Anno 1408. About the eighth year of the same king's reign, a third parliament holden at Dublin before James Butler, Earl of Ormond, then Lord Justice of Ireland; wherein the same acts were again confirmed, as witnesseth the foresaid Henry Marleburgh, in these words: anno 1408. "Dictus justiciarius tenuit parliamentum Dubliniæ; in quo parliamento confirmata fuerunt statua Kilkenny, et Dubliniæ, et charta concessa sub magno sigillo Angliæ, contra Purveyours." In the eleventh year of the same king's reign a fourth parliament holden at Dublin before Sir Thomas Butler, prior of Kilmainham, deputy to Thomas of Lancaster, the king's son: wherein both the foresaid acts, and all other good statutes, and reasonable ordinances made in the time of any justice, or lieutenant of this land, were confirmed, and order taken, that if any statutes, or ordinances were made, which formerly were not put in execution, or proclaimed, the same should then be proclaimed, and put in execution. Here also it was concluded, that the form of adjournments of parliaments should be kept after the manner of England; and sundry other statutes established, which are extant in the parliament rolls containing twenty-four chapters. Anno 1428. In the seventh year of Henry VI. the parliament holden at Dublin, the Friday next after the feast of All Saints, before Sir John Sutton, Knight, Lieutenant of Ireland. It remaineth among the parliament rolls, and containeth fourteen chapters. Anno 1431. In the tenth year of the same king's reign another parliament holden at Dublin, the Friday next before the feast of St. Catherine, before Sir Thomas Stanley, Knight, Lieutenant of Ireland: the roll containeth eight chapters; the fifth and seventh whereof are to be seen in the printed book of the statutes of Ireland; with the beginning whereof I will make an end of this narration, and surcease from farther discourse of the parliaments of this country. A DISCOURSE, &c. &c. I. THE Irish never received the imperial law, but used still their own Brehon law: which consisted partly of the customs of the land, partly of the ordinances enacted by their kings and chief governors; whereof there are large volumes yet extant in their own language. Yet the Brehons, in giving of judgment, were assisted by certain scholars, who had learned many rules of the civil and canon law, rather by tradition than by reading: as by Sir John Davies is reported: although for their skill in the canon law Hannibal Rosselli, the Calabrian, giveth unto them this testimony: "Olimb homines illius regionis plurimum intendebant juri pontificio, erantque optimi canonistæ." II. The natives of Scotland, in the north part of Great Britain, being a colony of the Irish, used the like customary laws, which were augmented by Kenneth II. the son of Alpin, of whom these verses run: Primus in Albania fertur regnasse Kinedhus, a In Cambden's Hibern. pag. 152. of the English edition. b Rossel. comm. in Mercur. Herm. Trismegist. Pamandr. et Asclep. tom. 5. pag. 125. edit. Colon. |