John Seely Hart

“ Each king, robed in the colours appropriate to royalty, occupied the throne prepared for him, seated beneath his own banner, and in a gallery behind the throne of Ollamh sat Brehilda, arrayed like a noble Irish maiden, pale as sculptured marble, surrounded by the principal ladies of the monarch’s court. ”

“ The Druids danced around their round towers the sacred dance of their profession, as was the custom of this priesthood during the religious festivals of the nation; and the martial followers of the chiefs joined in the Rinkey, or field-dance—a performance not unlike the armed dance with which the Greek youth amused themselves at the siege of Troy—to the sound of the bagpipes, upon the green-sward.
A stranger bard feasted that night in the hall of Conrigh, with the guests and retainers of the chieftain. ”

“ A moment of intense bewilderment, and she sank in a death-like swoon upon the floor of the gallery, for Maon lay stunned upon the field, beneath his prostrate steed. The shout that hailed the victor was unheard by the maiden as they bore her from the throng, and placed her insensible form upon the couch in her tower. ”

“ Meadh foamed at the board—the bards sang “the days of other years,” nor was the theme of love held unmeet for so joyous an occasion—the harp was passed round from hand to hand among the guests, each one contributing his portion of song to enliven the feast, and the unknown bard, in his turn taking the instrument, struck the chords loudly; and while Brehilda, who was seated near her lord, listened, trembling and pale with apprehension lest the intruder should be discovered beneath the disguise which the eyes of love had already penetrated, he sang ”

“ He was clad in the simple garb of a peasant, and Brehilda, alarmed at the act of the stranger, would have fled, but a motion of his hand restrained her, and the next moment she lay panting and sobbing on the bosom of Maon. Their interview was long, and passionate their communing, and at length the lovers parted. Maon again embarked on the Fionglasse, and Brehilda returned to the castle.
In those early days, when war and glory were the theme of song, acts of violence and bloodshed were frequent, and revenge followed fast upon wrong ”

“ Judgments had been awarded, the different records of the kingdom examined, and whatever material they afforded for national history had been carefully entered in the great national record called the Psalter of Tara; when a herald advanced and proclaimed to the assembly that a combat would take place on the morrow, between Conrigh, a celebrated chieftain, and Maon, a knight of the Red Branch. These warriors had each demanded the hand of the lady Brehilda, the king’s ward, as the meed of their prowess in battle, and the lady was to be the reward of the successful competitor. ”

“ Thus arrayed in the picturesque habit allowed to that order of men whose persons were held sacred everywhere throughout the kingdom, he was one of those noble specimens of manly beauty formed to awaken the interest and admiration of all beholders. ”