proximity added weight to the administration of Meibhe. After him it was called Rath-Eochaidh, or Eochaidh's palace; but in honour to his emprefs he named it Rath Cruachan, Cruachan being her name, and by which it is known at this day. We find this palace celebrated in the days of St. Patrick, as one of the royal houses of Loaghaire. In the height of his great defigns, he quitted this world, of a natural death, at Tara, in the twelfth year of his reign. Eochaidh X.-fingular terms of his niece's marriage-invafion of Ulfter-national affembly at Cruachan, and the Ulfter war renewed-battle of Muirtheimhne-Deirdre carried off by the fons of Uifneach, and the fatal confequences-death of Meibheinfolence and banishment of the bards—the ancient mode of interment—the king of Ulfter's life faved by the operation of the trepan, and remarks on the early fate of phyfic-of Eiderfgeoil, and Nuadha II. H'S IS brother, who was called Eochaidh, peaceably fucceeded 3950 to the throne, and steadily pursued the fyftem adopted by the deceased. The Conacians, uneafy to be ruled by a female, he gratified, by marrying his niece Meibhe to Olioll-more, brother to Cairbre, now king of Leinster, who were both Heremonians. By this marriage he reconciled in fome measure the Damnonii, to the new government; fince Olioll by his mother MathaMuireafg, was of that blood. It is fingular enough, what has been handed to us in relation to this marriage. We are told, VOL. I. A a that that Olioll being advanced in years, a preliminary article was, that she should, when fo inclined, be free to indulge herself in illicit pleasures; and we find fhe made ufe of this privilege. In the prefent reign Cuire, or Conraoi, the son of Daire, succeeded his father in the government of North Munster, and Eochaidh Abhruadh, in the South. Feargus Roigh, being compelled, by the fuperior power of Connor, the son of Neaffa, and his coufin, to fly Ulfter, applied at Cruachan for the protection of the monarch, who had nothing fo much at heart as weakening the northern line, by oppofing its princes to each other. Nor was Feargus lefs follicitous to gain the fupport of the Conacians, which through Meibhe he effectually secured; for being a prince of uncommon bravery, and of great gallantry, he foon found the way to her heart of TINDER; and she bore to him three fons at one birth, who were the fources of moft illuftrious families; to wit, Ciar, anceitor to O'Connor Kerry, from him fo called; Coro, from whom O'Connor, Corcumruidh, O'Loghlin, &c. and Cormac, who is ancestor to the O'Ferrals, Mac Rannels, &c. Secure of the fupport of the monarch through interest, and of his niece through affection, Feargus foon raised a mighty army, in which fome of the most intrepid knights of Ireland went volunteers. In the relation of this famous invasion, yet preferved, called Tain-bho-Cuailgne, or the Spoils of Cattle at Cualgne, in the county of Lowth, we are entertained with the order of the march of the troops. They were led on by Feargus: the queen of Conaught feated in an open chariot, with her Afion, or crown of gold, on her head, followed; her retinue were placed in four chariots more, fo difpofed, at the fides and rear, that the duft and foam of the cavalry fhould not ftain her royal robes and here it is neceffary to be observed, that our ancient princes never appeared in public without their enfigns of roy alty. alty. But though these troops could not force the Ulfter army to a general engagement, nor yet gain their end, which was the dethronement of Connor, yet they miferably wafted the country, and brought back with them an immenfe booty, in cattle and other rich effects, notwithstanding the utmost efforts of the Ultonians, though headed by the renowned Conall, and all the champions of Craobh-Ruadh! This prey gave rise to several fucceeding invafions, and many bloody battles were fought, in which the knights in both armies acquired glory and immortality, as the battle of Fion-Corratha, of Bos na Righ, near the Boyne, &c. &c. The repeated engagements, and the loffes being pretty near equal, gradually leffened the defire of extermination on both fides; and Conall Cearnach, grand-mafter of the knights of Ulfter, feized this opportunity with a felect body of troops, to go on a foreign expedition, in which wealth and glory were the objects. We are not informed to what place this armament was directed; but it was, most probably to affift the Britons or Gauls, now greatly diftreffed by Cæfar. The amorous Meibhe thought this a favourable opportunity to renew the war in favour of her beloved Feargus. An affembly of the chiefs of the Heremonians was, by order of the monarch, convened at Cruachan. At this Feis, Meibhe appears to have taken an uncommonly active part. On the part of the monarch appeared Eare, the son of Cairbre, with his knights, and a felect body of nobility and others. Lugha, the fon of Conraoi, with his Clana Deaghadh, or Munster knights, and Mac Nead, the fon of Fin and Connor, the fon of Roffa, with the Clana Boifghne, or Leinfter champions, compofed this great affembly. Meibhe opens the debates, by deploring the unhappy state of the kingdom in general, the province of Conaught in particular, was reduced to, through the ambition of Connor, and the in trepidity of the Craobh-Ruadh, or Ulfter knights; and that the national tranquility depended on his overthrow. She then addresses herself to Lugha; reminds him of the death of his father, the celebrated Conraoi, by Cuchullain, captain of the Ulfter knights, and of the diftreffes his ancestors were reduced to, by the house of Ir, being forced to abandon their poffeffions in Ulfter, as we have already obferved, and take refuge in Munfter. Her generals and captains the reminds of the lofs of a father, a brother, or a fon, in the former wars; that now the occafions for ample revenge offered, which the doubted not, but that they would gladly embrace, and thus gratify their private, at the fame time that they did the public refentment. So animating a fpeech delivered by any one, but efpecially by a fine woman, who spoke from her feelings, could not fail of producing all the effects the wifhed. A confiderable force is foon levied, and marched into Ulfter, under the command of Lugha; of all which proceedings, Connor having timely notice, raised all the power the fhortnefs of the time would allow him to collect, and sent an exprefs to Cuchullain, fecond in command, at Dun-Dalgan, to head them; but with ftrict orders not to engage the enemy if poffible, till the arrival of Conall, who was daily expected to return from Britain or Gaul. For fix days Cuchullain remained shut up in his camp, notwithstanding all the endeavours of Lugha to force him to a battle; but on the feventh, fpurred on by his own perfonal courage, he rafhly engaged them, in which battle he fell by the fword of Lugha, and his army suffered a complete defeat. The plain on which this bloody battle was fought, was called Muirtheimhne, in the county of Lowth; and the relation of it, has for title Bruiflioch-more-Mhuirtheimnhe, or the Great Defeat at Muirtheimnhe. Whilst we admire the ftyle and fpirit with which this work is wrote, we are a good deal diftreffed at the fuperftition and cre dulity, dulity, which must have then prevailed. We read of the Ceardaibh na Druadh, or Druid exorcisms of magic spells, and CeaDreachd, or Druid divinations, all uniting with the Heremonians to destroy the redoubtable Cuchullain and his army! In this battle we find war-chariots were used, and numbers of them destroyed in the conflict, which was very bloody. Not only in the history of this, but of all the other wars antecedent to Christianity, we see the incantations, magic, and spells of the Druids introduced, and fcarce a battle gained without their affiftance. From this recital, what fhall we think of the candour of Mac Pherson *, who boldly affirms, that in all the relations of the early bards, not the leaft mention of religious ceremony. is to be found! fhall we affirm, that thefe are his own fuggeftions, not the dictates of truth; and fhall we apply to him, what the great Usher fays of his countryman and fellow-labourer Dempfter?" Tam suspectæ fidei hominem illum fuiffe com perimus, & toties tefferam fregiffe, ut oculatos nos effe opor"teat, & nifi quod videmus, nihil ab eo acceptum credere †." Scarce were thefe battles fought, when new misfortunes afforded fresh fuel to the flames of war. The beautiful Deirdre, daughter to Feidhlim, the son of Doill, who was first minister to the king of Ulfter, was educated in the palace of Emania; and amongst the numbers of illuftrious youth, companions of the Craobh-Ruadh, who attended the court, were the three fons of Uifneach, whofe names were Naois, Ainle, and Ardan. We may judge of the perfonal accomplishments of the firft of them, who loved, and was beloved by Deirdre, by the ftrong terms in. which the expreffed them. Attended by her confidant on a snowy day, the beheld a butcher at a distance killing a calf, and fome time after, a raven come to feed on the blood. The whole wo *Fingal and Temora. + Primord. Eclef. Brit. p. 379: mani |