THE CABINET OF IRISH LITERATURE. PERIOD A.D. 1550-1730. GEOFFRY KEATING. BORN 1570- DIED 1650. in his native language, and ultimately completed about the year 1625. It begins from the earliest period (namely, the arrival of the three daughters of Cain, the eldest named Banba, who gave her name to Ireland, which was called "the Isle of Banba"), and extends to the Anglo-Norman invasion. In 1603, however, Keating was enabled, owing to the recall of the president, Sir George Carew, to England, to return to his parish, where he found a coadjutor, with whom he lived and laboured peacefully for many years. One of the joint works of the two men was the erection of a church in 1644, over the door of which may yet be seen an inscription speaking of them as founders, and beside which was placed afterwards the following epitaph on the poet-historian— [This celebrated Irish historian and divine, | portant History of Ireland, which was written to whose indefatigable labours Irish history is so deeply indebted, was born at Tubbrid, near Clogheen, in county Tipperary, about the year 1570. Of the details of his life there is left us but a scanty record. At an early age he was sent to Spain, and in the college of Salamanca he studied for twenty-three years. On his return home he was received with great respect by all classes of his countrymen, and after a tour through the country was appointed to the ministry of his native parish, Tubbrid, in county Tipperary. Here he soon became famous for his eloquence, and crowds came to hear him from the neighbouring towns of Cashel and Clonmel. "Among others," says the editor of Clanricarde's Memoirs, “came a gentleman's wife whom common fame reported to be too familiar with the Lord-president of Munster. The preacher's discourse was on the sin of adultery, and the eyes of the whole congregation being on the lady, she was in great confusion, and, imagining that the doctor had preached that sermon on purpose to insult her, she made loud complaint of him to the president, who was so enraged that he gave orders for apprehending him, intending to punish him with all the rigour of the law." Before, however, the soldiers reached his house, the historian, warned by his friends, had fled for safety into the Galtee Mountains near at hand. In the solitude of the mountains Keating caused to be brought to him the materials he had been collecting for years, and at once proceeded to write his well-known and im VOL. I. "In Tybrid, hid from mortal eye, A priest, a poet, and a prophet lie; All these and more than in one man could be Keating's writings prove him to have been an eloquent preacher, a ripe scholar, a graceful poet, a skilful writer in Latin and Irish, and a patient enthusiast in the collection and study of the ancient annals and bardic works of his country. As to Keating's History there are many and very varying opinions. Peter Talbot speaks of it as "an able but extravagantly mad performance." D'Arcy Magee calls it "a semibardic, semi-historic work, full of faith in legends and trust in traditions." He, however, acknowledges that "if it contains improba 1 But, oh! Erin, my heart's love, why will you not To trust only the old blood Milesian and stern! tide, To this land that was once ruled with glory and pride, Sets its rude chiefs on high in the halls of our bilities or absurdities they are not of his | I am heart-sick at thought of the races of old, (Keating's) creation." He further asserts that O'er whose plains the red tide of invasion hath "ignorance has criticized what it knew not of, rolled. and condemned accounts which it had never examined." O’Curry says of it, “This book is written in the modified Gaedhilic of Keating's own time." He also truly says it would be better for those who extract information from his writings "to endeavour to imitate his devoted industry and scholarship, than to attempt to elevate themselves to a higher posi-See, each band of invaders that come through the tion of literary fame by a display of critical pedantry and what they suppose to be independence of opinion, in scoffing at the presumed credulity of those whose labours have laid in modern times the very groundwork of Irish history." To our thinking, however, Keating is best defended by himself in his own lengthy preface to the History. In an early part of the work itself he also says, in giving the legend of a settlement in Ireland before the flood-"nor have I inserted it in the beginning of this history with any desire that it should be believed, but only for the sake of order, and out of respect to some records of the kingdom that make mention of it." Remembering this and other like statements in the history, we cannot join in charg-Till they turned to the faithless no foe shut their ing the author with unbounded credulity. great, And its lordlings to ride round the island in state! In the fields of our race foreign weeds are up- And the soil they grow rich in no longer is feared! The O'Mores and O'Connors no longer are bold, of old Mighty reapers in fields that were ripened in wrath! path. Fitzgeralds of Arney! would ye yet trod the field, That the old crom aboo through our valleys yet pealed, By your rivers not long would the waster be Dermod O'Connor's translation is not at all as perfect as could be desired, nor is the translation published lately in New York a very great advance upon it in accuracy. We have still room for an accomplished Irish scholar to give us a creditable rendering, and every facility, as the MS. in the original Irish by Soon his cries and lamentings would echo around! O'Mulcoury is to be found at present in the library of Trinity College, Dublin. Of the other works of Keating many were a few years ago, and possibly still are, well known traditionally to the peasantry of Munster. Among them are "Thoughts on Innisfail," which D'Arcy Magee has translated; "A Farewell to Ireland;" a poem addressed to his harper; "An Elegy on the Death of Lord de Decies;" the "Three Shafts of Death," a treatise in Irish prose, which Irish soldiers, we are told, have long held in admiration. Keating's death is generally supposed to have taken place in 1650.] THOUGHTS ON INNISFAIL. found But oh! it were better, far better, good God! O'er the wild waves of Cleena, than thus trampled sore If the race and the island you favour no more. HOW THE MILESIANS CAME.1 The Milesian fleet first attempted to land upon the northern coast of Leinster, at a place then called Inbher Slainge, but now known by the name of the Harbour of Wexford. The Tuatha de Danaus, alarmed at the number of the ships, immediately flocked towards the 1 This and the three extracts that follow are from the History of Ireland translated by Dermod O'Connor. 2 Keating states on good authority that the Milesians first landed in Ireland 1300 years before Christ. field, but they were willing the whole affair should be determined by the arbitration of Amergin, who they perceived was a person of great judgment and abilities, but threatened him withal, that if he imposed any unjust conditions, they would certainly destroy him by their enchantments. Amergin immediately ordered the Gadelians to retire to Inbher Sceine, and with all possible expedition to hasten on shipboard with the rest of the Gadelians, and to sail out of the mouth of the harbour, or as others say, nine waves from the shore; then he made this proposal to the Tuatha de Danaus, that if they could hinder his men from landing in the island he, with his whole fleet, would return into Spain, and never make any other attempt upon the country; but if he and his resolute Gadelians could in defiance of them land upon their coast, the Tuatha de Danaus should resign the government and become their tributaries. This offer was well accepted by the inhabitants, who, depending upon the influence of their art, thought they should soon get rid of these insolent invaders; for they had that command over the elements by their enchantments, that they made no question of preventing them from ever setting foot upon the shore again. shore, and by the power of their enchantments | could not instantly bring an army into the and diabolical arts they cast such a cloud over the whole island that the Milesians were confounded, and thought they saw nothing but the resemblance of a hog; and for this reason the island was called Muicinis. The inhabitants, by these delusions, hindered the Milesians from landing their forces, so that they were obliged to sail about the island, till at last, with great difficulty, they came on shore at Inbher Sceine, in the west of Munster. From thence they marched in good order to a mountain called Sliabh Mis; here they were met by Banba, attended by a beautiful train of ladies, and followed by her Druids and soothsayers. Amergin, the Milesian, addressed himself to her, and desired the honour to know her name; she answered her name was Banba, and from her the island was called Inis Banba. From thence they proceeded on their march, and arrived at Sliabh Eibhline, where the Princess Fodhla met them, with a retinue of ladies and Druids about her; they desired to know her name, and she replied her name was Fodhla, which also was the name of the island. They went on and came to Visneach, where they were met by Eire and her attendants; she was likewise desired to discover her name, and she told them her name was Eire, and from her the country was called Eire. This transaction is confirmed by the testimony of an ancient poet, who, in a poem that begins thus, Sanna bunadhus na ngaoidhiol, has these lines: Banba they met with all her princely train, The Milesians, after this adventure, continued their march till they came to the palace of Teamair, where the sons of Cearmada kept their court, and appeared in great grandeur and magnificence, encompassed with their enchanted guards. Amergin immediately addressed himself to the three kings, and resolutely demanded of them to resign their government, or be decided by the hazard of a pitched battle; and this he insisted upon in revenge for the death of the valiant Ith, whom they had treacherously slain. The prince of the Tuatha de Danaus, surprised at this bold summons, made answer that they were not prepared to decide the dispute in a military way, because they had no standing forces and In obedience to the command of Amergin, the Milesians returned to their shipping, and he went on board with them; they weighed anchor, and moved no more than the distance of nine waves from the shore. The Tuatha de Danaus perceiving the ships were afloat, confiding in their art, had immediate recourse to their enchantments, which succeeded so far as to raise a most violent and tempestuous wind, which soon disordered the Milesian fleet and drove them foul one upon another. Amergin and Donn, the sons of Milesius, knew the storm proceeded from no natural cause, and Arranan, the youngest son of the brave Milesius, went up to the topsail to make discoveries, but was unfortunately blown off by a gust of wind, and falling upon the hatch he instantly died. The Gadelians began to be in great confusion, for the ships were dreadfully tossed, and the whole fleet was in danger of being lost; the vessel which Donn commanded was by the violence of the storm separated from the rest of the fleet, and was broken to pieces, and himself and all the crew were drowned. Aeremon with part of the Milesian fleet was driven to the left, towards the island, and with great difficulty arrived safely at Inbher Colpa, now called Drogheda. . . . Three days after Heber and his followers were got on shore, they were attacked by Eire, the wife of Mac Breine, one of the princes of the country, at Sliabh Mis, or the Mountain of Mis; this lady was attended by a strong body of men, and a desperate battle followed, where many were destroyed on both sides. . . . An old poet makes honourable mention of this battle, and confirms some of the particulars in these verses. On Sliabh Mis our warlike squadrons stood, plain. Three hundred only of our troops are kill'd, THE PARLIAMENT OF TARA. (INSTITUTED BY KING OLLAMH FODHLA A.M. 3082.) This illustrious assembly was called by the name of Feis Feamhrach, which signifies a general meeting of the nobility, gentry, priests, historians, and men of learning, and distinguished by their abilities in all arts and professions: they met by a royal summons, in a parliamentary manner, once every three years, at the palace of Tara, to debate upon the most important concerns of state; where they enacted new laws, and repealed such as were useless and burthensome to the subject, and consulted nothing but the public benefit in all their resolutions. In this assembly the ancient records and chronicles of the island were perused and examined, and if any falsehoods were detected they were instantly erased, that posterity might not be imposed upon by false history; and the author who had the insolence to abuse the world by his relation, either by perverting matters of fact and representing them in improper colours, or by fancies and inventions of his own, was solemnly degraded from the honour of sitting in that assembly, and was dismissed with a mark of infamy upon him; his works likewise were destroyed, as unworthy of credit, and were not to be admitted into the archives, or received among the records of the kingdom. Nor was this expulsion the whole of his punishment, for he was liable to a fine, or imprisonment, or whatever sentence the justice of the parliament thought proper to inflict. By these methods, either out of scandal or disgrace, or of losing their estates, their pensions and endowments, and of suffering some corporal correction, the historians of those ages were induced to be very exact in their relations, and to transmit nothing to after times but what had passed the solemn test and examination, and was recommended by the sanction and authority of this learned assembly. In this parliament of Tara, that wise prince Ollamh Fodhla ordained that a distinction should be observed between the nobility, the gentry, and other members of the assembly, and that every person should take his place according to his quality, his office, and his merit. He made very strict and wholesome laws for the government of his subjects, and particularly expressed his severity against the ravishment of women, which, it seems, was a piece of gallantry and a common vice in those days, for the offender was to suffer death without mercy; and the king thought fit to give up so much of his prerogative, as to put it out of his power either to extend his pardon or even to reprieve the criminal. It was a law, likewise, that whoever presumed to strike or assault a member of the parliament during the time of the session, or give him any disturbance in the execution of his office, either by attempting to rob him or by any other violence, he was condemned to die, without any possibility, by bribes, by partiality, or affection, to save his life or escape the sentence. The members of this triennial convention usually met together, though not in a parliamentary way, six days before the beginning of the session, that is three days before the festival of All-Saints, and three days after which time they employed in mutual returns of friendships and civility, and paying their compliments one to another. The place appointed for the meeting of this assembly was a convenient room in the palace of Tara; the apartment was long but narrow, with a table fixed in the middle, and seats on both sides. At the end of this table, and between the seats and the wall, there was a proper distance allowed for the servants and attendants that belonged to the members to go between and wait upon their masters. In this great hall this triennial parliament those old records. The histories and relations that were surveyed and found true and perfect were ordered to be transcribed, after they had passed the approbation of the assembly, and inserted in the authentic chronicles that were always preserved in the king's palace, and the book wherein they were written was called the Psalter of Tara. This ancient record is an invaluable treasure, and a most faithful collection of the Irish antiquities; and whatever account is delivered in any other writings repugnant to this, is to be esteemed of no authority, and a direct imposition upon posterity. (ABOUT A.D. 230.) assembled; but before they entered upon public business they were entertained with a magnificent feast, and the order wherein every member took his place was in this manner. When the dinner was upon the table, and the room perfectly cleared of all persons except the grand marshal, the principal herald, and a trumpeter, whose offices required they should be within, the trumpeter sounded thrice, observing a proper distance between every blast, which was the solemn summons for the members to enter. At the first sound all the shield-bearers that belonged to the princes and the chief of the nobility came to the door, and there delivered their shields to the grand marshal, who, by the direction of the kingat-arms, hung them up in their due places THE FENIANS OF THE OLDEN TIME. upon the wall, on the right side of the long table, where the princes and nobility of the greatest quality had their seats. When he blew the second blast, the target-bearers that attended upon the generals and commanding officers of the army and of the militia of the kingdom advanced to the door, and delivered their targets in the same manner, which were hung in their proper order upon the other side of the table. Upon the third summons the princes, the nobility, the generals, the officers, and principal gentry of the kingdom entered the hall and took their places, each under his own shield or target, which were easily distinguished by the coat of arms that was curiously blazoned upon the outside of them; and thus the whole assembly were seated regularly without any dispute about precedency or the least disorder. No person was admitted beside the attendants that waited, who stood on the outside of the table. One end of the table was appointed for the antiquaries and the historians, who understood and were perfectly skilled in the records and ancient monuments of the kingdom; the other end was filled by the chief officers of the court: and care was particularly taken that their debates should be kept secret, for which reason no woman was ever to be admitted. When dinner was ended and everything removed, they ordered the antiquities of the kingdom to be brought before them, and read them over, and examined them strictly lest any falsehood or interpolations should have crept in; and if they found any mistakes or false representations of facts, occasioned either by the prejudice or the ignorance of the historians, they were scratched out, after they had been censured by a select committee of the greatest learning appointed to inspect into Every soldier that was received into the militia of Ireland by Fionn was obliged, before he was enrolled, to subscribe to the following articles: the first, that, when he was disposed to marry, he would not follow the mercenary custom of insisting upon a portion with his wife, but, without regard to her fortune, he should choose a woman for her virtue, her courtesy, and good manners. The second, that he would never offer violence to a woman, or attempt to ravish her. The third, that he would be charitable and relieve the poor, who desired meat or drink, as far as his abilities would permit. The fourth, that he would not turn his back or refuse to fight with nine men of any other nation that set upon him, and offered to fight him. It must not be supposed that every person who was willing to be enlisted in the militia of Ireland would be accepted, for Fionn was very strict in his inquiry, and observed these rules in filling up the number of his troops, which were exactly followed by his successors in command when they had occasion to recruit their forces. He ordained, therefore, that no person should be enlisted or received into the service in the congregation or assembly of Visneach, or in the celebrated fair of Tailteau, or at Feas Teamhrach, unless his father and mother, and all the relatives of his family, would stipulate and give proper security that not one of them should attempt to revenge his death upon the person that slew him, but to leave the affair of his death wholly in the hands of his fellowsoldiers, who would take care to do him justice as the case required; and it was ordained, likewise, that the relations of a soldier of this mi |
