The Irish taxes or services are of two sortes, either made vnto the queene by the gentlemen towards their defence and mayntenance of her forces in the cuntrye, as Risingeout, Bonaght, and Soren, or els by the lord upon his tenant, as Coynye, Lyuerye, Cashery,15 and Soren, Teignie, Cuddy, Blackrents, &c.
Of the first sortes, Risingout, is a certain number of horsmen and kerne, which the Irishrie and Engleshrye are to finde in her majesties service, at euery generall hostinge, for defence of the cuntrye against any forreine enemy, or other invadors, which numbers are also to be vittelled by them for certen daies, some more, some lesse.
Bonaght is of two sortes: Bonaght bonny, and Bonaght beg.
Bonaght bonny is a certen payment or allowance made vnto her Maiesties Galloglasse, or Kerne, by the Irishry onelye, who are severally bounde to yeeld a yearely proportion of victualls and money, of their findinge, euery one accordinge to his abillitye, so that the Kerne and Galloglasse are kept all the yeare by the Irishry, and devided at tymes among them.
Bonaght beg, or litle bonagh, is a proportion of mony, ratably charged vpon every plowland, towardes the findinge of the Galloglasse.
Soren16 is a kinde of allowance over and above the bonaght, which the Galloglass exact vpon the pore people, by waye of spendinge monye, viz. 2s. 8d. for a daye and a night, to be devided betweene three spares, for their meat, drinke, and lodginge. And as the Bonaght is fownde by the lordes for the Queenes service, so also every particuler lorde hath a certen number for their owne defence, some more, some lesse, and are maynteyned vpon their tenants.
Of the second sorte, Coynye17 is as much to saye as a placinge of men and boyes upon the cuntrye, vsed by a prerogatyve of the Brehon law, whereby
Lyvery is horsemeat, exacted for the horses of those which take coyny, or otherwyse send them to the pore tenants to be fedd. The tenant must finde the horses and boyes and geve them as much corne and sheaffe otes wheat and barley as they will have, and yf there be two or thre boyes to a horse as sometymes there be, the pore tenant must be content therewith and yet besydes rewarde the boyes with mony.
Joye is when their idle men require meat and drinke out of meale tymes, or where they take mony for their coynye of the hoste to goe a begging to their neighbour, it is as much to saye as a benevolence. The contynuance of these and other Irish exactions is the very roote and fowndacion of the rebellions which have beene from tyme to tyme in that cuntry, both for that yt geveth a meane to the lord to mainteine so many idle persons in armes to attempt any villany at his comaunde, and also for that yt draweth the obedience of the subiect from his prince, vnto the capten, and maketh the common sorte to stande in awe or know no other superiors then their Irish captaynes which thus exacte upon them.
Cashery18 is certeine feastes which the lorde vseth to take of his tenants after Easter, Christmas, Whitsontyde, Michaelmas and all other tymes at his pleasure; he goeth to their howses with all his trayne and idle men of his cuntrye, and leaveth them not till all they have be spent, and consumed, and holdeth on this course till he have visited all his tenants one after other.
Teignie19 is reare-suppers and chamber drinkinges which they bestow of their lords and other guestes in their chambers after dinner or supper. It is ever vsed by the mer Irish and English Irish wheresoever they be in the cuntrye. And so when they come to any gentlemans howse they are served before dynner or supper with a kinde of refreshing by the name of Teignie.
Blackrents20 (as I take yt) are in this sorte, when a murder or fellony or other trespasse is committed, the party offendinge being brought before the Lo: Brehon or Judge, is alloted to paye to the wyfe or childe of the party murdered, or to the party agreeved, a kinde of satisfaction, termed by them an Iriach: moreover the Judge awardeth to the lo: of the soyle or cuntry where any such outrag is