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Ireland and the Making
of Britain
spiritual combat, and they responded to the spiritual call
of religion, of learning and of liberty, as they had before
answered to the martial call of bard and king. They were
called ascetics, or athletes, which is the very meaning of
the Greek word, and they loved to "make a record," and
records they made in abundance, as we shall see as we
proceed.
Behind the going from Ireland of some of these passionate
pilgrims often lay a romance of high passion such
as is depicted in Irish literature with wonderful purity,
tenderness and charm. There is for example the ninth
century tale of "Liadain and Curithir," which, by its
pathos and rare knowledge of the human heart, recalls
the other great love stories of the world's literature. It
tells of the love of a poetess who has taken the veil for a
young poet from whom her vows separate her forever.
Thus the plot is a conflict between love and religion. The
lovers seek the direction of one of the saints who gives
them the choice between seeing each other without speak-
ing or speaking without seeing.
'Talking for us," says the poet. "We have been look-
ing at each other all our lives." So they converse, while
one is enclosed in a cell and the other wanders around it.
Passionate words of love and longing and regret are ex-
changed:
"Beloved is the dear voice that I hear
I dare not welcome it.
'Tis this the voice does to me,
It will not let me sleep."
At length the poet is banished by the saint and, re-
nouncing love, takes up the pilgrim's staff. The hapless
Liadain follows, seeking him and wailing:
"Joyless
The bargain I have made:
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