Edmund Spenser and his literary works

Edmund Spenser

A View of the Present State of Ireland by Edmund Spenser

A View of the Present State of Ireland was written by Edmund Spenser, an English poet born in 1552. He wrote a View of the Present State of Ireland after fourteen years of experience. In 1633, this was published by Sir James Ware.

A View of the Present State of Ireland is a paper which tells the story through a discourse between Irenius and Eudoxus. The dialogue between Irenius and Eudoxus is centered on Ireland. In the first part of a View of the Present State if Ireland, Irenius and Eudoxus talks about the problem that is present in Ireland. They talk about what is wrong with Ireland from the laws to its people. Through the dialogue between Irenius and Eudoxus, the problem, that is Ireland, is presented and also dissected. The subsequent part talks about the plans of how the problem can be solved. Ways as to how Ireland can be pacified are expounded.

The dialogue starts with Irenius saying that it is believed that Ireland has a fatal destiny of not serving any purpose, this being in spite of the good plans and wise advices that have been made regarding its reformation. This fatal destiny is attributed to fate, or the stars, or to god. However, Eudoxus did not agree with this assertion.

Eudoxus did not have the same opinion as Irenius because he believes that the fatal destiny of Ireland is not caused by fate or by god. Instead, it is caused by the unsoundness of the advices and the plans that were made for Ireland.

Eudoxus wanted to come up with a reasonable plan for Ireland. In order to come up with this plan, he challenged Irenius to think about the evils which exist and where Ireland is caught in. Their plan was to turn away from the former evils and to follow the good. This was inspired from the way physicians cure their patients.

In this manner, Eudoxus and Irenius aimed to determine the problems and the troubles with regards Ireland. The following step, they figured, was to teach how to treat the problems and troubles. And finally, as physicians would prescribe a certain diet for a sick patient so that relapse would nor occur or that the disease grow worse, Eudoxus and Irenius saw the need to lay down and prescribe certain guidelines in order to maintain order and to prevent the situation from getting worse.

Irenius first talked about the problems and troubles brought about by laws, customs, and religion. The Irish has its own law. This law is called the Brehon Law. It was assumed that certain problems and troubles regarding Ireland arose because of this law.

Through the discourse between Eudoxus and Irenius, it is revealed that the Irish were considered to come from a different race. According to Irenius, there were many Irish men who are mainly settled in the Northern parts of Ireland. These Irish men are called by the name of Ferragh. And then there are different sorts of cries which are all used among the Irish. They use these cries as their lamentations at their burials. It is said that these cries include outcries which are full of despair and excessive wailings. These are seen to greatly support the Scythian barbarism. These cries, Irenius said, are used by Mr. Stanihurst in proving that the Irish people are Egyptians. The basis for Mr. Stanihurst's argument is the passage in the Scriptures which mentions that the Egyptians lamented for the death of Joseph in the same manner.

While Mr. Stanihurst used the different sorts of cries as an argument in asserting that the Irish are Egyptians, Irenius said that others think this custom of crying originated from the Spaniards. Spaniards are said to immeasurably weep for their dead as well.

However, Irenius pointed out that the manner in which the Spaniards cry didn't originate from the Spaniards. Instead, this manner of crying originated either by the Scythians or the Moores, which were Africans. Irenius noted that it is the same manner all Pagans weep for their dead. It is the way they weep for their dead because, according to Irenius, they have neither faith nor hope of salvation.

To further prove that the Irish are a different race, Irenius pointed out that the Irish are also different in the way they deal with other people, particularly with the manner with which they deal with the English. Irenius noted that the Irish are willfully bent. Irenius further said that the Irish are cautious and clever though they may be men of little experience and practice in matters or law.

Eudoxus agreed with Irenius in the sense that he also believed that the Irish have customs which cause them troubles and problems. Eudoxus pointed out that the Irish do not care much about what they swear. He accused the Irish of not having much faith in god or of their own souls.