ess with every man in the Hostel, and they will boast of the victory
over a king or chief of the reavers, and afterwards they will chance to
escape. The Destruction should not be wrought even because of
those three."

"Woe to him that shall wreak the Destruction!" says Lomna. "Better were
the victory of saving them than the victory of slaying them! Happy he
who should save them! Woe to him that shall slay them!"

"It is not feasible," says Ingcel, etc. "And afterwards whom sawest
thou?"

THE ROOM OF CONALL CERNACH

"There I beheld in a decorated room the fairest man of Erin's heroes. He
wore a tufted purple cloak. White as snow was one of his cheeks, the
other was red and speckled like foxglove. Blue as hyacinth was one of
his eyes, dark as a stag-beetle's back was the other. The bushy head of
fair golden hair upon him was as large as a reaping-basket, and it
touches the edge of his haunches. It is as curly as a ram's head. If a
sackful of red-shelled nuts were spilt on the crown of his head, not one
of them would fall on the floor, but remain on the hooks and plaits and
swordlets of their hair. A gold hilted sword in his hand; a blood-red
shield which has been speckled with rivets of white bronze between
plates of gold. A long, heavy, three-ridged spear: as thick as an outer
yoke is the shaft that is in it. Liken thou that, O Fer rogain!"

"Easy for me to liken him, for the men of Erin know that scion. That is
Conall Cernach, son of Amorgen. He has chanced to be along with Conaire
at this time. 'Tis he whom Conaire loves beyond every one, because of
his resemblance to him in goodness of form and shape. Goodly is the hero
that is there, Conall Cernach! To that blood-red shield on his fist,
which has been speckled with rivets of white bronze, the Ulaid have
given a famous name, to wit, the _Bricriu_ of Conall Cernach.

"I swear what my tribe swears, plenteous will be the rain of red blood
over it to-night before the Hostel! That ridged spear above him, many
will there be unto whom to-night, before the Hostel, it will deal drinks
of death. Seven doorways there are out of the house, and Conall Cernach
will contrive to be at each of them, and from no doorway will he be
absent. Three hundred will fall by Conall in his first conflict, besides
a man for each (of his) weapons and one for himself. He will share
prowess with every one in the Hostel, and when he shall happen to sally
upon you from the house, as numerous as h