tained lime and mortar; and there can be no denial of the ex- Lect. X1x. istence of stone forts in this country from the earliest times, as evidenced not only by our oldest historical records and traditions, but by the very great number of them of the remotest antiquity, which still remain in wonderful preservation.

The following extract from a large fragment of a curious and very ancient tale, preserved in the Leabhar na h-Uidhre (R.I A.), will tend to explain more closely the actual mode of building, and the materials of those ancient houses of which I have been speaking. The story is referred to a remote period in Irish History; and the substance of it may be told in a few words.

Feast of

In the time of Conchobar Mac Nessa, the celebrated king Story of the of Ulster, who was contemporary of our Saviour, there lived in Brierind: Ulster a famous satirist, called Bricrind Nemh-thenga, or " Bricrind of the Poisoned Tongue", (from whom Loch-Bricrend, now called Loch-Brickland, in the county of Down, derives its name). Bricrind was a constant guest at the court of King Conchobar, at Emania; where it may well be supposed the purchase of silence from his bitter tongue brought him many a gift from a people always, even to this day, peculiarly sensitive to the shafts of satire. This Bricrind once proposed to himself to prepare a great feast for the king, the knights of the Royal Branch, and the other nobles of Ulster, and their wives; not, however, out of gratitude or hospitality, but simply to gratify his mere love of mischief, and to work up a serious quarrel, if possible, by exciting such a spirit of envy and jealousy among the ladies, as would draw their husbands into war with one another. In the very commencement of the tale, in which these scenes are related, occurs a passage which I may translate directly from the original, because it bears at once on our present subject.

"Bricrind of the Poisoned Tongue had a great feast for Conchobar Mac Nessa, and for all the Ultonians. A full year was he preparing for the feast. There was built by him, in the meantime, a magnificent house in which to serve up the feast. This house was built by Bricrind at Dun-Rudhraidhe, [probably the exact place now called Dundrum, in the county of Down], in likeness to [the house of] the Royal Branch at Emain-Macha, (or Emania), except alone that his house excelled in material and art, in beauty and gracefulness, in pillars and facings, in emblazonments and brilliancy, in extent and variety, in porticoes and in doors, all the houses of its time. "The plan upon which this house was built was on the plan pn of his of the Teach-Midhchuarta, [i.e. the great Banqueting House of

VOL. II.

2

house;

LECT. XIX. Tara]. [There were] nine couches in it from the fire to the wall: Thirty feet was the height of every gold-gilt bronze front of them all. There was a kingly couch built for Conchobar [the king] in the front part of that kingly house, above all the other couches of the house; [and it was] inlaid with carbuncles, and other brilliants besides, and emblazoned with gold, and silver, and carbuncles, and the finest colours of all countries; so that day and night were the same in it. The twelve couches of the twelve heroes of Ulster were built around it. The style of the work, and the material, were equally ponderous. Šix horses were [employed] to draw home [from the wood] every post; and [it required] seven of the strong men of Ulster to entwine (or set) every rod; and thirty builders of the chief builders of Erinn were [engaged], in the building and the ordering of it.

his grianan

or sunhouse;

his invitation to Conchobar and the Ultonians;

"There was a grianan (or sun-house) built by Bricrind for himself, on a range with the couches of Conchobar and the heroes of Ulster. That grianan was built with carvings and ornaments of admirable variety; and windows of glass were set in it on all sides. There was one of these windows set over his own couch; so that he could see the state of the entire of the great house before him from his couch; [he built this] because he well knew that the [great chiefs of the] Ultonians would not admit him [to feast] into the [same] house [with them].

"Now, when Bricrind had finished his great house, and his grianan, and furnished both with coverlets and beds and pillows, as well as with a full supply of ale and of food, and when he saw that there was nothing whatever in which it was deficient, of the furniture and the materials of the feast, then he went forth until he arrived at Emain-Macha, to invite Conchobar, and the nobles of the men of Ulster along with him.

"This was the way, now, on which the Ultonians held a fair at Emain-Macha. He receives welcome there, and he sat at Conchobar's shoulder; and then he addressed Conchobar and the Ultonians: 'Come with me', said he, to accept a banquet with me'. 'I am well pleased', said Conchobar, if the Ultonians are pleased'. But Fergus Mac Róigh, and the nobles of Ulster answered, and said: We shall not go', said they, 'because our dead would be more numerous than our living, after we should be set at variance by Bricrind, if we were to go to partake of his banquet'. That will be worse for ye, then, indeed', said he, which I shall do to ye if ye do not come with me'. 'What is it thou wilt do then?" said Conchobar, 'if they do not go with thee?" [They then argue for some time; and at last:] It is better for us to go', said Fergus Mac

เ

Róigh; what he has said he will verify', said he. But as a LECT. X'X precaution against his subtle tongue, Sencha the son of Ailill, the chief poet of Ulster, advised them: Since', said he, there is an objection to going with Bricrind, exact securities from him; and place eight swordsmen around him for the purpose of conveying him out of the house when he has shown them the feast. So Furbaidé Ferbeann, the son of [king] Conchobar, went with this message, and told Bricrind. I am well pleased', said Bricrind, to act accordingly'. So the Ultonians went forth from Emain-Macha; each division with his king; each battalion with its chief; and each company with its leader”.

dissension

The story goes on to describe how, on the way, Bricrind he sows contrived to sow jealousies among all the principal champions, among the by flattering each separately at the expense of the others; so women; that, when they took their places in the banqueting house, he could see from his grianan that they were soon almost at daggers drawn. It then proceeds.

"It happened just to his desire, that, at this very time, Fedelm Noi-chridhé, [i.e. "the Ever-blooming Fedelm"] the wife of Laeghairé Buadhach, was leaving the house with fifty of her attendant women, to take the cool air outside for a while; and Bricrind accosted her, and said. Well done this night, thou wife of Laeghairé Buadhach; it is no nickname to call thee Fedelm the ever-blooming, because of the excellence of thy shape, and because of thy intelligence, and because of thy family. Conchobar, the king of the chief province of Erinn, is thy father, and Laeghairé Buadhach thy husband. Now I would not think it too much for thee that none of the women of Ulster should come before thee into the banqueting house; but that it should be after thy heels that the whole band of the women of Ulster should come, [and I say to thee that] if it be thou that shalt be the first to enter the house this night, thou shalt be queen over all the other women of Ulster'. Fedelm went forth then as far as three ridges out from the house.

66

Immediately after, came out Lendabair, the daughter of Eoghan Mar Duirtheacht [king of Farney], and wife of Conall Cearnach [the great champion]; and Bricrind addressed her, and said. Well done, Lendabair', said he; it is no nickname to call thee Lendabair, [i.e. the Favourite], because thou art the beloved and desired of the men of the whole world, for the splendour and lustre [of thy beauty]. As far as thy husband excels the warriors of the world in beauty and valour, thou excellest the women of Ulster'. And so, though much of flattering praise he had bestowed upon Fedelm, he lavished twice as much upon Lendabair.

LECT. XIX.

he sows dissension among the women;

"Emer, Cuchulainn's wife, came out next.-' A safe journey to thee, O Emer, daughter of Forgall Manach', said Bricrind: 'thou wife of the best man in Erinn: Emer of the beautiful hair. The kings and the princes of Erinn are at enmity about thee. As far as the sun excels the stars of heaven, so far dost thou excel the women of the whole world, in face, and in shape, and in family, in youth and in lustre, in fame and in dignity, and in eloquence'. So, though great the flattering praise he bestowed on the other women, he lavished twice as much upon Emer.

"The three women moved on then till they reached the same place, that is, three ridges from the house; and none of them knew that the other had been spoken to by Bricrind. They returned to the house then. They passed They passed over the first ridge with a quiet, graceful, dignified carriage; hardly did any one of them put one foot beyond another. In the second ridge their steps were closer and quicker. The ridge nearest to the house [in getting over it] each woman sought to forcibly take the lead of her companions; and they even took up their dresses to the calves of their legs, vying with each other who should enter the house first; because what Bricrind said to each, unknown to the others, was, that she who should first enter the house should be queen of the whole province. And such was the noise they made in their contest to enter the kingly house, that it was like the rush of fifty chariots arriving there; so that they shook the whole kingly house, and the champions started up for their arms, each striking his face against the other throughout the house.

"Stop', said Sencha, [the judge], 'they are not foes that have come there; but it is Bricrind that has raised a contest between the women since they have gone out. I swear by the oaths of my territory', said he,' that if the house is not closed against them, their dead will be more numerous than their living'. So the door-keepers shut the door immediately. But Emer, the daughter of Forgall Manach and wife of Cuchulainn, advanced in speed before the other women, and put her back to the door, and hurled the door-keepers from it before the other women came up. Then their husbands stood up in the house, each of them anxious to open the door before his wife, that his own wife should so be the first to enter the house. This will be an evil night', said Conchobar the king. Then he struck his silver pin against the bronze post of his couch; and all immediately took their seats. Be quiet', said Sencha [the judge]; 'it is not a battle with arms that shall prevail here, but a battle of words'. Each woman then put herself under the protection

of her husband outside: and it was then they delivered those LECT. xix. speeches which are called by the poets the Briatharchath Ban the Briath Uladh, the battle-speeches of the women of Ulster'".

We must for the present pass over these long-celebrated speeches, remarkable though they are in point of mere language, as examples of the copiousness and delicacy of the ancient Gaedhelic torgue in terms of laudation, such as these three princesses of Ulster lavished on their husbands on this

occasion.

At the conclusion of the harangues, the champions Laeghairé Buadhach and Conall Cearnach rushed suddenly at the wooden wall of the house, and, knocking a plank out of it, brought in their wives. Not so Cuchulainn; "he raised up", the story tells us, "that part of the house which was opposite his couch, so that the stars of heaven were visible from beneath the wall; and it was through this opening that his wife came in to him". And the tale goes on to say that, "Cuchulainn then let the house fall down suddenly again, so that he shook the whole fabric, and laid Bricrind's grianan prostrate on the ground, so that Bricrind himself and his wife were cast into the mire, among the dogs. Then Bricrind harangued the Ultonians, and conjured them to restore his house to its original position, as it still remained inclined to one side. And all the champions of the Ultonians united their strength and exerted themselves to restore the balance of the house, but without effect". They then begged of Cuchulainn to try his own strength on it, which he did, and alone restored the house to its perpendicular.

archath Ban Uladh;

This is an extravagant tale in form; and a great part of it may at first sight appear somewhat irrelevant to the purpose of this Lecture. It was proper, however, to give so much at least of the story as to explain the occasion of the singular performance attributed, in the exaggerated language of the poet, to the hero Cuchulainn, who fills completely the part of Hercules in our ancient tales. And it happens that none of the other great houses already mentioned have been described, in some respects, with the same minuteness as to form, material, preparation for building, furniture, and internal arrangement, as this celebrated house and grianan of Bricrind. For instance: we Bricrind's are told that there were six horses to carry home every post or made of plank of the walls; that it took seven of the stoutest men in wickerUlster to weave or interlace between the upright posts, each of the stout rods which, like basket-work, filled up the space between these posts; and there were thirty builders or carpenters besides. The rods thus used were, I believe, uniformly of hazle, perhaps because that was the smoothest of all the forest

house was

work.