dges perilous: a night to destroy a king
is this night."

He slept again, and awoke thereout, and sang this rhetoric:

"The howl of Ossar ... a battle he announced: enslavement of a people:
sack of the Hostel: mournful are the champions: men wounded: wind of
terror: hurling of javelins: trouble of unfair fight: wreck of houses:
Tara waste: a foreign heritage: like is lamenting Conaire: destruction
of corn: feast of arms: cry of screams: destruction of Erin's king:
chariots a-tottering: oppression of the king of Tara: lamentations will
overcome laughter: Ossar's howl."

He said the third time:

"Trouble hath been shewn to me: a multitude of elves: a host supine;
foes' prostration: a conflict of men on the Dodder[8]: oppression of
Tara's king: in youth he was destroyed; lamentations will overcome
laughter: Ossar's howl."

[Footnote 8: A small river near Dublin, which is said to have passed
through the Bruden.--W.S.]

"Liken thou, O Fer rogain, him who has sung that lay."

"Easy for me to liken him," says Fer rogain. No "conflict without a
king" this. He is the most splendid and noble and beautiful and mighty
king that has come into the whole world. He is the mildest and gentlest
and most perfect king that has come to it, even Conaire son of Eterscel.
'Tis he that is overking of all Erin. There is no defect in that man,
whether in form or shape or vesture: whether in size or fitness or
proportion, whether in eye or hair or brightness, whether in wisdom or
skill or eloquence, whether in weapon or dress or appearance, whether in
splendour or abundance or dignity, whether in knowledge or valour
or kindred.

"Great is the tenderness of the sleepy simple man till he has chanced on
a deed of valour. But if his fury and his courage be awakened when the
champions of Erin and Alba are at him in the house, the Destruction will
not be wrought so long as he is therein. Six hundred will fall by
Conaire before he shall attain his arms, and seven hundred will fall by
him in his first conflict after attaining his arms. I swear to God what
my tribe swears, unless drink be taken from him, though there be no one
else in the house, but he alone, he would hold the Hostel until help
would reach it which the man would prepare for him from the Wave of
Clidna[9] and the Wave of Assaroe[10] while ye are at the Hostel."

[Footnote 9: In the bay of Glandore, co. Cork.--W.S.]

[Footnote 10: At Ballyshannon, co. Donegal.--W.S.]

"Nine doo