The benefit thus conferred on luFland by John was fol lowed by another still more important in the year 1216 ; for at this period Henry ill extended Magna Charta to Ireland. During the space of nearly 100 y ears Ironi this time, that is, through the reigns of llenry Ill. and his successor Ed ward I. till the invasion of Scotland by Elward 11. toe his tory of Ireland presents a confused and uninteresting serves of petty warfares among the Irish princes and chieftains, and the English lords. The English monarchs, occupied with more immediate and momentous concerns, had leisure nor inclination to attend effectually to the affairs of Ireland. One circumstance, however, demands and de serves our notice during this period. In 1293, the first re gular Irish parliament was held ; and, Ironi their proceed ings and acts, we may glean some curious and instructive information regarding the state of Ireland, and the causes of its domestic feuds, its ignorance, and barbarism. The delence of the English borders was entrusted to the lords of the marches, but they neglected their duty, living at a distance front the borders. The defence, and the improve ment also, of the English settlements were weakened and impeded by the non-residence of malty of the great proprie tors; but the circumstance which proved most unequivo cally the desperate state in which the English settlements were, and at the same time pointed out one of the princi pal and most deeply seated sources of the civil wars, was the jealousy and that existed among the English themselves. Instead of uniting against the Irish when any of them were attacked, they were supine and inatten tive spectators of the attack, and seemed rather to rejoice than to grieve at the misfortune of their countrymen and neighbours. The conduct of many of the English lords was proved to be unjust, both towards their own vassals and towards the Irish ; the former they pressed down to the earth by exactions the most oppressive, and the latter they frequently attacked in defiance of the most solemn and very recent treaties. Another proof that the English settle ments were retrograding into barbarism, existed in the cir cumstance, that the English were gradually assuming the dress and manners of the Irish, instead of using their en &avow s to raise the Irish in the scale of nations, by in troducing their own among them ; and the motives which thus led the English to assimilate themselves to the Irish spoke still more decidedly in proof of their degeneration, for they thus hoped to free themselves from the wholesome and necessary severity of the English laws, by passing themselves off as native Irish.
Such is the picture of Ireland, which the acts and laws of the first regular parliament held here enables us to draw ; but it was almost impossible to administer any sufficient remedy for the evils thus brought to light. The English government at that period did not possess either sufficient intelligence or sufficient power to remove these evils; and, even when intelligent and conscientious governors were appointed, they were so much thwarted in their plans, by the open opposition or secret machinations of the English lords, and so much occupied in defending the English set tlements from the attacks of the Irish, that they could ef fect little or nothing, before the jealousy of the sovereign, or the influence of some favourite, produced their recall.
lu the mean time, the Irish were naturally anxious to throw off the English .yoke. They had beheld their coun try, to which they were devotedly attached, become the prey of foreign invaders, woo, not ontent with the con quest of great part of the island, seized every opportunity to dispossess the Irish lords of their possessions, and to op press and destroy the common people; and, indeed, by every act, seemed to proceed on a regular and fixed plan ul repeopinig the island %vim English colonists. Towards
therefor., the leelinp of the Irish were very the Eugasii, ['annuity extremely hostile ; but, to indulge mese teelings wuni dicer, to digest any plan, and carry it into execution, fui expelling the Eligusn, seemed beyond thew power. They were oividcd among themselves; and that stiength wincii tney ought to have reserved and nourished, for me put pose of pouring it down upon the common enemy, was almost always wasted in 111ffillal quarrels.
For a lung periut•ul time mere w Lib no hope of assistance from any tureign nation. At last, aaout the begnionig of the 14,ii century, their eyes were turned towards Scotland, which country, Irom its hostile disposition towat Us Eng land, in consequence of the invasion or Edward 1. they trusted would her disRosed to assist them ; and, front tile decisive battle of Bannockburn, which it had gained against Edward 11. they hoped it would be able to rem,er mat as sistance effectual. As the north of Ireland, Iron] its meal situation, seemed more nattn ally connected wth Scotland Ivan any other pa, t, so it first applied to that country for assistance. Soon alter the battle of Bannockburn, tne Irish of Ulster offered the sovereignty of lieland to Robert Bruce, it he would expel the English. fhis he declined; but he sent hip urother Edward with about 6u00 troops to the north of Ireland. Against such a force, joined as they were by the Irish, breathing revenge, and acquainted with all the paths and resources of the country, the English were totally unable to make any resistance. The chief governor at this time was Lord Edmund Butler. On nim of course devolved the protection of the English settle ments; but, besides the army which he collected, one was formed, and headed by Richard de Burge). The latter no bleman had long been jealous of the chief governor, and the jealousy now broke out to the prejudice of their own cause ; for, though the Earl of Ulster had accepted the assistance of the Irish under Fedlim, Prince of Connaught, lie refused a reinforcement sent him by the governor. The effects of this jealousy were soon apparent ; for the Earl sustained a severe defeat from the Scotch, who were still laying waste the province over which he presided. As Bruce was sensible, that without the co-operation of the Irish he would be totally unable to keep his ground, and as he had reason to believe that Fedlim might easily be de tached from the cause of the English. he turned all his thoughts to effect this object ; and, at the same time, car ried on a secret negociation with Roderic, who had claims on the province of Connaught. As soon as Fedlim learnt that Roderic was endeavouring to take advantage of his ab sence, he left the English, and returned to Connaught; and his rival being slain in an engagement, he then openly de serted his allies, and turned his arms against them. As this circumstance might have had a fatal effect on the cause of the English, a strong force was sent against him, and, after a most desperate resistance, he himself was killed, and his army completely routed, at the battle of Athenrce, in the year 1316.