Patrick and his clergy, and compares his present woeful plight with his former condition as a Fenian chief. The last class of Fenian literature recognized by Professor O'Curry is the Fenian tales. One of the most celebrated of these is the one before mentioned, the Elopement of Dermuid and Grainné. Finn, in his old age, wants a wife, and is recommended the king's daughter, the princess Grainné, but not being on good terms with King Cormac, is afraid that he would get a refusal if he made a personal application, so he sends two of his friends to ask Cormac. Cormac has no objection; but as Grainné had upset all previous arrangements of the same kind, and Cormac had got the blame, he would have nothing to do in the matter, but told them to apply to the princess herself. She told the king her father, "If he be a fitting son-in-law for thee, why should Le not be a fitting husband and mate for me?" Finn and his retinue come to Tara, and are right royally received. A splendid banquet is laid out, at which the princess herself is present: getting a certain Druid beside her, she finds out from him the purpose of the visit and the names of the principal Fenians at the banquet (Ossianic Soc. vol. iii. p. 49). "There sat there a Druid and a skilful man of knowledge of the people of Fionn before Grainné, the daughter of Cormac, that is, Daire of the poems,' son of Morna; and it was not long before there arose gentle talking and mutual discourse between himself and Grainné. Then Daire arose and stood before Grainné, and sang her the songs and the verses and the sweet poems of her fathers and of her ancestors; and then Grainné spoke and asked the Druid,-'What is the thing or matter wherefore Fionn is come to this place to-night?'

"If thou knowest not that,' said the Druid, 'it is no wonder that I know it not.'

"I desire to learn it of thee,' said Grainné.

Well then,' quoth the Druid, 'it is to ask thee as wife and mate that Fionn is come to this place to-night.'

"It is a great marvel to me,' said Grainné, 'that it is not for Oisin that Fionn asks me; for it were fitter to give me such as he than a man that is older than my father.'

"Say not that,' said the Druid, for if Fionn were to hear thee, he himself would not have thee, neither would Oisin dare to take thee.'

"Tell me now,' said Grainné, 'who is that warrior at the right shoulder of Oisin the son of Fionn ?'

"Yonder,' said the Druid, 'is Goll Mac Morna, the active, the

warlike.'

"Who is that warrior at the shoulder of Goll?' said Grainné.

"Oscar the son of Oisin,' said the Druid.

"Who is that graceful-legged man at the shoulder of Oscar?' said Grainné.

"Caoilté Mac Ronain,' said the Druid.

"What haughty, impetuous warrior is that yonder at the shoulder of Caoilté?' said Grainné.

"The son of Lughaidh of the mighty hand, and that man is sister's son to Fionn Mac Cumhaill,' said the Druid.

"Who is that sweet-worded man with the dimple, upon whom is the curling dark-black hair, and [who has] the two ruddy, berry-red cheeks, upon the left hand of Oisin the son of Fionn?'

"That man is Diarmuid, the grandson of Duibhue, the white-toothed, of the lightsome countenance: that is, the best lover of women and of maidens that is in the whole world.'

The princess then sent for her own "jewelled, golden-chased goblet," and as was the custom, sent it round with her handmaiden to whomsoever of the guests she chose specially to honour. She did not send it to Dermuid and some others of the younger warriors, but sent it to Finn, to her father, and to the rest. Gradually these sank into a profound slumber, for the cup had been of course drugged. She then made her case known to the young warriors, but from fear of Finn's revenge they refused to assist her. She then went to the extremity of laying geasa, or bonds of honour, upon Dermuid, that he should relieve her; and from this, according to the Celtic laws of honour, there was no escape. All the rest advised him to go with her.

She left the palace by a wicket-gate, to meet him outside the town. He went over the palisade.

"After that Diarmuid arose and stood, and stretched forth his active warrior hand over his broad weapons, and took leave and farewell of Oisin and of the chiefs of the Fenians; and not bigger is a smooth crimson whortleberry than was each tear that Diarmuid shed from his eyes at parting with his people. Diarmuid went to the top of the fort, and put the shafts of his two javelins under him, and rose with an airy, very light, exceeding high bird-like leap, until he attained the breadth of his two soles of the beautiful grass-green earth on the plain without, and there Grainné met him. Then Diarmuid spoke, and what he said was: 'I trow, O Grainné, that this is an evil course upon which thou art come: for it were better for thee to have Fionn Mac Cumhaill for lover than myself, seeing that I know not what nook, or corner, or remote part of Erin I can take thee to now. Return again to the town, and Fionn will never learn what thou hast done.' 'It is certain that I will not go back,' said Grainné,' and that I will not part from thee until death part me from thee.' Then go forward, O Grainné,' said Diarmuid."

เ

Dermuid, thus carried off nolens volens, falls in desperate love with. the brave woman, and the two set out, pursued by Finn and her father; and their adventures through Ireland, hunted by the two old gentlemen, and assisted by the young officers of the Fenians, forms the plot of this old Celtic romance. The reader must excuse our wandering from history into romance, even though it is concerned with the Celts in the third century.

THE

CORNHILL MAGAZINE.

FEBRUARY, 1866.

The Claverings.

be

CHAPTER I.

JULIA BRABAZON.

HE gardens of Clavering Park were removed some three hundred yards from the large, square, sombre-looking stone. mansion which was the country-house of Sir Hugh Clavering, the eleventh baronet of that name; and in these gardens, which had but little of beauty to recommend them, I will introduce my readers to two of the personages with whom I wish to make them acquainted in the following story. It was now the end of August, and the parterres, beds, and bits of lawn were dry, disfigured, and almost ugly, from the effects of a long drought. In gardens to which care and labour are given abundantly, flower-beds will be pretty, and grass will

green, let the weather be what it may; but care and labour were but scantily bestowed on the Clavering Gardens, and everything was yellow, adust, harsh, and dry. Over the burnt turf towards a gate

7.