Legendary fictions of the Irish Celts

338 Fictions of the Irish Celts.
lated from a Celtic original for the entertainment of
Adelais, wife of Henry I. of England. It was admitted
into the Lcc^cnda Anna of John Capgrave, and copied
over and over. In the University Magazine for May,
1852, maybe read an English translation by our national
bard, Denis Florence M'Carthy, and in his collected
poems a charming metrical version.
We need not quote at any length from the incidents of
the voyage, which, though exhibiting fancy and invention,
are generally vague and purposeless. One of the most
poetic of the passages is that respecting
THE ISLAND OF THE BTRD.S.
St. Brendain's barque having sailed long in a southwesterly
direction in beautiful weather, came to anchor
by a delightful island in which the fragrant turf came
down to the very water. There were hills in the centre
of the isle, where some grey rocks appeared among strips
of green turf and red flowered heath ; the rest of the
island was occupied by delightful woods and sloping
meadows, the trees furnished with the finest fruit, and
shrubs everywhere presenting the loveliest flowers. No
cloud obscured the sunshine, and the trees and shrubs
were filled with birds of varied and beautiful plumage,
Avhose voices united in forming music that entranced the
souls of the listeners. St. Brendain felt that there was
something supernatural about the little creatures ; so he
adjured them to explain the myster}'. " Welcome, sainted
man !" cried out one of them, who at that moment perched
on his arm. " It is delightful to us to hear the voice of
one of God's creatures who loves and fears Him as we
do ourselves. When the rebel angels were plotting their