HOW FINNACHTA BECAME RICH. At first this Finnachta was poor and indigent. He had a house and a wife, but he had no property but one ox and one cow. On one occasion the King of Fera-Ros happened to wander and stray in the neighbourhood of Finnachta's hut. There never was before a worse night than this for storm and snow and darkness, and the king and his wife, with their numerous people, were not able to reach the house which they desired to reach, in consequence of the intensity of the cold and the darkness; and their intention was to remain under the shelter of the trees. But Finnachta heard them express these intentions; for they were not far from his hut at the time, and he came to meet them on the way, and said to them they had better come to his hut-such as it was- than to travel on that dark, stormy, cold night. And the king and his people said, "It is true it were better," said they, "and we are glad, indeed, that thou hast told us so. They afterwards came to his house, and the size of the house was greater than its wealth. Finnachta, moreover, struck the ox on the head, and struck the cow on the head, and the king's own people actively and quickly prepared them on spit and in cauldron, and they ate thereof till they were satiated. They slept well afterwards till the morning came. The King of Fera-Ros said to his own wife, "Knowest thou not, O woman, that this house was at first poor, and that it is now poorer, the owner having killed his only cow and his only ox for us?" "This is indeed true," said the wife, "and it behoves us now to enrich it; whatever much or little thou wilt give to the man, I will give the same amount to his wife." "Good is what thou sayest," said the king. The king then gave a large herd of cows, and many pigs and sheep, with their herdsmen, to Finnachta; and the king's wife gave the same amount to the wife of Finnachta. They also gave them fine clothes, and good horses, and whatever they stood in need of in the world. THE BATTLE OF ALMHAIN. [The site of this battle (fought in 722) is a celebrated hill about five miles to the north of the town of Kildare, now called Allen. The cause of the battle was the tribute which King Finnachta had remitted to Moling, who was Bishop of Ferns, A.D. 691 to 697. The Leinster men had not paid it, and King Ferghal collected a great army of the men of Meath, 21,000 strong, and met the Leinster men, who were only 9000. The strange occurrences of the battle were as follows:-] Long indeed was this muster of forces being carried on, for each man of Leth-Chiusm, whom the order came used to say: "If Donnbo1 which means the north half of Ireland, to come on the hosting I will.” Now Donnbo was a widow's son of the Fera-Ros, and he never went away from his mother's house for one day or one night, and there was not one in all Ireland of fairer countenance, or of better figure, form, or symmetry than he; there was not in all Irein the world who could repeat more amusing land one more pleasant or entertaining, or one and royal stories than he; he was the best to harness horses, to set spears, to plait hair, and he was a man of royal intelligence in his countenance: of whom was said Fairer than sons was Donnbo, Sweeter his poems than all that mouths rehearse, Pleasanter than the youths of Innis-Fail, The brilliancy of his example took the multitude. His mother did not permit Donnbo to go with Ferghal, until Mael-mic-Failbhe3 was pledged for his return alive . . . safe to his own house from the province of Leinster. King Ferghal proceeded upon his way. Guides went before him, but the guidance they afforded him was not good, through the narrowness of each road, and the ruggedness of each pass, until they reached Cluain-DobhAnd Aedhan the Leper ail, at Almhain. of Cluain-Dobhail was there before them. The hosts ill-treated him; they killed his only cow, and roasted it on spits before his face, and they unroofed his house and burned it; and the Leper said that the vengeance which God A tribe inhabiting the district round the present town of Carrickmacross. No account of this personage is to be found in any other authority, and this legend in the old vellum book of Nehemias Mac Egan must be from a romantic tale now unknown. Tenth abbot of Hy, a successor of Columbkill. would wreak on the Ui-Neill, on his account, would be an eternal vengeance; and the Leper came forward to the tent of Ferghal, where the kings of Leth-Chiusm were before him. The Leper complained of the injuries done him in their presence; but the heart of none of them was moved towards him, except the heart of Cubretan, son of the king of Fera-Ros; and for this Cubretan had no reason to be sorry, for of all the kings who were in the tent, none escaped from the battle except Cubretan alone. Then Ferghal said to Donnbo, "Show amusement for us, O Donnbo, for thou art the best minstrel in Ireland at pipes, and trumpets, and harps, at the poems, and legends, and royal tales of Erin, for on to-morrow morning we shall give battle to the Leinster men." "No," said Donnbo, "I am not able to amuse thee to-night, and I am not about to exhibit any one of these feats to-night; but wherever thou shalt be to-morrow, if I be alive, I shall show amusement to thee. But let the royal clown, Ua Maighleine, amuse thee this night." 2 The clown was afterwards brought to them, and he commenced narrating battles and valiant deeds. . . . On the following morning the battalions of both sides met. The valorous deeds of the heroes of Leinster and Leth-Chiusm are very much spoken of. It is said that Saint Brigit was seen over the Leinster men; Colum Cille was seen over the Ui-Neill. The battle was gained by Murchadh, son of the King of Leinster. Ferghal himself was killed, and Aedh Menu (a prince of Leinster) slew Donnbo. . The clown was taken prisoner, and he was asked to give "a clown's shout," and he did so. Loud and melodious was that shout, so that the shout of Ua Maighleine has remained with the clowns of Erin from that day forth. . . . The clown's head was struck off. The reverberation of the clown's shout remained in the air for three days and three nights. From which comes the saying, "The shout of Ua Maighleine chasing the men in the bog." It was at Condail3 of the Kings the Leinster men were that night drinking wine and mead merrily and in high spirits after gaining the battle; and each of them was describing his prowess, and they were jolly and right merry. Then Murchadh, son of the King of Leinster, said:— 1 Cubretan signifies dog or hero of Britain. 2 He is not mentioned in any other known annals. * Now Old Connell, in county Kildare, about five miles east of the Hill of Allen. "I would give a chariot of [the value of] four cumhals, and my steed and battle dress, to the hero who would go to the field of slaughter, and would bring us a token from it." "I will go," said Baethgalach, a hero of Munster. He puts on his dress of battle and combat, and arrived at the spot where the body of King Ferghal was, and he heard a noise in the air over his head, and he said on hearing it: "All praise be to thee, O king of the seven heavens! Ye are amusing your lord to-night, namely, King Ferghal; though ye have all fallen here, both poets, pipers, trumpeters, and harpers, let not hatred or ability prevent you to-night from playing for Ferghal.” The young warrior then heard the most delightful and entrancing piping and music in the bunch of rushes next him, a Fenian melody sweeter than any music. The young warrior went towards it. "Do not come near me," said a head to him. "I ask who art thou?" said the young warrior. "I am the head of Donnbo," said the head; "and I made a compact last night that I would amuse the king to-night, and do not annoy me." "Which is the body of Ferghal here?" said the young warrior. "Thou mayest observe it yonder," said the head. "Shall I take thee away," said the young warrior; "thou art the dearest to me." "Bring me," said the head; "but may the grace of God be on thy head if thou bring me to my body again." "I will, indeed," said the young warrior. And the young warrior returned with the head to Condail the same night, and he found the Leinster men drinking there on his arrival. "Hast thou brought a token with thee?" said Murchadh. "I have," replied the young warrior, "the head of Donnbo." "Place it on yonder post," said Murchadh, and the whole host knew it to be the head of Donnbo, and they all said: "Pity that this fate awaited thee, O Donnbo! fair was thy countenance; amuse us to-night as thou didst thy lord last night." His face was turned, and he raised a most piteous strain in their presence, so that they were all wailing and lamenting! The same warrior conveyed the head to its body, as he had promised, and he fixed it on the neck (to If thou art minded to bring me at all, find my body and bring my head and body together. which it instantly adhered), and Donnbo | of the pledged word of the abbot of Hy, and started into life. In a word Donnbo reached the shout of the clown which remained reverthe house of his mother. The three won- | berating three days and three nights in the ders of this battle were: The coming of air, and nine thousand prevailing over twentyDonnbo home to his house alive in consequence one thousand. RICHARD FLECKNOE. BORN 1600 - DIED 1678. [Richard Flecknoe was born probably about the poet lost his place, and probably never the end of the sixteenth or beginning of the was poet-laureate at all; the person apseventeenth century. His first work, Hiero-pointed was Shadwell, who is the MacFleckthalamium; or, the Heavenly Nuptials, appeared noe, or son of Flecknoe, in Dryden's satire. in 1626; and Marvel, who met him in Rome Indeed we believe the only reason that can be about 1643, speaks of him as then an old man. given for the great poet's conduct is that given He also calls him "priest, poet, and musician." by Christie in his Globe edition of Dryden's His place of birth was Ireland, and in early life poetical works:-Flecknoe was dead. "The he was a Jesuit, if not a priest. This last char- plan of the poem required a dead author, and acter he ceased to assume after the Restoration. Flecknoe suited the purpose." It may be, From Rome, Flecknoe, who was a consider- however, that Dryden believed Flecknoe to able traveller, moved to Lisbon, where he be the author of the pamphlet by R. F., pubremained some time, and was kindly treated lished in 1668 in defence of Sir Robert Howard by King John of Portugal. From Lisbon, in against Dryden in the controversy about rhyme 1646, he made a voyage to Brazil, by permis- and blank-verse, and that for fourteen years sion of the king, who presented him with two he "nursed his wrath to keep it warm."] hundred crowns as a contribution towards his expenses. In 1650 he returned again to Lisbon, and began to write his Travels of Ten Years in Europe, Asia, Afrique, and America. In 1654 he printed his Love's Dominion, a Dramatick Piece, and dedicated it to Lady Elizabeth Claypole. This was afterwards reprinted in 1664 under the title of Love's Kingdom. In 1667 appeared his comedy Demoiselles à la Mode, and in 1670 his Moral Epigrams, dedicated to the queen, daughter of the King of Portugal. Of the other works of Flecknoe those most deserving mention are, Ermina, or the Chaste Lady, and his Diarium, or Journal, in burlesque verse. He died in 1678. There can be little doubt that Flecknoe is an example of one of the very few instances in literary history where satire, while preserving an author's name, has utterly slain his reputation-such as it may have been. As a reason for Dryden's animosity against him some of his biographers state that it was owing to Flecknoe's being appointed poetlaureate on the deposition of the former. This is a mistake. Flecknoe was dead before 1 Three wonders are usually introduced into Irish romantic stories, SILENCE.2 Still-born Silence, thou that art Offspring of a heavenly kinde, Frost o' th' mouth, and thaw o' th' mind; OF DRINKING. The fountains drink caves subterren, And then some river gliding by; When having brew'd it into rain, And plants do drink up that again. 2 This and the next piece are from Miscellanea, or Poems of All Sorts. By this who does not plainly see, The quintessence of all the world? Had any king done this for me, By earthly kings, than what is given ON TRAVEL.1 It is not travel makes the man, 'tis true, TO DRYDEN. Dryden, the Muse's darling and delight, And they're but airy ones, whose muse soars up Than he who fetcht from heaven celestial fire! ON THE DEATH OF OUR LORD. Oh blessed Lord! and wouldst thou die For such a wretched worm as I! This of thy love's so great a proof, Angels can ne'er admire enough; And all the love by far transcends Of parents and of dearest friends. To have such benefit bestow'd Would undo any but a God; And love itself make bankrupt too, By leaving nothing more to do. This and the two pieces following are from A Collection of the Choicest Epigrams and Characters, 1673. EXTRACT FROM "LOVE'S KINGDOM." Palemon. Now here, Love, at thy sacred shrine I offer up these vows of mine.— Father of dear and tender thoughts, Thou who the hardest bosom softs; Soften Bellinda's heart, and make Her but thy dear impression take; So shall I burn Arabian gums, And offer up whole hecatombs Upon thy altar, whilst thy fires Shall shine as bright as my desires. First Priest. Whilst he the deity does invoke The flame ascends in troubled smoke. Philander. What sort of offering mine shall be, A constant heart and loyal breast, Whoe'er thou art thy vows are heard. ONE WHO TURNS DAY INTO NIGHT. He is the antipodes of the country where he lives, and with the Italian begins his day with the first hour of night; he is worse than those that call light darkness and darkness light, for he makes it so, and contradicts that old saying that the day was made for man to labour in and the night to rest. He thinks that sentence of Solomon nothing concerning him, that all is vanity underneath the sun, for all his is underneath the moon; for the sun's rising only serves him to go to bed by; and as formerly they measured time by water, he measures it only by fire and candle light; he alters his pater noster, and as others pray for their daily he prays for his nightly bread. 2 This and the following extract are from Choicest Epigrams and Characters. ment; for death is said to come like a thief in the night, and then he sits up and watches; and judgment by day, and then he is abed and sleeps. And if they charge him for ill expense of time, he only changes it-change is no robbery; so as, in fine, if he have no other sins than that, there is none would have less to answer for than he. Meantime he fears neither death nor judg- | never wholly true, he so alters it with his reporting it. He goes a-fishing for secrets, and tells you those of others only to hook yours out of you, baiting men as they do fishes, one with another. He is like your villanous flies, which always leave sound places to light on sore, and are such venomous ones as even to make sound places sore with their fly-blowing them. In fine, they would set dissension between man and wife the first day of their marriage, and father and son the last day of their lives. Nor will innocence be ever safe, or conversation innocent, till such as they be banished human society; and if I would afford them being anywhere, it should be with Ariosto's Discord, among mine enemies. Meantime my prayer is, God bless my friends from them! A SOWER OF DISSENSION. He is the devil's day labourer, and sows his tares for him, or seeds of dissension, by telling you this and that such an one said of you, when you may be sure it is wholly false, or ROGER BOYLE, EARL OF ORRERY. BORN 1621 - DIED 1679. an army of 8000 foot and 4000 horse, together with money and materials. With the sad events that followed we are not here concerned, except to say that Lord Broghill passed through them with courage and address, so much so indeed that Cromwell made him one of his privy-council, and confided in him more than in almost any other man. Cromwell also in 1656 sent him into Scotland to attempt to remedy the rough rule of Monk, and on his return to London the Protector was so influenced by him that he was enabled to save more than one noble house from impending ruin. [Roger Boyle, Earl of Orrery, was the fifth | Cromwell himself landed in Wexford with son of Richard, "the great Earl of Cork.” He was born in April, 1621, and was created Baron Broghill when only seven years of age. At the age of fifteen he became a student of Trinity College, Dublin, from which in a few years he was taken by his father and sent with his eldest brother to make the tour of France and Italy. On his return he made his appearance at the court in England, where he was received with respect and delight, and during his stay there he married Margaret Howard, sister to the Earl of Suffolk. Accompanied by his wife he proceeded to Ireland, just at the beginning of the troubles of 1641. Here for a time he served gallantly as a soldier After the death of Cromwell, Broghill did on the side of the Parliamentarians, but on the his best to be of service to the new lord-prodeath of the king he threw up his post in tector, Richard; but finding that weak but disgust, and returning to England lived pri- amiable descendant of the man of iron detervately at Marston, in Somersetshire, till 1649. mined to be undone he retired to his command About this time he formed an intention of in Munster. There he soon began to busy applying to Charles II. for a commission to himself to bring about the Restoration, and raise forces in Ireland; but this intention gained over to the royal side Wilson, governor reached the ears of Cromwell, who visited of Limerick, and Sir Charles Coote, who held him, and dealt with him so generously that he a command in the north. After the king's accepted a post in the army of the Protector. accession Broghill came to England, where he In a few days he was on his way to Ireland was received rather coldly by Charles. After with a few soldiers; on his arrival there he a time, however, he managed to show that he increased his small army materially, and so had been prime mover in the successful affairs managed affairs as to present a formidable in Ireland, and on this he was received into appearance until, on the 15th August, 1649, | favour, and soon after, on the 5th September, |