322 Mory son's Account of Irish Living. 



drunkenness ; and not only the common sort, 

 but even the lords and their wives : the more 

 they want this drink at home, the more they do 

 swallow it when they come to it, till they be as 

 drunk as beggars. Many of these wild Irish 

 eate no flesh but that which dies of disease, or 

 otherwise of itself, neither can it escape them 

 for stinking. They desire no broath, nor know 

 they any use of a spoone j they eate neither 

 seeth artichokes, nor eate them when they are 

 sodden. It is strange and ridiculous, but most 

 true, that some of our carriage horses falling 

 into their hands, where they found soope and 

 starche, carried for use of our laundresses, they, 

 thinking them to be some dainty meates, did 

 eate them greedily j and when they stuck in 

 their teeth, cursed bitterly the gluttony of the 

 English churles, for so they term us. They 

 feed most on white meates ; esteem it for a great 

 daintie, sower curds, vulgarly called Bonaca- 

 labbe ; and for this cause, watchfully keep their 

 cows, and fight for them as for religion and life 5 

 and when they are almost starved, yet they will 

 not kill a cow, except it be old and yield no 

 milk; yet will they upon hunger in time of 

 warre, open a vienne of the cow, and drink the 

 blood, but upon no cause kill or much weaken it. 

 A man would think this came from the Scy- 



