degenerate, and called in Irish McMaghon, the Bear’s son.”[353] Like the proud lords of Leinster and of Meath, John de Courci had his feudal officers, his “constable” and “marshal,” his “seneschal” and his “chamberlain.” Ulster, in fact, had duly become a typical feudal principality. Essentially obnoxious as such a development must have been in the eyes of the English Crown, its weakness in Ireland compelled it to temporize, nor could it find any better way of checking this growth of feudal power than by playing off, in Ulster, the Lacys against De Courci, just as it played them off against the Fitzgeralds in the south. Thus was initiated that policy of see-saw which, in practice, has always been, and is still, pursued. A striking passage on the subject in the quaint Book of Howth is not inapplicable at the present time, when the prospect of that steady government which Ireland so badly needs seems as distant as ever.[354] By reason that the Irish heard this alteration and change of governors, they did wholly swear never after to obey to the English men, and said, ‘Seeing that themselves cannot agree, why should we condescend to them ever after? For seeing that they cannot love each one and other of themselves, they would never love us that is strangers, and their mortal enemies. Therefore let us take part together, and do that which please God we shall; and first, here is in Connaught some of their knights, and if we get the upper hand upon them we shall the easier win the rest.’ ‘Divide et impera’ was the policy adopted, and the spirit of faction which the nobles seem to have imbibed from their Irish neighbours was thus encouraged by the Crown. This system may be said to have lasted down to the days of Elizabeth, to be succeeded, in the 17th century, by the new rivalry of Catholic and Protestant, Cavalier and Roundhead. But still the island was allowed to become the battle ground of parties, favoured now, in turn,, by England, according to the government in power at the time. But never, perhaps, has this unfortunate system been more recklessly or disastrously pursued than since Mr. Gladstone’s bid for the votes of the ‘Nationalist’ party.