disorder, and through other huge calamities which have come upon them thereby, they are almost now growne like the Irish; I meane of such English, as were planted above towards the West; for the English Pale hath preserved it selfe, thorough nearenes of the state in reasonable civilitie, but the rest which dwelt in Connaght and in Mounster, which is the sweetest soyle of Ireland, and some in Leinster and Ulster, are degenerate, yea, and some of them have quite shaken off their English names, and put on Irish that they might bee altogether Irish.
Eudox. Is it possible that any should so farre growe out of frame that they should in so short space, quite forget their countrey and their owne names! that is a most dangerous lethargie, much worse than that of Messala Corvinus, who, being a most learned man, thorough sickenesse forgat his owne name. But can you count us any of this kinde?
Iren. I cannot but by report of the Irish themselves, who report, that the [o 1] Mac-mahons in the North, were aunciently English, to wit, descended from the Fitz Ursulas, which was a noble family in England, and that the same appeareth by the signification of their Irish names: Likewise that the Macswynes, now in Ulster, were aunciently of the Veres
- ↑ Mac-mahons, &c] These families of Mac-mahones and Mac-swines are by others held to be of the ancient Irish. Sir James Ware.
