A VIEW OF THE STATE OF IRELAND. WRITTEN DIALOGUE-WISE BETWEENE EUDOXUS AND IRENEUS. Eudor. BUT if that countrey of Ireland, whence you lately came, be of fo goodly and commodious a foyl, as you report, I wonder that no courfe is taken for the turning thereof to good ufes, and reducing that nation to better government and civility. Iren, Marry fo there have bin divers good plottes devised, and wife councels caft already about reformation of that realme; but they fay, it is the fatall destiny of that land, that no purposes whatsoever which are meant for her good, wil profper or take good effect, which, whether it proceed from the very genius of the foyle, or influence of the ftarres, or that Almighty God hath not yet appointed the time of her reformation, or that hee referveth her in this unquiet ftate ftill for fome fecret fcourge, which fhall by her come unto England, it is hard to be knowne, but yet much to be feared. Eudor. Surely I fuppofe this but a vaine conceipt of fimple men, which judge things by their effects, and not by their caufes; for I would rather thinke the caufe of this evill, which hangeth upon that countrey, to proceed rather of the unfoundnes of the councels, and plots, which you fay have bin oftentimes laid for the reformation, or of faintnes in following and effecting the fame, then of any fuch fatall courfe appointed of God, as you mifdeem; but it is the manner of men, that when they are fallen into any abfurdity, or their actions fucceede not as they would, they are alwayes readie to impute the blame thereof unto the heavens, so to excufe their owne follies and imperfections. So have I heard it often wifhed alfo, (even of fome whofe great wifedomes in opinion fhould feeme to judge more foundly of fo weighty a confideration) that all that land were a fea-poole; which kinde of fpeech, is the manner rather of desperate men farre driven, to with the utter ruine of that which they cannot redrefs, then of grave councellors, which ought to think nothing fo hard, but that thorough wifedome, it may be mastered and fubdued, fince the Poet faith, that "the wife man fhail rule even over the starres," much more over the earth; for were it not the part of a defperate phifitian to wish his diseased patient dead, rather then to apply the beft indeavour of his fkill for his recovery. But fince we are fo farre entred, let us, I pray you, a little devife of thofe evils, by which that country is held in this wretched cafe, that it cannot (as you fay) be recured. And if it be not painefull to you, tell us what things, during your late continuance there, you obferved to bee moft offenfive, and greateft impeachment to the good rule and government thereof. Iren. Surely Eudox. The evils which you defire to be recounted are very many, and almost countable with those which were hidden in the basket of Pandora. But fince you pleafe, I will out of that infinite number, reckon but fome that are most capitall, and commonly occurrant both in the life and conditions of private men, as alfo in the managing of publicke affaires and pollicy, the which you fhall understand to be of divers natures, as I obferved them: for fome of them are of verie great antiquitie aud continuance; others more late and of leffe indurance; others dayly growing and increafing continuallie by their evill occafions, which are every day offered. Eudox. Tell them then, I pray you, in the fame order that you have now rehearted them; for there can be no better method then this which the very matter it felfe offereth. And when you have reckoned all the evils, let us heare your opinion for the redreffing of them: after which there will perhaps of it felfe appeare fome reasonable way to fettle a found and perfect rule of government, by fhunning the former evils, and following the offered good. The which method we may learne of the wife Phifitians, which firft require that the malady be knowne throughly, and difcovered: afterwards to teach how to cure and redreffe it: and laftly doe prefcribe a dyet, with ftraight rule and orders to be dayly obferved, for feare of relapfe into the former difeafe, or falling into fome other more dangerous then it. Iren. I will then according to your advisement begin to declare the evils, which feeme to me moft hurtfull to the common-weale of that land; and firft, those (I fay) which were moft auncient and long growne. And they alfo are of three forts: The first in the Lawes, the fecond in Cuftomes, and the laft in Religion. Eudor. Why, Irenæus, can there be any evill in the Lawes; can things, which are ordained for the good and fafety of all, turne to the evill and hurt of them? This well I wote both in that state, and in all other, that were they not contained in duty |