370 



" Cum gratia et privilegio Regim MajestatisJ^ (Fol. Dub. : Crook^ 

 King's Printer, 1723.) 



At page 171 we find an act of parliament of Queen Elizabeth, in the 

 eleventh year of her reign, cap. i., passed in Dublin, entitled — An act 

 for the attainder of Shane O'l^eill, and the extinguishment of the name 

 of O'^Neill, and the entitling of the Queen's Majesty, her heyres and suc- 

 cessours, to the countrey of Tyrone, and to other countries and territo- 

 ries in Ulster : 



And now, dear soveraigne ladye, least that any which list not to 

 seek and learn the truth might be ledde eyther by his own fantasticall 

 imagination, or by the sinister suggestion of others, to thinke that the 

 strene or line of the O'JN^eiles should or ought, by prioritie or title, to 

 hold and possesse anie part of the dominion or territories of Ulster, be- 

 fore 5^our majestie, your heyres and successours, Ave, your Grace's said 

 faithfull and obedient subjects, for avoyding of all such scruple, doubt, and 

 erroneous conceit, doe entend here (pardon first craved of your majestie 

 for our tedious boldnesse) to disclose unto your Highnesse, your auncient 

 and sundry strong authentique titles conveyed farre beyond the sayde 

 lynage of the O'l^eyles and aU other of the Iriahrie to the dignitie, state, 

 title, and possession of this, year realme of Ireland. Ar.d therefore it 

 may like jouv most excellent Majestie to be advertised that the ancient 

 chronicles of this realme, written both in the Latine, English and Irish 

 tongues, alledge sundry and auncient titles for the Kings of England to 

 this land of Ireland. And first, that at the beginning, afore the coming 

 of Irishmen into the said land, they were dwelling in a province of 

 Spain, the which is called Biscay, whereof Eayon was a member, the 

 chiefe city. And that at the said Irishmen's coming into Ireland, one 

 King Gurmonde, sonne to the noble King Belin, King of Great Britaine, 

 which is now called England, was Lord of Bayon, as man}^ of his suc- 

 cessours were, to the time of King Henry II., first conqueror of this 

 realme ; and therefore, the Irishmen should be the King of England his 

 people, and Ireland his land. \_SiG in original.] Another title is that 

 at the same time that Irishmen came out of Biscay, as exiled persons, 

 in thirtie ships, they met with the same King Gurmond upon the sea, 

 at the yles of Arcades, then coming from Denmark, with great victory, 

 their captains, called Hiberus and Hermon, went to the King, and him 

 tolde the cause of their comming out of Biscay, and him prayed with 

 great instance that he would grant unto them that they might inhabit 

 some land in the West. The King at the last, by advise of his council, 

 granted unto them Ireland to inhabit, and assigned unto them guides for 

 the sea, to bring them thither, and therefore they should and ought to 

 be the King of Englands men." 



So, we find, all the Historias Eabulosas were not of foreign nations of 

 former times. The original fiction above referred to is to be found in 

 Polydore Yirgil's History of England," lib. v., and in Cambrensis also. 

 Of the reference by the latter to King Gurgundius (the Gurmonde of the 

 act), Keating says, "The Milesians were in Ireland 900 years before 

 Gurgundius became King of Britain." 



