A. D.I 156. ^^^ 



I find no certain account of any trading ports on the weft fide of 

 Scotland in this age ; which is no wonder, as we know of but two on 

 the weft fide of England f. 



From feveral notices difperfed through the authors quoted for this 

 view of the chief commercial ports of Britain at this time, it is evident 

 that the foreign trade was almoft entirely conducted by foreign mer- 

 chants. 



Concerning the trade and ports of Ireland before the Englifti con- 

 queft, little can be added to what has been already faid [p. 254] of the 

 Oftraen in that ifland, and of its intercourfe with fome of the Englifli 

 harbours, juft mentioned J. The Irifti made fome cloth from the wool 

 of the black ftieep, that being the moft general colour of their flocks, 

 by which means they obtained a durable colour without the labour or 

 expenfe of dying. They had alfo cloth of other colours, with which 

 they made party-coloured ornaments for their hoods : and they ufed 

 woollen fluffs (' phalingis laneis') for their cloaks or plaids, and alfo for 

 their trowfers, and thefe were dyed. If to thefe we add lances, javelins, 

 and battle-axes, excellently tempered, we complete the catalogue, as far as 

 we have materials, of the manufadures of the Irifh, who were a paftoral 

 people, not yet generally advanced into the flate of agricultors, and far 

 lefs of manufacturers. Some foreign merchants brought gold to Ireland : 

 but we are not told, what the Iriih (w4io, Giraldus Cambrenfis fays, 

 thirfled for it like Spaniards) gave the foreigners in exchange for it ; 

 nor what the people of Wexford gave in return for the wheat and wine 

 imported from Bretagne. [Gir. Camir. Topogr. Hib. dift. \\\,c. 10 ; Hlh, 

 eixpug. L. i, c. 3.] 



It appears, however, that there were greater flores of the pretious 

 metals in Ireland than could well be fuppofed. Large fums of gold and 

 filver v/ere frequently given for the ranfom of men of rank taken in 

 battle : and duties or rents, paid in gold or filver to ecclefiaftical efta- 

 blifhments, occur very often in the Irifli annals. At the confecratioa 

 of a church in the ye^sr 1 157 Murha 0-Loghlin king of Ireland gave a 

 town, 150 cows, and 60 ounces of gold, to God and the clergy ; a chief 

 called O-Carrol gave a Ub 60 ounces of gold; and Tiernan O-Ruark's 

 wife gave as much § ; donations which would have been efteemed very 

 great in that age in England or upon the continent. What fuperfti- 



■(■ Many other ports of England probably had he himfclf fays [/. 164 b] of the city of Cheftct 



feme trade and (liipping at this time ; but, for want depending upon Ireland for a iiipply of the neccl- 



of paiticularand contemporary authority, they can- faries of life. 

 not be particulaiized. § Several inftances of thefe ways of laying out 



X Tliongh Giraldus Cambrenfis wrote a fopo- money occur in the Annals of Ulj}er, (never yet 



graphy of Irdand and a Hijlory of the conquefi of printed) particularly at the years IC04, 1029, 



IriLnid, he gives very little information of the 1 106, ii57) 1161 ; and fee Ware's ^ntlq. H.bun. 



ilale of its trade, or of its potts. What William p. I2ii,e,'/. 1654, for fome inftances belonging to 



of Maln.fljui-y fays [/". 91 aj of the diftrefs the years left blank in the manufcript belonging to the 



Iriih would fufFer, if they were deprived of their Btitifli mufeum, from which I mads my extracts, 

 trade with England, fcems contradidcd by what 



