Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race - Knowledge Rush

CHAPTER VI: TALES OF THE OSSIANIC CYCLE 243a loch-well, sparkling and translucid. The size and thickness ofthe cress and of the fothlacht, or brooklime, that grew on it wasa wonderment to them.” Then Keelta began to tell of the fameand qualities of the place, and uttered an exquisite little lyric inpraise of it:“O Well of the Strand of the Two Women, beautiful are thycresses, luxuriant, branching; since thy produce is neglected on [283]thee thy brooklime is not suffered to grow. Forth from thy banksthy trout are to be seen, thy wild swine in the wilderness; the deerof thy fair hunting crag-land, thy dappled and red-chested fawns!Thy mast all hanging on the branches of the trees; thy fish inestuaries of the rivers; lovely the colours of thy purling streams,O thou that art azure-hued, and again green with reflections ofsurrounding copse-wood.” 184St. Patrick and Irish LegendAfter the warriors have been entertained Patrick asks: “Washe, Finn mac Cumhal, a good lord with whom ye were?” Keeltapraises the generosity of Finn, and goes on to describe in detailthe glories of his household, whereon Patrick says:“Were it not for us an impairing of the devout life, an occasionof neglecting prayer, and of deserting converse with God, we, aswe talked with thee, would feel the time pass quickly, warrior!”Keelta goes on with another tale of the Fianna, and Patrick,now fairly caught in the toils of the enchanter, cries: “Successand benediction attend thee, Keelta! This is to me a lightening ofspirit and mind. And now tell us another tale.”So ends the exordium of the “Colloquy.” As usual in theopenings of Irish tales, nothing could be better contrived; thetouch is so light, there is so happy a mingling of pathos, poetry,and humour, and so much dignity in the sketching of the humancharacters introduced. The rest of the piece consists in theexhibition of a vast amount of topographical and legendary lore184 Translation by S.H. O'Grady.