ailstones and grass on green
and stars of heaven will be your half-heads and cloven skulls, and your
bones under the point of his sword. He will succeed in escaping though
wounded. Woe to him that shall wreak the Destruction, were it but for
this man only!"

"Ye cannot," says Ingcel. "Clouds," etc.

"And after that whom sawest thou?"

THE ROOM OF CONAIRE HIMSELF

"There I beheld a room, more beautifully decorated than the other rooms
of the house. A silvery curtain around it, and there were ornaments in
the room. I beheld a trio in it. The outer two of them were, both of
them, fair, with their hair and eyelashes; and they are as bright as
snow. A very lovely blush on the cheek of each of the twain. A tender
lad in the midst between them. The ardour and energy of a king has he,
and the counsel of a sage. The mantle I saw around him is even as the
mist of Mayday. Diverse are the hue and semblance each moment shewn upon
it. Lovelier is each hue than the other. In front of him in the mantle I
beheld a wheel of gold which reached from his chin to his navel. The
colour of his hair was like the sheen of smelted gold. Of all the
world's forms that I beheld, this is the most beautiful. I saw his
golden-hilted glaive down beside him. A forearm's length of the sword
was outside the scabbard. That forearm, a man down in the front of the
house could see a fleshworm by the shadow of the sword! Sweeter is the
melodious sounding of the sword than the melodious sound of the golden
pipes that accompany music in the palace."

"Then," quoth Ingcel, "I said, gazing at him:

I see a high, stately prince, etc.

I see a famous king, etc.

I see his white prince's diadem, etc.

I see his two blue-bright cheeks, etc.

I see his high wheel ... round his head ... which is over his
yellow-curly hair.

I see his mantle red, many-coloured, etc.

I see therein a huge brooch of gold, etc.

I see his beautiful linen frock ... from ankle to kneecaps.

I see his sword golden-hilted, inlaid, its in scabbard of
white silver, etc.

I see his shield bright, chalky, etc.

A tower of inlaid gold," etc.

Now the tender warrior was asleep, with his feet in the lap of one of
the two men and his head in the lap of the other. Then he awoke out of
his sleep, and arose, and chanted this lay:

"The howl of Ossar (Conaire's dog) ... cry of warriors on the summit of
Tol Geisse; a cold wind over e