Legendary fictions of the Irish Celts

2i8 Fictions of the Irish Celts.
on the eve of the battle he called before him Boghmin,
his female runner, and thus addressed her :
" My fleet and faithful Boghmin, the night of the grave
is gathering fast round me, and I address you for the last
time. Speed to the rath at Almuin. Seek the goldenhaired
Muirrean, and tell her my chief sorrow on quitting
life arises from the wrong she has suffered at my hands.
Attend her diligently, and when my son is born flee
away with him, and let him be brought up in the most
secret places you can find. Otherwise the wrathful Tadg
will destroy him. The wise Conmean, the Druid, has
foretold his fortune, and that under his rule the fame of
the Fianna of Erinn shall much exceed what it enjoys
under mine. Entreat the forgiveness of the golden-
"
haired Muirrean for me. Farewell !
When the next morning sun was sh i ning ple asaiitly
over^the 'gorse-sprink led~|nain_(jio\v the~wester n^portion
_of_Ph^Tix Park\ the,xlans of Leijis^-j^and^those^ of the
"
noble Eogan of Munster. a sm all but compact~7orcej_
rushed jim ong the mu ltitUiJLnous hojts o f Ul ster,
"(JonaclTf, and Meath, even as a score of noble and fierce
r_dogs^x)u 1 d_a moii^ajgac^^
: wolves. They overturned_theii]_, t_hey jjierced their masses ;
^theyTevelled, an^d_slew^and scaUered thej r foes , wIto
were still replaced by fresh ^and~strong fighting men, till
their tired arms could scarce wield the sword or fling the
spear. Hundreds and hundreds perished that day by the
resistless arms of Cumhail ; and when he and Goll, son of
Morna, engaged, it was like the meeting of two hawks on
a rock, two furious bulls, or two raging lions. Deep was
the hard brown skin of Goll gashed by the keen blade
of Cumhail ; but when they were separated by the press
of struggling warriors, the heavy ash-shafted and keenjjointed
spear of the Conacht hero darted with mighty
force, tore the lorica, the silken shirt, and the heart of
the mighty son of Trenmor asunder, and the green sod
was reddened with his life's blood.
Again and again did the ear-piercing war-biule of
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