Legendary fictions of the Irish Celts

Ossianic and other Early Legends. 263
steaks, a hearthcake, and a goblet of choice mead, he
was ready to Hsten to his father-in-law's directions.
" My dear son," said the king, " the Fiach O'Duda,
Lassa Buaicht, and I are brothers. Lassa, though the
youngest, and very powerful in many ways, has always
envied his eldest brother, Fiach the Sword of Light. /
only have the means of coming at it, but he knew I
would not willingly interfere to annoy the poor man,
who, after all, is my eldest brother, and has been sadly
tormented during his past life, and has never done me
the slightest harm. So he laid out this plan of stealing
my daughter from me. I can't explain to you who know
nothing of Droideachta, how he enjoys this and other
powers. He got you into his meshes, blessed you with
Saav's society, and then put this geasa on you, judging
that I would help him to do this injury to my brother,
rather than make my daughter's life miserable. Fiach
lives in a castle surrounded by three high walls. It is on
a wdde heath to the south. Everything inside and out-
side is as brown as a berry. The black steed which I
am going to lend you will easily clear the gate of the
outer wall, and then you make your demand. As soon
as the Fiach comes into this outer inclosure you have no
time to lose ; and if you get outside again without leaving
a part of yourself or of your horse behind, you may
consider yourself fortunate."
He mounted his black steed, rode southwards, came
in sight of the Brown Castle, cleared the gate of the
outer wall, and shouted, "I summon you, great Fiach
O'Duda, on the part of your brother, the Sighe Draoi,
Lassa Buaicht, to reveal to me the Fios Fath an aon
Sceil, and also surrender into my keeping the matchless
Cloidheamh Solais." He had hardly done speaking
when the two inner gates flew open, and out stalked a
mined Dryasdust in Ireland, or Scotland, or Wales, shall not
persuade us that they did not partake of lunch or collation, say
from 8 to II a.m. to enable them to endure life till Beal chose to
sink into his western bed.