Legendary fictions of the Irish Celts

22 2 Fictions of the Irish Celts.
him by his persuasive powers (Goll was more clogged than
ambitious), that he consented to hold second rank in the
national militia. In the Ossianic rhapsodies he aids his
chief merely through a principle of loyalty. When imminent
danger approaches, he fearlessly meets it, but is
never fonvard to undertake any of the chivalrous enter-
prises so frequent in the histor}- of the body ; he finds it
impossible to forget that Fion's father perished by his
hand. He is more redoubtable in fight than Fion himself,
being only excelled by Diarmuid and the peerless
Oscur. Diarmuid bears a certain resemblance, in
character and fortune, to Sir Launcelot and Sir Tristrem ;
Fion himself to King Arthur and Agamemnon. The
bald Conan is Thersites, not altogether devoid of animal
courage ; Goll himself is an amalgamation of Ajax and
Diomed, and the rest are amiable and noble-minded as
Don Quixote himself, but destitute of any striking characteristics,
except in the article of fleetness possessed
by Caeilte Mac Ronan, poetic inspiration by Oisin,
Fergus, &c.
HOW FIOX SELECTED A WIFE.
This great chief had more than one bosom-partner in
his time ; but as we do not hear much of the institution
of polygamy among the ancient Celts, it is to be hoped
that he did not marry any one of them during the life of
another. In his first years of fame, he found himself an
object of general censure for indulging in the freedom of
a snigle life, so he was forced by public opinion to change
his state. But here arose an inconvenience. He could
only ally himself to the family of one king or chief; consequently
he would obtain the ill-will of many others.
However, he showed himself equal to the occasion. He
let it be generally understood that as his object in select-
ing a wife was the greater glorj- of the Fianna, in his becoming
the father of future courageous, robust heroes, he