_English Invasion._--Fighting between petty Irish chieftains became common. Following the example set by the Danes, the rule of might, not right, was very much practiced. Just as the people were settling down in peace, the Prince of Linster induced the wife of another Irish prince or governor to elope with him. Ireland was now divided. There were circumstances in the case which in the opinion of many did not justify the marriage of the Princess to O'Rourke. The High King of Ireland and the Irish could not stand the disgrace of such an act to occur on Irish soil, and consequently declared war on the Prince of Linster. The Prince of Linster appealed to King Henry II of England for aid. The kings, princes and people of Ireland stood for virtue, while the English king and his barons under the color and pretense of restoring virtue to Ireland, stood for a licentious old man and introduced rape, plunder and murder into the country. In 1170, Richard Clare, commonly called the Earl of Strongbow, on behalf of the King of England, landed in Ireland. In 1171 the King of England in person visited Ireland. He produced the Pope's Bull, showing that he had authority from Rome to establish virtue, settle and possess Ireland. The majority of the Irish chieftains refused to recognize the King of England, no matter from whom he pretended to possess the authority. These are the circumstances which brought about the first Norman English raids on the peaceful valleys of Ireland. Little by little the English succeeded in establishing a foothold on Irish soil. It took the English over four hundred years to completely conquer the whole island. After some time the English in Ireland became more Irish than the Irish themselves, but they had to get the "fat" of the land; they even appointed their own clergy, although both at the time were Roman Catholics. _The Protestant Reformation._--The most of the districts in Ireland were governed by their own independent native chieftains, although they were supposed to be under English rule. When the Protestant reformation burst forth, King Henry VIII of England hunted Luther and other Protestant reformers out of England. The Pope conferred upon him the title of "King Defender of the Faith."