furnishes the subject of, perhaps, the oldest
known song of the Celtic bards. Connor
was at a feast in the house of one of his
ministers, Feidlim Mac Doill, when the wife
of his host gave birth to a daughter. A
Druid foretold that the child just born would
be the cause of great wars between
Connaught and Ulster, in which Connaught
would prevail. The chiefs counselled that the
child should be slain. Connor, however,
declared that lie would watch over her, and
in due season marry her; he therefore took
her to his court, and caused her to be
nurtured in a well-fortified tower, to which none
had access but her attendants and the king's
favourite, the poetess Leabharcham. The
Druid, abiding by his threat of evil, called
the girl Deardra.

Deardra grew up, and became, of course,
the most beautiful and accomplished person
in the kingdom. One snowy day as Deardra
and Leabharcham were looking out of
window, they saw a man killing a calf; some of
the blood fell upon the snow, and a raven
came and fed upon it. The damsel, yearning
after love, exclaimed, Would that I were in
the arms of a man who is of the three
colours I now see; his skin like snow, his
hair black as the raven's wing, and on his
cheeks a red deep as the blood of the calf.—
Such a young man there is now in the court,
said her instructress, and his name is Naoise,
the son of Uisneach.—Deardra, having heard
more of Naoise, said that she was passionately
charmed by the description of his features,
and should be in torment till, she saw him.
Leabharcham, therefore, tempted Naoise into
the tower, and the young man, soon
afterwards, with help from his brothers Ainle
and Ardan, surprised the garrison, and
carried off Deardra. They fled to the coast,
took ship, and reached Alban (Scotland) in
safety. The king of Alban gave to the three
brothers land on the western coast and in
the isles. But the king afterwards was
tempted by the beauty of Deardra, to make
war for her sake on her husband. After
many battles Naoise was compelled to fortify
himself in an island with his wife and
followers. Then Naoise sent for help to his
friends, the nobles of Ulster, and the nobles
went to the king, by whom the prophecy was
not forgotten. He veiled designs of treachery
under the show of forgiveness, and gave to
the friends of Naoise and his two brothers,
friends of his own as hostages for the
assurance of good faith. Thereupon help was
sent, the king of Alban was vanquished, and
Naoise, Ainle, and Ardan returned to Erin.
In vain Deardra warned them not to hurry
to their ruin. She sat with them on the
deck, and while the shores of Alban were
receding from her view, chanted the lament
of Deardra,—one of the oldest of the poems
left us by the Celtic bards:—

"Dear to me is that eastern shore, dear is
Alban, land of wonders; never would I have
forsaken it, had I not come with Naoise.
Dear are Dunfay and Dunfin, dear is the
lofty Dun towering above; dear is Inis
Drayon, too, and dear to me Dunsaivne.
Coilcuan, oh Coilcuan! where Ainle and
where Ardan would resort; too short, alas!
was my stay, and that of Naoise, in the west
of Alban. Glenlee, oh Glenlee! beneath the
shade of thy thickets I often slept; fish,
venison, and prime of badger, on these
have I feasted in Gleulee. Oh, Glenmessan,
Glenmessan! rich were thy herbs, and bright
thy winding paths; lulled by falling streams
we reposed above the grass-clad slopes of
Messan. Vale of Eithe! O vale of Eithe!
there was my first dwelling fixed; beauteous.
are its woods in smile of morning's light; at
eve long lingers the sun in vale of Eithe.

"Glenarchon, Glenarchon! fair is the vale
of Dromehon; never was man more sprightly
than my Naoise in vale of Archon. Oh,
Glendarna, Glendarna! my love remains with all
who inhabit it; sweetly sang the cuckoo on
bending bough, high over vales of
Glendarna. Dear to me is that eastern shore, dear
are its waters, flowing over pure sand; never
would I have left it had I not come with my
love. Farewell for ever, fair coasts of Alban;
your bays and your vales shall no more
delight me; watching the sons of Uisneach
at the chase, often I sat delighted on thy
cliffs."

On their way to Connor's palace the three
brothers were, by his order, treacherously
slain. The young men were laid in one of
the old graves that we have been describing,
and over it Deardra sang with her last
breath:——

"Sons of a king, cause of these my flowing
tears; three lions on the hill of Umah; three
on whom the daughters of Breatan doated——
three hawks of the hill of Guilinn——sons of a
king to whom warriors made obeisance, and
to whom heroes yielded homage. Three pillars
of the headlong bursting battle were the
three youths of Sgatha. Dark were their
brows, their eyes flashed brightly, their
cheeks were as the embers of flame. Their
legs were as the down of swans, active and
graceful were their limbs, soft and gentle
were their hands, their arms were fair and
manly. The high king of Ulster was my
betrothed,— him I forsook for love of
Naoise, after him my days will be few. I will
sing their funeral dirge. Men who diggest
their grave, make not their tomb narrow;
in the grave I will be with them, sorrowing and
lamenting. Their three shields and three
spears oft formed the bed beneath them; their
three hounds and three hawks shall henceforth
be without hunters of game, the three
pillars of battle, three youths of Conall
Cearnach. The three collars of their three hounds
draw groans from my bursting heart; with
me they were in keeping. I weep at sight of
them. Never was I alone until this day, when,
your grave is preparing; though we often