A. D. 1612. 267 



ties on every fide, were obliged to relinquirti a great part of their an- 

 tient commerce, which gradually brought on their prefent great declen- 

 fion. \lVerdenhagen, V. ii, />. 105.] 



Ireland having been very much exhaufled of people by former wars 

 and rebellions, King James, finding it now in peace, thought it a proper 

 time to improve it : he accordingly divided the whole kingdom into 

 counties, appointed regular circuits of the judges ; and (fays Sir James 

 Ware in his Hiftorical relations) the benefit and protedion of the laws 

 of England were communicated to all, as well Irifii as Englifh, whereby 

 the Irifh were reclaimed from their wildnefs, cut off their glibs and long 

 hair, converted their mantles into cloaks, and conformed to the manner 

 of England, in all their behaviour and outward forms. The pofleffion 

 and limits of lands were fettled, whereby the hearts of the people were 

 alfo fettled, and they were now encouraged to build and plant, and to 

 improve the commodities of the lands ; whereby the yearly value there- 

 of is already increafed double of what it was within thefe few years, as is 

 alfo the crown revenue. Encouragement has been given to the maritime 

 towns and cities, to increafe their trade and mechanical arts and fci- 

 ences. He alfo granted markets and fairs in all counties, and ereded 

 corporate towns among them : fo that, unril the beginning of his 

 reign, Ireland was never entirely fubdued and brought under the obe- 

 dience of the crown of England. 



Sir John Davis juftly remarks, (in fundry places of his ufeful treatife 

 on this fubje6l) that it was bad policy in England, that for the fpace of 

 350 years, at leaft, after the conquefl, the Englifh laws were not commu- 

 nicated to the Iriili, nor the benefit and protedion thereof extended to 

 them, though they earneftly defired the fame : as if it was intended 

 to keep up a feparation and enmity between the Englifh and Irifh for- 

 ever ; whereby a perpetual war was kept up between them till this hap- 

 py time that a complete conquefl was now made of that entire ifland. 



For the prevention of future rebellions, King James in the year 1609 

 propofed to the city of London the eflablifhment of an Englifh fettle- 

 ment in a part of the province of Ulfter, then much depopulated and 

 deferted ; and the city accepted his propofal, and raifed the fum of 

 L20,ooo for making a new plantation there*, now fent thither about 

 300 perfons of all forts of handicrafts and occupations, principally in- 

 tended for repeopling Derry (thenceforth called Londonderry) and Co- 

 le rain ; and 200 houfes were built in the former, and 100 in the laten 

 The king alfo ereded Derry into a bifhopric, and made Colerain a cor- 

 poration. 



A corporation was accordingly eftabliflied in London for that end, 

 under the name of the governor and committee of the Irifh fociety, to 



* The Irifli inhabitants of that part of tjlfber were ta-anfpknted to Connau;^ht, where Uicii pofle- 

 riiy ftill remain. 



Li 2 



