Early Bardic Literature, Ireland

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1879 edition. Excerpt: ...unrecognised in his own house, aware of all the meaness and injury, and listening to the voices of the greedy suitors where they conversed lewdly with the women of his household, rolled sleeplessly upon his bed, devoured by his thoughts, so tossed to and fro the good Laeg in the house of Ccelshanig. But in the end, after a long time, he rose and went out and aroused the slaves, and inquired concerning the bard, who in those days was always attached to a wealthy house. Now Ccelshanig delighted not at all in the society of bards and harpers, and he was accustomed to revile that sacred order, saying that he would rather see a weed in his fields than a poet in his house. Therefore was there a bitter enemity between the Croothnean and the singing tribe, and they delighted to repeat satiric ranns concerning Ccelshanig, and to afford amusement to those who were not pleased at his great prosperity. Nevertheless he had in his s jrvice a druid who interpreted for him dreams and omens and the notes of wrens and ravens, and who taught him the observances which were due to the Shee that they might be favourable to him in hisaffairs, and this druid brought to his hearth annually the sacred fire which was kindled upon the hill of Fohla at Wisna of the great congregations, and' he himself sent regularly thither the dues of the college of druids of Wisna, to wit, a fat swine and a sack of corn or their equivalents, according to the customs of the times, and he obeyed implicitly the advice of the druid, and to him alone he was generous, and he stood greatly in awe of his reproof, and he would gape around him in his druidic observances, though to his dependents and others he was accustomed to be overbearing and contemptuous. Then Lceg bade the slaves to...