Abbot O'Carroll, to make this entry in their book in the Latin language. The curious may still read the original at page 16, BB, in the Book of Armagh, a collection begun in the eighth century :—

"St. Patrick going up to heaven, commanded that all the fruit of his labour, as well of baptisms as of causes and of alms, should be carried to the Apostolic City which is called Scotice (in Gaelic) ARDD MACHA. So I have found it in the Book Collections of the Scots (the Gael). I have written (this), that is (I), Calvus Perennis (Mael-Suthain, Bald for Ever) in the Sight (under the eyes) of Brian, Emperor of the Scots; and what I have written, he has determined for all the Kings of Maceriæ (Cashel or Munster)."

COMPENSATIONS.

If there is extant a thorough believer in all the facts related by the bards, he had better refrain from questioning the editor on the subject of the beautiful and innocent maiden of the gold ring and snow-white wand. The chronicler coming to this point in the history thus expressed himself :

“After the banishment of the foreigners out of all Erinn, and after Erinn was reduced to a state of peace, a lone woman came from Torach in the North to Cliodhna* (pr. Cleena) in the South of Erinn, carrying a ring of gold on a horserod, and she was neither robbed nor insulted. Whereupon the poet sang,—

"From Torach to pleasant Cliodhna,

And carrying with her a ring of gold,
In the time of Brian of the bright side,
fearless,

A lone woman made the circuit of
Erinn.'"

It cannot be denied that Brian was a usurper with respect to Leath Cuinn; but how much better was it for the people of the whole land to be under the undivided sway of one wise, nobleminded, and energetic prince, assured of peace, and opportunities of carrying on the ordinary business of life undisturbed, and improving their condition, than to be merely enduring life from

day to day, not knowing the moment they should be called on to go on a marauding expedition, or to defend their corn, their cattle, and their own lives, from a marauding party. We quote a few of the peaceful exploits of the best and greatest of our ancient princes.

"By him were erected noble churches in Erinn and their sanctuaries. He sent professors and masters to teach wisdom and knowledge, and to buy books beyond the sea and the great ocean, because the writings and books in every church, &c., had been burned, and thrown into the water by the plunderers from the beginning. And Brian himself gave the price of books to every one separately, who went on this service. By him were erected the church of Cell Dálua (Killaloe), and the church of Inis Cealtra (Scattery Island), and the bell tower of Tuam Greine,† &c., &c. By him were made bridges and causeways and high roads. By him were strengthened the duns and fortresses and islands

and royal forts of Mumhain. He built also the fortification of Caisel of the Kings, and Cean Coradh, and Borumha in like manner. He continued in this way prosperously, peaceful, giving banquets, hospitable, just-judging; wealthily, venerated, chastely, and with devotion, and with law, and with rules among the clergy; with prowess and with valour, with renown ainong the laity, and fruitful, powerful, firm, secure for fifteen years in the chief sovereignty of Erinn, as Gilla Maduda (O'Cassidy, Abbot of Ardbreccan) said— "Brian the flame over Banbha of the variegated flowers,

Without gloom, without guile, without treachery,

Fifteen years in full prosperity."

In order that the next quotation may be intelligible, it must be premised that after Gormflaith's repudiation and departure from the Munster court, her place was filled by a third wife (daughter of Cathal O'Connor, King of Connaught), whom at the point of time to which we have arrived, say 1009, we find in the tomb, and Gormflaith again at Kincora, probably occupying a suite of apartments to herself but not reinstated in her once high and happy position. Brian, from a wish to keep up cordial

relations with her brother Maelmordha, might have merely tolerated her presence, and the domestic arrangement have been the same as we find in the chronicles written by those truthful and grave historians of modern times, Balzac, Dumas Fils, and Feydeau. Our own chronicler can give an historical sketch in a terse and befitting style when not carried away by a torrent of assonances and alliterations; so we copy a short narrative of an event, the starting point of disagreeable circumstances which culminated in the terrible strife at Clontarff.

THE SMALL STORM CLOUD.

"Maelmordha, son of Murchadlı, King of Laighin, set out to convey three masts of pine of the trees of Fidh Gaibhli (parish of Clonsast, King's Co.) to Cenn Coradh, viz., a mast from the Ui* Failghe, and a mast from the Ui Faelain, and a mast from the Ui Muireadhaigh. But a dispute took place between them when ascending a boggy mountain, whereupon the king himself, viz., Maelmordha, put his hand to the mast of the Ui Faelain, having on a silken tunic which Brian had previously given him, which had a border of gold round it and silver buttons. The tunic was on him, and

one of the buttons broke with the exertion.

Now, when they arrived at Cenn Coradh, the king took off his tunic, and it was carried to his sister to put a silver button on it, viz., to Gormlaith, daughter of Murchadh, Brian's

wife; and she was the mother of Donnchadh

son of Brian. The queen took the tunic

and cast it into the fire, and she began to reproach and incite her brother, because she thought it ill that he should yield service and vassalage, or suffer oppression from any one, or yield that which his father or grandfather never yielded; and she said that his (Brian's) son would require the same thing from his son.

"Some peevish words followed between

him and Murchadh the next morning, arising out of a casual controversy at chess, for as Murchadh and Conaing (son of Brian's brother, Donnchuan) were playing at chess, Maelmordha was teaching against Murchadh, and he advised a move by

which a game went against Murchadh. Murchadh became angry, and said, 'It was thou that gavest advice to the foreigners when they were defeated.'† Maelmordha said, 'I will give them advice again, and they shall not be defeated.' Murchadh said, 'Have the yew tree made ready for thee to sit on.' Maelmordha became angry and retired to his room. (Next morning he left the palace without taking leave.)

"This was told to Brian, and he sent a messenger after him to detain him until

Brian should converse with him, and until he should carry away with him cattle and pay. the plank-bridge of Cell Dalua on the east The messenger overtook him at the end of

side, and he was mounting his horse there. A dispute ensued between him and the messenger, and he turned on the messenger, and gave him a stroke of a yew horse-switch on his head, and broke all the bones of the head! It was necessary to carry the messenger back to Cenn Coradh. And Cocaran was the name of the messenger. Some were anxious to pursue him (Maelmordha) then, and not allow him to escape, until he made submission. But Brian said it should be at the threshold of his own house he would demand justice from him, and that he would not prove treacherous to him in his own house."

After this there was no cordiality between the sovereign and the dwellers in Leinster, whether natives or foreigners; and in 1013 we find Brian and his forces encamped before Dublin from Saint Cearan's festival in autumn till the "great Christmas" when for want of provisions they re

turned home.

THE GATHERING OF THE EAGLES.

Towards the festival of St. Patrick in the ensuing spring, all that had remained loyal to the reigning monarch were directing their course to the mother Gormflaith, and Maelmordha, plain before Dublin. Sitric, and his busied themselves collecting allies from all quarters. Sigurd Earl of Orkney came to the aid of his countrymen on the condition of getting the privilege

servant.

of being Gormflaith's fourth husband, the second and third still living, and one being near eighty years of age. Brodar, about whose name and the locality of whose earldom there is some uncertainty, was also a postųlant for her hand, and Sitric made no scruple of promising it, expecting, as may be supposed, that one of the wooers, after doing good service in the battle, might be very indifferent on the subject at its close.

Brodar, according to the Njal Saga had been a Christian man and a mass-deacon by consecration, but he had thrown off his faith, and become 'God's dastard' and worshipped heathen fiends; and he was of all men most skilled in sorcery. He had that coat of mail on which no steel would bite. He was both tall and strong, and had

such long locks that he tucked them under

his belt.

His hair was black.”

This fierce-looking renegade commanded the foreign Danes and auxiliaries in the front of the battle, being supported by Earl Sigurd and other chiefs. A battalion of the Dublin Danes had their position in the rear of these, supported by the chieftains of ships. Maelmordha and his chiefs occupied the rear, commanding the North Leinster men and the forces of Hy Ceansalach* (Wicklow and Wexford).

Directly opposed to Brodar's front battalions were the tried men of North Munster, the Dalcassians under the command of the invincible Murchadh. The battalion behind this front array consisted of other Munster troops commanded by the Prince of the Waterford Decies. The nobles of Connacht with their brave tribesmen occupied the rear of the Irish war force.

The patriotic chronicler having brought the combatants face to face on the field which was to be the crown of his work, felt all his poetic rage arise against the foreigners, whom he abuses as heartily as Goldsmith's bailiff did the French.

"These were the chiefs, and outlaws, and Dannars of all the west of Europe, having for God or for man, for church or for sancno reverence, veneration, respect, or mercy, for God or for man, for church or for sanctuary, at the head of cruel, villanous, ferocious, plundering, hard-hearted, wonderful, Danmarkians, selling and hiring themselves for gold, and silver, and other treasures as well. And there was not one villain or robber of that two thousand (the troops of Brodar and his brother Anlaf) who had not polished, strong, triple-plated, glittering armour of refined iron, or of cool uncorroding brass, encasing their sides and bodies from head to foot."

In the description of the arms and armour of the combatants we suspect our authority of some inaccuracy. Avoiding the forest of epithets bristling all over the glowing description, we are told that the blue-green, hardhearted pagans used crimsoned, murderous, poisoned arrows anointed and browned in the blood of dragons, and toads, and water-snakes, and otters (the poor otter! he did not deserve this), and scorpions. They had barbarous quivers, yellow-shining bows, green, sharp, rough, dark spears, polished, pliable, triple-plated corslets of refined iron and uncorroding brass. Their swords were heavy, hard-striking, strong, and powerful.

To the Gaelic warriors he allows glittering, poisoned, † well-riveted spears, with beautiful handles of white hazel; darts furnished with silken strings, to be cast over hand; long, glossy, white shirts; comfortable (comfort in battle !) long vests; well-adjusted, many-coloured tunics over these; variegated, brazen-embossed shields, with bronze chains; crested, golden helms, set with precious stones on the heads of chiefs and princes; glaring, broad, well-set Lochlann axes, to hew plate and mail. Every sword had about thirty glorious qualities attached to it.‡

The inferiority of the Irish warriors in defensive arms gave little concern to their historian. Armed or unarmed, they were a match for the

THE DAY AT CLONTARFF.

The battle began with a single combat, there being a previous challenge in the case. Plait, the foreign warrior, came before his lines and shouted, "Faras (where is? an attempt at Danish) Donall ?” Here, thou reptile!" said the Irish champion. The battle was sharp and short, the two warriors falling on the sod at the same moment, their left hands clutching each other's hair, and their hearts transfixed by their swords.

Heaven and earth are ransacked for sublime images to give an idea of the dread struggle that took place between the iron-covered and the defenceless warriors on each side.

"To nothing small (we quote our text) could be likened the firm, stern, sudden, thunder motion, and the stout, valiant, haughty, billow roll of these people on both sides. I could compare it only to the boundless, variegated, wonderful firmament that had cast a heavy, sparkling shower of flaming stars over the surface of the earth, or to the startling, fire-darting roar of the clouds and the heavenly orbs, confounded and crashed by all the winds in their contention against each other."

It was a terrible spectacle without doubt, the din, and clang of sword and axe on shields and helms, the cries of the combatants, and the lurid flashes from the polished surfaces of the arms, and the effect of all intensified by dying groans, and the sight of bodies writhing in agony as life was about to quit them. It is not so easy to understand, taking distance into account, how the following circumstance could occur.

"It was attested by the foreigners and foreign women who were watching from the battlements of Ath Cliath, that they used to see flashes of fire from them in the

air on all sides.

Malachy's forces remained inactive during the main part of the fight at least.

Dr. Todd acquits him, how

VOL. LXX.-NO. CCCCXV.

ever, of treachery to the national cause. We quote some passages of a description of the fight imputed to him.

"There was a field and a ditch between us and them, and the sharp wind of the spring coming over them towards us. And it was not a longer time than a cow could be milked that we continued there, when not one person of the two hosts could recognise another. We were covered, as well our heads as our faces, and our clothes, with the drops of the gory blood, carried by the force of the sharp, cold wind which passed over them to us.

Our spears over our heads had become clogged and bound with long locks of hair, which the wind forced upon us when cut away by well-aimed swords and gleaming axes, so that it was half occupation to us to endeavour to disentangle and cast them off."

Were we a powerful, well-armed warrior standing by the side of Maolseachluin (Malachy) on that day, we would certainly have endeavoured to find a better occupation for his hands. Hear this bit of Pecksniffism uttered by him :—

"It is one of the problems of Erinn whether the valour of those who sustained

that crushing assault was greater than ours who bore the sight of it without running distracted before the winds, or fainting.'

Conaing, Brian's nephew, and Maelmordha fell that day by each others' swords. The Connacht forces and the Danes of Dublin assailed each other so furiously that only about a hundred of the Irish survived, while the Danes scarcely left a score. Murchadh's exploits, could we trust the Chronicler and Malachy, could be rivalled only by those of Achilles of old. He went forwards and backwards through the enemies' ranks mowing them down even as a person might level rows of upright weeds. He got his mortal wound at last from the knife of a Dane, whom he had struck to the earth. He survived however till he had received the consolations of religion.

About sunset the foreigners, notwithstanding their superiority in armour, were utterly defeated. Striving to escape by their ships they were prevented by the presence of the full tide, and those who flew towards the city were either intercepted by the same tide or by Mael

2

seachluin's* men. Dr. Todd inclines to this last theory. The heroic youth Torloch, son of Murchadh, pursuing the fugitive Danes into the sea, met his death at a weir.

The aged monarch, while engaged at his prayers for the blessing of Heaven on the arms of his people, was murdered just at the moment of victory by the Chief Brodar, who in a few minutes afterwards was torn to pieces by the infuriated soldiers crowding to the spot.

The power of the foreigners was certainly crushed in this great and memorable combat, but disorder seized on the general weal of the island again. South Munster renewed its contentions with North Munster, and even its own chiefs with each other. Donnchad, Brian's remaining son, though a brave prince, had not the abilities of his father or elder brother. Malachy quietly resumed the sovereignty of the island, but found that the annoyances from turbulent petty kings and the still remaining foreigners were not at an end.

We join our regret to that of the Editor that one of the unromantic books of Annals,-that of Tiernach, or Loch Ce, or that of Ulster, has not inaugurated the publication of our ancient chronicles. Dr. Todd has done all that could be done by the most profound and enlightened scholar to disentangle the true from the false, through the narrative by shrewd guesses, by sound judgment in weighing the merits and probabilities of conflicting accounts, by comparing the romantic statements with those set forth in the genuine annals and the foreign authorities, whether Icelandic or Anglo-Saxon. Many

events in our old archives, pronounced by shallow and supercilious critics to have had no foundation are found to possess the stamp of truth by the care taken by Dr. Todd and his fellow-archæologists in comparing our own annals and those of the European nations with whom we had formerly either friendly or hostile relations.

Besides the anxious care bestowed on the comparison of the different Mss., and the translation, and the very useful commentary, the Editor has furnished in the appendix the fragment (with translation) in the Book of Leinster, the Chronology and Genealogy of the Kings of Ireland and of Munster during the Danish period, Maelseachlain's account of the Fight of Clontarf, in full from the Brussels MS., and the genealogy of the various Scandinavian Chiefs who were mixed with our concerns for two centuries. The accounts given in detail of the fortunes of Sitric and others of these Chiefs are highly interesting. The present volume will be more generally read than any of the mere chronicles, into whose composition entered more conscience and judgment,—on account of the many poetic and romantic passages scattered through it. Let us hope that it is not the last on which the labours of the eminent scholar, its editor, will be employed, for we cannot conceive any literary task more ably and satisfactorily executed than the production of the "Wars of the Gaedhil and the Gaill."

The Fatal Sisters, translated by Gray from the Norse, refer to the Day at Clontarf. We quote three of the verses:

"Ere the ruddy sun be set

Pikes must shiver, javelins sing, Blade with clattering buckler meet, Hauberk crash, and helmet ring.

"Low the dauntless earl† is laid,

Gored with many a gaping wound; Fate demands a nobler head,

Soon a King‡ shall bite the ground.

"Long his loss shall Erinn weep,

Ne'er again his likeness see; Long her strains in sorrow steep, Strains of immortality!"

The appendix added by Dr. Todd to the work is exceedingly interesting and valuable, containing among other matters a carefully arranged genealogical list of the Irish princes and

+ Earl Sigurd.

‡ Brian.