He was very hungry, for he had not eaten
anger upon the tub, but took up the black
I carry food in my wallet whenever I go
the Three Headlands ? and are not the
from the Abbey tower of the White Friars
sun was sinking, they also got up to go, for
they had gone a little way, the wolves, who
coloured doublet, and had pointed shoes,
and blew a silver whistle until the lay
and went back to his place by the door.
walls. Therefore I bid you go and awaken
Brother James and Brother Peter sitting
them upon the ground. I will give a tithe
endured many sorrows, and how the sons
he had looked upon many crosses. He
wink of sleep with that noise, said the
the louder, we will crucify him.
and more full of the beauty of laughter than
and showed him a blanket hanging from a
against the outcast ?
Wild Horse. And he spoke no more
a bards curse upon you, O brother Coarb,
you, being also a man of many thoughts,
Eri, and his abiding place was not upon
in my niche by the door, and I sorrow to
him also, or that his grave had been dug
hear the bards railing upon the friars.
poverty, and their yellow faces swayed like
down the blanket to wrap it about him for
the ridge of the earth. His eyes strayed
doublet of particoloured cloth upon my
days end, he had left the brooks untasted,
was in my heart. And I have been the more
himself was hanged on one of them; and
up in bed, and he made them get up.
a shade unholy, and set the cross on his
gathered about them, being come there to
two assonances in every line of his
he had not drunken these many hours;
the sword and tell the truth ! O race
name would wither. For learn there is no
had ended, they grew angry, and beat him
Benignus our Patron, and the princes of
face, half ran, half walked, along the road
grass-barnacles, tarry a little, and may hap
he crossed himself, and when he had
be bad enough. But to have the birds
mother, and upon all your relations.
Little Wolf, Brother Bald Patrick, Brother
who has forgotten God ? and is not the
or a pride in those rhymes would move
because he had called them outcasts, so
It is a glee man, said the lay brother,
steadfastness of purpose upon the roads,
Is he cursing in rhyme ?
some distance, where many straight young
cause I heard in my heart the rustling of
railing against God and Christ and the
bread as hard as the heart of a lay brother
to make his supper the more delightful.
outcries, had locked it on the outside; so
an evil race, ever cursing and ever stirring
Dagda, and Dana the Mother, and all the
cut one down and fashion it to the right
water was bitter and ill-smelling. Then
of straw; but his blowing profited him
of the water in the jug, of the foot-water,
corner. Then the lay brother left him
than it was alive with skipping fleas. At
flung it from him straight way, for the
award the tithe to myself; but yet, because
and the birds wheeled closer and closer.
feet have ever irked me, because of the
house strewn with very dirty rushes; and
beg from any traveller or pilgrim who
Aodh, Cleena, Eiveen and Don? 1, too,
of the stones of the wall, and set the glow-
do not somewhat, he said, he will teach
The crosses are all full, said the lay
sleeping places were the four provinces of
you to make blasphemous and immoral tales
my soul will travel with you to the waste
bacon among the beggars, and they fought
from me. But the beggars were angry
upon a hill a little to the eastward of the
of the Shelly River. Many called him Cum-
foot, and trampled it level and hard. So
able sea ! At the gate a crowd of beggars
nail, and a shelf with a loaf of bread and
not eaten now these two days.
ask a favour before I die, says Cum Hal.
and they put it upon his shoulder, for
call Don of the Vats of the Sea; and
tree of death out of barbarous lands, or
5 1
moderate in all things, and heathen in
on him, and said his tricks were dull and
back, and hurried him to the hill.
47
Day, were we to spare an enemy of his
the jests of Conan the Bald, upon whose
of White-Breasted Deirdre, and how she
was the ~ield of Gold; but his eating and
give him dry sods, a fresh loaf, clean water
I ask no more delays, for I have drawn
it at the crosses. He knew they were
and the town battlements to a row of
poems in praise of those kings and queens
had not yet abandoned the ancient ton sure
of the Druidshad withered in his cradle
world ? Ill should we stand before blessed
so dirty that he could not see the bottom
a jug of water, and a tub in a far
might have spent the night in the guest-
the rose-bordered dress of her who is more
window, and stood upon it, and began to
will, for who can eat and sleep in peace
the first. So there was his cross for him;
I am myself the poorest, for I have
robbers on the mountain of Gulben.
dragged him to the river, and they dipped
Brother Kevin, Brother Dove, Brother
to the poor, says he, and he cut a tenth
back and the torn pointed shoes upon my
his face, and he knew not why, for
back a sheeps wool grew. And the young
called Buckleys Ford.
You may sleep, said Cumhal, ~ I will
to blow upon the glowing turf, that he
6e let eat the food I carry in my wallet.
we do not make an end of him another
bald head looked like an island in the
verses well nigh by rote, and so I know
the night. But no sooner did he touch it
their hearts, always longing after the Son
Peter. And they shall take the man, and
not the sods as wet as the sands of
as his soul ? and is not the foot-water the
shorter piece of wood, and nail it upon
in the morning, and bade him get ready to
false gods of the old days; always making
Now he put the jug to his lips, but he
again bade him take up his cross, for it
and led the way to a big and naked out-
presently he heard the lay brothers foot
A MAN, with thin brown hair and a pale
lower and lower. And presently the birds
and shoulders, and began to peck at him,
What ails me ! shouted Cumhal, are
ing turf upon the hearth and gave him
highway from his feet; but the water was
the morning, lest this but make him curse
by the green-haired and green-toothed
as not, just such another vagabond as
house. The Coarb and the friars led
him in it at the place which was afterwards
Cumhal emptied the tub and began to
and drew the tub out of the corner with
merrows deep at the roots of the deep
the air was getting chilly. And as soon as
began the history of their sorrows and their
for waking forgotten longings in their
nothing, for the sods and the straw were
craft. I have, indeed, many such tales and
brother.
And Cumhal the son of Cormac began
step a flock of great grass-barnacles passed
The glee man took a loaf and some strips
water in the jug as bitter and as ill-smelling
might light the two sods and the wisp
You may eat, then, says the Coarb,
more lovely than a bursting dawn to them
passed over two hills and under the battle-
While he spoke, he shivered from head
hill where the others were. A half-mile
Bald Brandon, Brother James and Brother
Conan the Bald, and more full of the wisdom
glee man to his cross, and set it upright in
We will grant you no more delays, says
curse.
Stay, outcasts, yet a little while, the cruci-
at the foot of the mountain, had smitten
44
been charred in the Undying Fires ? The
who complains of the sods, of the bread,
46
Then they bound Cumhal, and they
Hal, the son of Cormac, and many called
and the moon would avail at all, said the
Neither our blessed Patron nor the sun
blessed Saints. While he was speaking
was studded with great nails, and whenhe knocked at it, he roused the lay brother
his crucifixion was to be on the top of the
travellers.
children, and the girls, and the robbers.
but only under roofs, and between four
By sun and moon, not l; I ask but to
cowardice and with deceit !
with the cold.
My soul, friend, answered the glee man,
in his turn would begin. to curse, and my
So he flung the bread and the strips of
had been showing themselves on the edge
colour that shall be upon him when he has
how he fared in the guest-house, and he
crumpled it in his hands, and the circular
subtle than Angus, the Subtle-Hearted,
Gleeman, said the lay brother, as they
this, beside himself with anger, he rushed
Still he did not give way to his wrath, for
places of the shore and to the ungovern- 1
house. And while he still stood upon the
finished he drew the nightcap over his
be crucified, and led him out of the guest-
brown patch of hair in the middle of his
beat the door with it,till the lay brother
brother came to him. I cannot get a
them, even to the drawing of live frogs out
Subtle-Hearted. The old friars were for
once more, and cried out at him, ~ O
the robbers on the mountain of Gulben ?
him, and why he woke him out of sleep.
on, sitting round the cross. But when the
of the demons, Finvaragh of the Hill in
when he comes to judge us at the Last
the soldier of Dathi, who brought the
towered city full of noble raiment *hich
Then we must make another cross. If
fleas in the blanket as many as the waves
awoke the Coarb, so that he sat up in bed
45
that melts the bones of the people with
his eyes, and composed himself to
fied one called in a weak voice to the beg-
his curses to the children in the street, and
Or else he would tell another of his craft
blessed St. Benign us, and by the sun and
and of the blanket. And now he is singing
him the Swift, Wild Horse; and he was
of the sea and as lively ? and is not the
that are lost in the darkness. Therefore, I l
a glee man, and he wore a short parti-
to stand it in, while the beggars gathered
and upon your father and your mother,
unless I am well-nigh starved. I have
to foot, and the sweat came out upon
Gleeman, said the lay brother, I also
the province. My soul is decent and
but who could help such a one as you ?
hole.
sleep.
in a ring, talking and gesticulating. The
many things into my mind and out of my
vision, and am content.
lighted all at once upon his head and arms
He is cursing in rhyme, and with
when we had him under our thumb !
orders all things concerning the lodging of
eaten. But meanwhile the friars nailed the
i ll became them to listen to such follies.
pressing on, but the young friars would
they threw stones and mud at him, and
and the girls spinning at the doors, and
with rhyme those demons, Finvaragh, Red
casts, he moaned, have you also turned
way, and he asked them to stop and hear
the Shelly ~iver when the floods have filled
Ioaf, and bit into it, and then spat out the
went back to his niche, for he was too
your feet ! I would that the red wind
I ever glo.rify our gracious Coarb, and
bind him with ropes, and dip him in the
part from the loaf and the bacon. Who
sleepy to talk with comfort. And Cum-
and a bulging wallet. Also he was of the
while men like him are going about the
cowardly and tyrannous race of friars, per-
his rhymes to the children in the street,
Coarb. What is happening ?
the salley gardens. I said what I could for
length, while the beggars stood round them
the Plain, and Red Aodh of the Hill of
and verses ? For such is the way of your
Coarb then bade him cut off another and
against the opposite wall, and he took
the glee man to a place in the woods at
Coarb: for to-morrow or the next day
carne to the door, and asked what ailed
lay brother saw that the lock was fast, and
the monastery, our gracious Coarb, who
blood of the Ernaans, and his birth-place
lifted his arms to them and said, ~ O great
The Crucifixion Of The Outcast
the Shee, and Cleena of the Wave, and
am a man of great wit and learning, but
brother, being well accustomed to such
he muttered; If it were hanging or bow-
of a neighbouring coppice, came nearer,
them to stop and hear him sing the story
at the foot of the cross, and the birds flew
on the way he asked them to stop and
Brother, I would sleep, and therefore I
Would you then confess ?
he set the tub upside down under th~
friars, when they had heard his merry tales,
the mood to curse would come upon him,
him, and he would teach his lines to the
hearts. So they set the cross upon his
Brother Dove, Brother Little Wolf, Brother
friars were mad to hear him, but when he
of cold fried bacon out of his wallet and laid
The Coarb pulled his night-cap off and
Bald Patrick, Brother Bald Brandon,
you ever use the wit which God has given
The Coarb and the friars came to him
that the lightning, when it smote Dathi
t lighted a rush-candle fixed between two
of tears than White-Breasted Deirdre, and
He listened for a little, and, says he,
Another half-mile on the way, he asked
midst of a pond, for in Connaught they
the sword, and told the truth, and lived my
bite, for the bread was hard and mouldy.
the hole, and shovel led the earth in at the
ears, to shut out the noise, and closed
upon was a great clam our, for the beggars
he gave the jug a kick, so that it broke
The lay brother found Brother Kevin,
27
that wound from the south to the Town
river that he may cease to sing. And in
St. Benign us, and sour would be his face
the Coarb.
in a jug, clean foot-water, and a new
of his ears. But after a while they turned
Shall I go then, said the other, and
36
and the wolves began to eat his feet. Out-
then they went away, but the beggars stared
went their w;~y. Then the wolves gathered
brother took a glowing turf on a shovel,
about them; and he thought how, as like
and your grandfather and your grand-
ùIq E
the thought of washing the dust of the
orderly, but yours is like the wind among
travel led the bare road, and by the glitter-ing footsteps of the sea; and the tattered
ment Ed gate, and then round by a left-
gars, and keep the beasts and the birds
round, and talked among themselves. ~ I
sing in a very loud voice. The singing
and he turned to help the friars dig the
to and fro, and up and down, a lid puts
of life and joy ! O race that does not draw
see him: so he did many wonders for
among you is the poorest ? And there-
Brother, the bards and the glee men are
that I speak true ! And why do you praise
Eiveen of the Grey Rock, and him they
is indeed like the wind, and it blows me
alone upon the roads and by the sea, be-
led him back to the guest-house, why do
for the style then coming into use. If we
damp. So he took off his pointed shoes,
high above him with clanking cries. He
two unlighted sods and a wisp of straw,
it with water from the bogs.
blanket, and make him swear by the
make known to you that it is the head of
secutors of the bard and the glee man, haters
upon a journey, but I do not taste of it
that night, for his teeth were chattering
town, and he clenched his fist, and shook
up the people, and immoral and im-
to the door of the guest-house, but the lay
the cross from him, and began to dig a hole
I am done with all things, I give it unto you.
mind, and therefore am I called the Swift,
shoulders again. Another half-mile on the
of Lir, and Angus, and Bridget, and the
who was the porter, and of him he asked
see him juggle for them: for he knew,
pecking your eyes and the wolves eating
not empty, for the birds were fluttering
trees were growing, and they made him
he said, all the tricks of Angus the
him jest for them, for he knew, he said, all
crosses which stood out against the sky
Hal went on beating at the door, and
with many cries until the last scrap was
having a hope of heath beer or wine at his
When he was come to the top, they took
stringing, or stoning or beheading, it would
sea.
the girls spinning at the doors, and to the
43
make rhymes; I make many while I sit
moon, that no bond be lacking, not to tell
all that day; so he did not waste much
of Usna died to serve her. And the young
sing a bards curse on the Coarb. And
a place in the guest-house. Then the lay
