For we daily see the pride, the drunkennesse, the swea∣ring, the bawdery, the bribery, the popery, all the most lewd and idle vices: the beastly and diuellish fashions the one doth vse, the other doth imitate wherefore then should I not let them see themselues, and their abominations, that so they may amend. Of their agilitie yet not to weepe without a cause, for that were right to weepe Irish but to laugh, and to giue the Hub∣bub, when I see a cause, and neither to forbeare Irish nor En∣glish. And I am glad of it: for I will make a little bold to borrow some So that it appeares, how the Irish haue wit and discretion, both to weep when they list, and to laugh at their pleasure. And from hence I thinke indeed ariseth the prouerb, to weep Irish. Such a brutish kinde of lamentation, as in the iudgement of any man that should but heare, and did not know their custome, would thinke it to bee some prodigious presagement, prognosticating some vnluckie or ill successe, as they vse to attribute to the howling of doggs, to the croaking of Rauens, and the shrieking of Owles, fitter for Infidels and Barbarians, then to bee in vse and custome among Christians.Īnd yet in Dublin it selfe, there is not a corps carried to the buriall, which is not followed with this kinde of mour∣ners, which you shall heare by their howling and their hol∣lowing, but neuer see them to shed any teares. My selfe am partly of his opinion, that (indeed) to weepe Irish, is to weepe at pleasure, without either cause or greefe, when it is an vsuall matter amongst them, vpon the buriall of their dead, to hire a company of women, that for some small recompence giuen them, they will follow the corps, and furnish out the cry (as Master Stanhurst hath said) with such howling and barbarous outcries, that hee that should but heare them, and did not know the ceremony, would ra∣ther thinke they did sing then weep. This Stanhurst in his historie of Ireland, maketh this report of his Countrey-men: They fol∣low the dead corps to the ground, with howling and barba∣rous out-cries, * pittifull in appearance, whereof (as he suppo∣seth) grew this Prouerb, To weep Irish. And there is not a people vnder the face of heauen, that will soo∣ner deride and mocke at any thing that is not in vse and cu∣stome among themselues, then the Irish will doe.Īnd as the Irish are thus pleasantly conceited, to iest and to scoffe when they finde occasion, so they haue as great fa∣cilitie in weeping, as Stanhurst a famous man amongst them, for his excellent learning for first he was a Chonicler, then a Poet, and after that he professed Alchymie, and now he is become a massing Priest. Hubbubs againe in matters of sport and merriment. Of these Alarmes and Outcries, we haue sometimes three or foure in a weeke, and that in Dublin it selfe, among the base and rascall sort of people, and as these Hubbubs are thus raised in cases of anger and discontent, so they vse to giue the If a Master or Mistresse do but beat a seruant that hath well deserued it, they will raise the Hubbub. If a man being drunk, or howsoeuer otherwise distempered, doth for∣tune to strike his wife. If a couple of drunkards doe chance to fall together by the eares. This was the first institution of it, but they will now raise the Hubbub vpon other sleight occasions. The intent of it was at the first, that when any Rebels or Theeues came to doe any robbery in the Countrey, they should then raise the Crie (which they call the Hubbub) therby to giue notice to the Inhabitants round about, that they might combine and gather themselues together in a maine strength, either to rerouer any prey that the theeues or Rebells had taken, * or at the least to make resistance in their owne defence, and as much as in them did lie, to saue the Countrey from any fur∣ther spoile. THAT which in England we doe call the Hue and Crie, in Ireland, they doe call the Hubbub. THE IRISH HVBBVB OR, The English Hue and Crie.
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