Mac Neill — Three Poems in Middle-Irish. 543 



9, IJcli ! my heart is torn, my flesh boiling and yet raw ; it is the 

 playing of a harp out of sight, (21) the peace of his friend 

 with Mac Con. 



10. Playing of sea-waves, bear of bears, flame wdth venom, back of 

 woman, rear of beautiful steed, hound's mouth, green spear's 

 mouth in my flesh — to place dependence on them, it is contrary 

 to precept, it is the end of him who does so. (22) 



11. I give a just similitude ; I swear an oath by my fierce strong 

 weapon, (22) tbat it is not juster for his friend to place 

 dependence on Mac Con. 



12. Mac Con, a valiant youth, Lugaid, it is for evil and from spite 

 he had his way with me (?), he practised on my wife. 



13. My seven sons, Mac Con slew them, he is (the cause of) their 

 vehement wild bewailiug, Dubmercon, Mug Corp, Eogan, Lugaid, 

 Echaid, Dichorp, Tadg. 



14. Tara, alas! (?) without Art; a cloak has passed across the 

 sun ; the druids prophesied, a stranger should come to her (Tara) 

 from afar. 



15. Cass will arrange good pastime ; warriors will fall by him from 

 (= on) the field ; except Mac Con and Cairpre, there is none on 

 whom he will not increase his anger. 



16. Cass will bind a treaty of hostages, it will be his always, — a 

 .... saying (?) — from the estuary of round Ath Cliath to Bonn's 

 House in the west of high Ireland. 



17. Say to Cass, let him demand sway; sourness without bitter- 

 ness is not usual ; the king is not well who has not hostages, 

 hostages are not well without fetters. 



K.I. A. PKOC, SEE. III., VOL. III. 2 



