360 



in the valuable collection of Dr. Petrie. But to return from 

 this digression. 



Several instances of this alleged power of the Irish bards 

 of rhyming to death not rats only, but even Lords Lieutenant 

 of Ireland, are collected by Dr. O'Donovan, in the Preface 

 to Angus O'Daly's Satire, already mentioned, p. 17, seq. 



The following is an instance given by the Four Masters 

 at the year 1414, in which an unpopular Lord Lieutenant was 

 rhymed to death by the Irish bards : — " John Stanley, De- 

 puty of the King of England, arrived in Ireland, a man who 

 gave neither mercy nor protection to clergy, laity, or men of 

 science, but subjected as many of them as he came upon to 

 cold, hardship, and famine." Then, after mentioning some 

 particular instances, especially his having plundered Niall, 

 son of Hugh O'Higgin, the annalists proceed to say : — " The 

 O'Higgins, with Niall, then satirized John Stanley, who lived 

 after this satire but five weeks, for he died from the virulence 

 of their lampoons." 



The most ancient story of rhyming rats to death in Ire- 

 land is found in an historico-romantic tale, entitled " lmchechc 

 na cnom Odimhe;" " The Adventures of the Great Com- 

 pany." The history of the Great Company is this: — On 

 the death of Dalian Forgaill, the chief ollave, or poet of 

 Erinn, about A. D. 600, Senchan Torpest, a distinguished 

 poet of Connacht, was selected to pronounce the defunct bard's 

 funeral oration, and was subsequently elected to his place in 

 the chief ollaveship of the kingdom. Senchan forthwith 

 formed his establishment of bardic officers and of pupils in 

 the art of poetry, &c, on a larger scale than had been known 

 since the revision of the bardic institution at the great meet- 

 ing of Dromceat, some twenty years previously. As chief 

 poet of Erinn, he was entitled to make his visitation, with his 

 retinue, of any of the provinces, and to be entertained during 

 pleasure at the court of the provincial kings ; and the honour 



