Stag, exult on glen and mountain; Erin's stay no more ye are, To keep the beam of battle straight! Woe is me! by fraud and wrong, Woe to Emain, roof and wall! Dig the grave both wide and deep, So saying, she flung herself into the grave, and expired. (Episodes from the TAIN BO CUAILGNÉ, or CATTLE SPOIL OF COOLNEY, the chief epic of ancient Ireland. Time: the first century B.C.) THE PILLOW CONVERSATION OF KING AILILL AND QUEEN MAEV THAT CAUSED THE WAR. TRANSLATION OF O'CURRY. On one occasion that Ailill and Maev had arisen from their royal bed in Cruachan of Rath Conrach, a pillow conversation was carried on between them: "It is a true saying, O woman," said Ailill, "that a good man's wife is a happy creature.' "Why do you say so?" said Maev. "The reason that I say so," said Ailill, “is because you are happier this day than the day I espoused you." 66 I was happy before I knew you," said Maev. "It was a happiness of which we never heard," said Ailill. VOL. V.17 "We only heard of your being in the dependent position of a woman, while your nearest enemies stole and plundered, and carried off your property. - "Not so was I," said Maev, "but my father was arch king of Erin; that is, Eochy Fiedlech, son of Finn, son of Finnoman, son of Finneon, son of Finnlag, etc. He had six daughters of daughters; namely, Derbrin, Eithne, Ele, Clothra, Mugain, and Maev, myself, who was the most noble and illustrious of them, for I was the best for gifts and presents of them. I was the best for battle and fight and combat of them. It was I that had fifteen hundred noble mercenaries, soldiers sons of foreign chiefs- and as many more of the sons of my own landholders; and there were ten men with every soldier of them; and eight with every soldier, and seven with every soldier, and six with every soldier, and five with every soldier, and three with every soldier, and two with every soldier, and a soldier with every soldier. These I had for my ordinary household, and for that it was that my father gave me a province of the provinces of Erin; namely, the province of Cruachan, where I am called Maev of Cruachan. And I was sought in marriage by Finn, son of Ross Ruadh, king of Laighin, and by Cairpri Nia Fear, son of the king of Flamair, and by Conor, son of Fachna Fathach. And I was sought by Eochy, son of Luchta; and I did not go, because it was I that demanded the extraordinary dowry, such as no woman ever sought before from the men of Erin; namely, a man without parsimoniousness, without jealousy, without fear. If the man who would have me were parsimonious, we were not fit to be united in one, because I am good at bestowing gifts and presents, and it would be a reproach to my husband that I were better in gifts than he; and it would be no reproach now, if we were equally good, provided that we were both good. If my husband were timid, we were not the more fit to unite, because I go in battle and fights and combats, by myself alone; and it would be a reproach to my husband that his wife were more active than himself; and it is no reproach if we are equally active. If the man who had me were jealous, we were not matched either, because I never was without having a man in the shadow of another. I have found that man; namely, you; namely, Ailill, the son of Ross Ruadh, of the men of Laighin. You were not parsimonious; you were not jealous; you were not timid. I gave you an engagement and a dowry, the best that is desired of woman; namely, of clothes, the array of twelve men; a chariot, with thrice seven cumhals (steeds); the breadth of your face of red gold; the span of your left wrist of carved silver. Should any one work reproach or injury or incantation on you, you are not entitled to Diré (fine for bodily injury) or Eneclann (fine for satire and calumny) for it, but what comes to me. Because a man in attendance on a woman is what you are." "Such was not my state," said Ailill, "but I had two brothers, one the king of Temar, and the other the king of Laighin. I left them the sovereignty because of their seniority. And you were not the better for gifts and presents than I was. I have not heard of a province of Erin in woman's keeping but this province alone. I came, then, and I assumed sovereignty here in succession to my mother; for Mata of Murisy, the daughter of Magach, was my mother, and what better queen need I desire to have than you, since you happen to be the daughter of the arch king of Erin." "It happens, however," said Maev, "that my goodness is greater than yours." "I wonder at that," said Ailill, "since there is no one that has more jewels, and wealth, and riches than I have and I know there is not." Ailill and Maev then commenced a comparison of their goods and effects for women at this time did not lose by marriage their separate rights of property. Their jewels, garments, flocks, were compared, and found to be of equal value, with one exception. There was a particularly splendid bull of Ailill's COWS. Now he was the calf of one of Maev's cows, and Finnbennach (White Horn) was his name; but he deemed it not honorable to be in a woman's dependence, and he passed over to the king's cows. And the queen was indignant, but hearing that Daré, son of Factna, of Cuailgné, was the possessor of a brown bull, a still finer animal than the white-horned deserter of her drove, she dispatched her courier, MacRoth, to Daré, requesting of him the loan of the Donn Cuailgné (the Brown One of Coolney) for a year, and promising to restore him with fifty heifers to boot, a chariot worth sixty-three cows, and other tokens of her friendship. On his refusal, she summoned her forces to join in a foray for the capture of the Donn Cuailgné. HOW SETANTA, THE HERO OF THE TAIN, RECEIVED THE NAME OF CUCHULLIN, THE HOUND OF CULLAN. TRANSLATION OF SIR SAMUEL FERGUSON. [King Conor, going with a few guests to a feast at the Dun of Cullan, the Smith, meets his nephew, Setanta, who is playing with his companions on the plain of Emania.] Conor Setanta, if bird nesting in the woods And ball feats on the playgreen please thee not Setanta Ask me not, O good Conor, yet to leave The playgreen; for the ball feats just begun Are those which most delight my playmate youths, And see the nest that hatches deaths of men, Too late the hour; too difficult the way. Set forward, drivers: give our steeds the goad. Great King of Emain, welcome. Welcome, thou, There lives not man nor company of men, Less than a cohort, shall within my close Set foot of trespass, short of life or limb. Conor Yea; all are in. Let loose, and sit secure. Good are thy viands, Smith, and strong thine ale. Cullan Fergus Wild dogs are abroad. Not ruddier the fire that laps a sword Steeled for a king, oh Cullan, than thy wine.- Cullan Cathbad Wolves, belike, are near. Not cheerfuller the ruddy forge's light To wayfarer benighted, nor the glow Of wine and viands to a hungry man Than look of welcome passed from host to guest. Cullan Friends, arise and arm! Some enemy intrudes! - Tush! 'tis a boy. Setanta Setanta here, the son of Suailtam. Conor Setanta, whom I deemed on Emain green, Setanta Not difficult the track to find, oh King, Which, but that 'gainst the stone posts of thy gate Of bidden guest, at his host's threshold, torn. Yea, he was bidden: it was I myself Said, as I passed him with the youths at play, |