Standish O'Grady; selected essays and passages

76 STANDISH o'gRADY
warning and sorrow. In the war between Concobar
naac Nessa and the returned exiles, the great sons of
Usna, Fiechra, son of Concobar, wearing his father's
weapons, was hard pressed by Illan the Fair, son of
Fergus. Then, Concobar's shield, Ocean, roared, and
the three chief waves of Erin roared in reply, the wave
of Cleena, the wave of Rury, and the wave of Toth.
Then was Conaill Carna at Dfin Sovarchy, and he heard
the wave of Toth. " Trueit is," said Conaill," Concobar
is in danger, and it is not right for me to remain listening."
Conaill arose after this, and took his arms and armour
and crossed Ulster, and came on to where was Concobar
in Emain of Macha, and he found the fight upon the
lawn, and Fiechra, son of Concobar, greatly exhausted
by Illan the Fair.
How striking is the difference between primaeval
poetry and modern may be seen from a comparison
between such passages and the following, in which
Shelley represents the elements as mourning for.Adonais,
expressing, too, a kindred thought, viz., the sympathy
of Nature with the fortunes of men :
" Paie Ocean in unquiet slumber lay.
And the wild winds flew round sobbing in their dismay."
On this side, modem poetry is mere fancy ; ancient
poetry is strong, undoubting belief.
The sentiment which evinces itself in the modern
song, " What are the wild waves saying ? " is also ex-
pressed in a beautiful antique tale of the Ultonian period.
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