376 



tives, in their language, gave the name to of Yiianda. So that by 

 these means the relationship between the Ybernans and the Spaniards 

 may have arisen and been continued, which the Yrlandescos so much 

 prized, as has been previously stated, and will be further referred to in 

 the eighth chapter of the third book. These Yrlajidescos at this time 

 (1578) are of a very humble condition, badly treated and circumstanced, 

 for the earth has no fertility tvhatever. The most of them live in the 

 country, without other substance or riches except their wives and chil- 

 dren ; and yet, notwithstanding all their privations, there are persons of 

 distinction amongst them, whom they look on with veneration as supe- 

 riors, so that in no corner of the world are we not sure to find vain-glory 

 more or less. They breed a race of dogs of a very good kind, Irish 

 greyhounds {Lehretes), with which they kill many cows and many 

 mountain animals, and other kinds of game which abound throughout 

 the country. Yery few people dwell in towns and villages, for all live 

 scattered among the mountains in miserable huts and cabins. But there 

 are some living on the coast, where there is some trade carried on by 

 Englishmen, who maintain their intelligence and manners. Eor all 

 these causes, as I have said, it may well have happened that these 

 Yrlandescos, who are so much separated from other nations, may have 

 heard from their forefathers of their ancient lineage and descent from the 

 Spaniards, tracing the same from the times of the alleged King Brigo, 

 and at a later period from the Spaniards who came into Ireland during 

 the persecution of the Moors in Spain, of which traditions we in Spain 

 have preserved no other particulars of the times of this King Brigo, on 

 account of the many revolutions which have taken place in this land in 

 past times, in which perished the records of our ancient chronicles, so 

 that we scarcely know more of these times than that which other nations 

 have left written about us.""^^ 



It is hardly necessary to say that the principal Spanish migrations 

 into Ireland were long prior to our era. 



Plorian D'Ocampo begins his second book of the Cronica General 

 de Espana" with an account of the great drought of twenty-six years — 

 La Gran SequedaV — which all the Spanish chronicles, he says, assert, 

 caused the greater part of Spain to be depopulated" by reason of the 

 dearth, famine, and disease which were the results of it. 



''The Spanish chronicles," says D'Ocampo, " which I necessarily 

 follow, do not specify in what time the great drought took place ; for, 

 with respect to all historical occurrences in their annals, they fail to 

 state the times of those ancient events which they record, from which 

 omission no slight labour is occasioned to me, to be enabled to discover 

 and assign those data, which all good authors, Greek and Latin, look 

 upon as the life and soul of history. But, however that may be, it is 

 certain that the period when the great drought commenced was about 

 1030 years before our era; and that it was only at the expiration of 



* Fiorian D'Ocampo, p. 20. 



