 at which laws were enacted and repealed ; public grievances redressed ; 

 and festivities kept on a scale of great magnificence. To Keating's 

 History, in particular, the curious reader is referred, who is desirous of 

 an ample description of this assembly. 



STATE OF GOVERNMENT. 



The ancient form of government in Ireland, if the same sources are 

 to be relied on, was monarchical. Besides the monarch, who sub- 

 sequently was styled also king of Meath, there was a tributary king at 

 the head of each of the four provinces, besides a number of princes 

 more or less subject to these again, according to their extent of pos- 

 session. The degrees of precedency which these kings held, may be 

 seen from the description of their places at that assembly of Tarah, just 

 noticed, in which the King of Ulster is represented as seated on the 

 monarch's right hand ; the King of Munster on his left ; the King of 

 Leinster opposite to him ; and the King of Connaught behind the throne. 

 Besides these, other kings and princes occur in the perusal of ancient Irish 



