Volume 1

The whole works of Sir James Ware concerning Ireland : revised and improved. ... Written in Latin ... newly translated into English ... and continued ... / by Walter Harris, Esq ; in two volumes.

  • James Ware
Date:
1764
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The whole works of Sir James Ware concerning Ireland : revised and improved. ... Written in Latin ... newly translated into English ... and continued ... / by Walter Harris, Esq ; in two volumes. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Reader will fee the unwearied Vigilance of our early Reformers from Heathenifm, their Probity, Courage, and Sincerity, and the perfeverance of the People of Ireland for fome Centuries in the practice of the ftri&eft moral and religious Duties, for which, it is well known, the Land was fo emi¬ nent abroad, as to be diftinguifhed by the Title of the IJland of Saints. He may fee the Agreement of their Dodtr.ine and Difcipline with that of the Church now happily eftablifhed. He may fee the gradual Declenfion of Virtue and Piety, according to the Advances made by foreign Ecclefiafticks in ereding a fpiritual Dominion over us. He may fee in feveral inftances how the Papal Authority was introduced and fupported by factious People, on account of the Difputes that it raifed and fo¬ mented between King and People, and Subjed and Subjed; how monftrous it grew, till at length it overwhelmed Religion itfelf, and caufed it to center, not in the pradice of the Gofpel Precepts, but in a fervile Submiilion to the Bilhop of Rome, and a total Compliance with his abfolute Will and Pleafure. On the other hand, under Archbilhop Browne, and in other Places, may be feen how refolutely thefe Ufurpations were oppofed, the Yoke fhaken off, and, in a word. Religion reftored, as to the main Syftem of it, to the fame State and Condition in which the primitive Preachers of the Chrifian Dodrine among us had left it. I have examined into that fierce and tedious Difpute between the Archbifhops of Armagh and Dublin about the Right of Primacy, from the firft Rife thereof down to the final Decifion of it in the Reign of King Charles the Firft, which may be feen under Walter Jorfe, Archbilhop of Armagh, p. 71. The Reader will find the Accounts of the Bifhops of Glendaloch (fuchas they are) to be entirely new, carried down from the early Ages of Chriftianity \n Ireland to the Union of that fee with Dublin in the beginning of the thirteenth Century. I have taken them from Martyrologies for the moll part; which is the bell Authority we can have for fuch Matters at fo great a difiance from the prefent time. There is alfo a Catalogue in fome fort of the Bifhops of Mayo, and Inifcathy; And many Prelates, whom Sir James Ware had omitted, are inferted throughout the Work in their proper Places. There are many Topographical Notes alfo added to fhew the Situations of feveral antient Places in Ireland, which are not now generally known, on account of new Names being given to them, and the old ones intirely antiquated. By introducing thus whatever related to my Subjed I have gone far beyond my Author’s Defign ; which, being only to make a Catalogue of the Names and Preferments of all the Bifhops, afforded little to us either ufeful or entertaining. I have alfo tranfplanted into this Volume the 16th and 29th Chapters of his Antiquities; becaufe I thought this the propereft Place for them to appear in. The firft Treats of the antient Difpofition of the Bifhopricks of Ireland, which is printed after this Pre¬ face ; and the latter, of the Foundation of the feveral Cathedrals, may be found at the beginning of every See. All that is new in this Volume is inclofed within Crotchets [ ] and I intend to follow the fame Me¬ thod in the two fucceeding Volumes. By thefe means I preferve a Connedion in the narrative Part, and keep my Author’s Work intire; which to the belt of my Skill is faithfully tranflated. There are a few Places, I think, where this Method could not be well purfued; becaufe the Matter was too co¬ pious, namely in the Lives of St. Patrick, Archbilhop IJJher, and Bramhall. Here I beg leave to return my fmcere Thanks to his Grace the Lord Primate, the Right Reverend the Bifhops, with the Deans and Chapters, who have generoufly adorned and encouraged this Vo¬ lume, by giving Copper-plates of fuch Cathedrals as are feverally inferibed to them. My Benefadors Names appear on the Face of every Plate. I procured a few more to be done at my own Expence, together with the Arms of the Bifhops and Chapters, for a further Embellifhment of the Work, and to make it more compleat. The Head of Sir James Ware, who is allowed even by Foreigners to have deferved extremely well of the Fublick, having never been engraved, I fent an original Pidure in poffeffion of his Grandfon to the bell Hand in London, to have a Plate done from it; a Print of which is prefixed to the Book; and as to a particular Account of this honourable and learned Man I have referved that for the third Volume, where it will appear among the Writers of Ireland of the laft Century. In regard to the Civil and Political Hifory of Ireland, Imuft acquaint the Reader, that I have fu- perfeded all Thoughts of publifhing the fame under the Countenance or Name of Sir James Ware, (as I formerly hinted my Intention to be,) becaufe, upon mature Confideration, fuch a Defign would appear to be improper; the faid Writer having publilhed no more on that Subjed than very fhort Annals of four Reigns, viz. Of Henry VII. Henry VIII. Edward VI, and Queen Mary. But as I have from feveral Manufcripts, and the Offices of Record in this Kingdom, made many large Col- ledions, I intend, as foon as competent leifure will permit, to put them in Form, and to publifh in my own Name, a General Hifory of Ireland from the earlief Accounts to the Settlement efablijhed after the Revolution. Having now given an Account of my whole Undertaking and Defign, and difeharged my Obli¬ gations, as far as Thanks and Acknowledgments can go. How I have performed this firft Part ofmy Talk muft be fubmitted to the judicious and learned Part of the Publick, being little folicitous what the Cenfures of others may be. And as the fecond Volume will be foon put under the Prefs, I do earneftly and humbly requeft all Gentlemen, who are pofleffed of any Materials, Memoirs, or Ob- fervarions concerning this Kingdom, to. which they obferve no References made in the following Sheets, to tranfmit them to me without Delay, or to give me Notice where I may perufe them, and I fhall duly acknowledge the Favour in a publick Manner. Walter Harris. Clarcndon-f reet, Dublin, Oflober the 20th, 1739.
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