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from contagious sickness, and even to that of men. All were 
obliged to extinguish the fires in their houses, on these eves, and 
rekindle them with the consecrated fire, which the Druid gave with 
his benediction, and for which he was paid. hese fires are thus 
mentioned by Cormac, prince and Archbishop of Cashel : 
Dha teinne Soinmech do guitis no, Draoithe con tinceilaih moratb 
foraib, agus do berdis na ceatra or teamandath cacha_bliadhna. 
“ The Druids kindled two immense fires, with great incantation, 
and towards them drove the cattle, which they forced to pass be- 
tween them every year.””’—It must be observed that there were al- 
ways two fires close to each other; to pass between them uninjured 
was considered auspicious for man and beast; to receive injury was 
considered the reverse ; and hence the saying of being placed “ be- 
tween the two fires of Bel,’ 2ttir dha theinne Bheil. 
The Ard-Draot, or Arch-Druid, has his great periodical festival 
on the hil!, called Carn-Usnach, in the county of Meath, this place, 
like Chartres in France, being the centre of the kingdom, at which 
the five provinces came in contact ; near it was Elach’d-gha, another 
fire mount in the immediate jurisdiction of the Arch-Druid ; on both 
‘stood immense fire-temples. The principal fire-mounts in each pro- 
vince were also set apart, occasionally, for judicial proceedings, na- 
tional convocations, and the inauguration of the monarchs and pro- 
vincial princes. ‘The economy of our pagan ancestors was to give 
a degree of religious solemnity to great civil and judicial meetings. 
Tara, in Meath, the residence and place of the Monarch’s inaugue 
ration, and the seat of the Feis, or triennial convention of the 
States, and of the public games called Tazltean, was also a conse- 
crated fire-hill. In an ancient life of St. Patrick, the palace of 
Tara is called Griandn tea-mor Raithi, “ the great house on the 
sacred hill of the sun.” I ought to have observed, that the sacred 
