no other reason for going to God besides Jesus-no other reason, no other means. He can have no certainty outside Jesus, no desire beyond Jesus." And then utter blackness falls upon his soul. He "knows no longer what to think; he is there in the night like some poor trembling man; he is there like a beggar who has prayed and prayed, and now hopes no more. This man does not believe. It is hard, Lord, not to believe when You have spoken. But so it is; this man does not believe, he has tired God out, and there is nothing more to be done with him. In vain does he lift up his eyes towards the hills. . . There is nothing to be done with such a coward!" No, Maxence is not a coward. He is still the man of fidelity, the soldier of Christ, in this hour when all seems lost, even his hope, his faith, his soul. It is the darkest and bleakest hour of the healing Night of the Spirit, of the terrible and salutary Night of the Mercy of God. At length, after many days, utterly beaten and broken, he falls on his knees; and because he can find nothing else to say, he says: "Our Father, Who art in Heaven . . . In the very completeness of his defeat he has won the supreme victory. The dawn has come. Why, Lord! is it, then, so simple to love You?" Psichari returned to France towards the end of 1912; he finished the book early in 1914, in garrison at Cherbourg. "I tremble to write in the presence of the Most Holy Trinity," he wrote to Paul Bourget at this time. Almost every page in the work bears witness that it was written under the eye of God. One is irresistibly reminded of the greatest of the mystics. One thinks of the Confessions of St. Augustine; still more does one recall the spiritual intensity, the ruthlessly pure and penetrating light with which St. John of the Cross lays bare all the secret places of a poor human soul. Ernest Psichari was killed on August 22nd, 1914, in the retreat from the disaster of Charleroi. He fought to the end beside his guns, his rosary wound about his left hand. He had arranged, if he survived the war, to enter the Dominican novitiate. HISTORICAL POEMS OF GOFRAIDH FIONN Ó DÁLAIGH. EDITED BY L. MCKENNA, S.J. [Gofraidh Fionn O Dálaigh, one of the most famous of Irish bardic poets, died in 1387. These poems, now published for the first time, are addressed to various Irish chieftains and throw valuable light on the social conditions of 14th century Ireland.] 66 VIII. 66 [O'Con. Don's Bk. (355); RIA 3 C 13 (808) a copy of O'Con Don's Book.] To Tadhg, "heir of Clann Carthaigh" (v. 6), son of Domhnall Mág Carthaigh (vv. 31, 32), son of Onóra (v. 39), "son of the princess from royal London (v. 35). He was probably Tadhg Mainistreach (d. 1413), Lord of Desmond. For his mother Onóra see Poem V. Introd. If, as O'Harte states, Tadhg was born in 1340 this poem, addressed to him when a young boy, would have been written about 1356, but the chronology of the Mág Carthaigh pedigrees is in favour of a date about 20 years later. Aoibheall, the fairy guardian of Thomond, had foretold to Donnchadh son of Brian Bóruimhe that Brian together with his son Murchadh and his grandson Toirdhealbhach would fall at Cluain Tarbh, and that Brian's other son Tadhg would succeed to the high-kingship. Donnchadh after the battle slew Tadhg, and then told Aoibheall that her prophecy had been false. Aoibheall in answer held it had been true inasmuch as Toirdhealbhach son of the slain Tadhg would be high-king. This story (in which facts are rather freely dealt with, for Tadhg succeeded Brian and was not slain by Donnchadh till 1022) is used by the poet to argue that prophecies about Domhnall Mág Carthaigh (d. 1391), then Lord of Desmond would be fulfilled in his young son Tadhg. The latter is then exhorted to get ready the two spears of Cú Chuluinn used at Fionnchora (Todd Lect. iv. pp. 58, 94), and the shield tested at Gabhar (Man Cust ii. 387) so that men may recall the fight at Gáirech (Garistown nr. Athlone ?; Todd Lect. iv. p. 60). The poet then seems to quote bits of a prophecy similar to the one attributed to Fionn mac Comhail (cf. MSS. Mat 396) in which victories at Mullach Maistean (nr. Athy), Magh Midhe (plain of Meath), Dún na Sgiath (par. Rathlynin, Co. Tipp., or Doon on Lough Ennel), and Saingeal (Singland nr. Limerick) are foretold. 66 Very frequent in this poem are the usual bardic synonyms for Eire : Banbha, Fódla, Ealga, Fál &c.; Teamhair or the places near it, the Bóinn, Síodh Aonghais, Breagha, etc.; other royal dwellings, Eamhain, Uisneach, etc.; Castle," 'Plain,' Hill," Wife," etc., of any of the old kings of Eire, the historical ones as Dá Thí, Conn, etc., or the mythical ones as Fionntan, The Three Fair Ones (i.e., Eathúr, Ceathúr, Teathúr, husbands of Eire, Fódla, Banbha), etc. 66 66 1. Furig go fóill a Čire gearr go bfuiġe fir-ċéile 2. A pionn-pátĆ Ceampa Đá tí Patience a while, O Eire! Soon shalt thou get a true spouse. O Eire, thou home of comfort. O smooth plain of Uisneach, I know him who shall wed thee, 3. Fada naċ fuarais a bean gearr go bfuiġċe fóiridin 5. Táinig an té taoi d'iarraid a finn-bean Néill Naoi-ġiallaiġ dar Dual Bóinn Braon-tana binn aontaṁa go fóill fuiling. 6. Eiġre ó gCarċaig ceann Gaoideal gearr bias i mbeirt óg-naoidean feit a Banba a bean Tuatail go bfaġba t'fear ionnuaċair. 7. D'éis dealuiġċe go réiỏ ruib d'fuil Cuinn is d'fíor-fuil Eogain a bean naoide an Cláir coim-te an áil naoide neaṁ-foirbte. 8. Meinic riaṁ sein-bean mar sin a leannán Airt Éin-fir do ¿nát ag iarraid fear n-óg 9 Litear ort-sa re hażaid a finn-bean Cuinn Ċéad-ċaċaiġ 10. Duit do tairngir an fáid Fionn feaċt riot a [ráite] Aoibioll do dearb go mbiad 'gun ban -fáid Leanb a-niar [dá] nua-ġabáil. 11. Ort a Bóinn ná bíod tuirse Leanb óg don ċloinn Ĉarċaiż-se do [tilead] Cláir barr-ġlain Breaj do tarngair an fáid fíċeal. 12. Dá labrad éin-fear eile Leat go teaċt don tairngeire a bean fionn foi-ġéaglan Airt oir-éadṁar liom an labairt. 13. Do níd fáide fuinn eälga do níd síona soinneanda ar Tealaig na dTrí gCurad ri Leanaib do laṁnuġad. 14. Ar a leiċéid do leanab sgéala duit dá foillseaġad aoide sgeoil uaigniġ anduib d'uaitnið an eoil fuaramair O stronghold of Cairbre and Cormac, O lady, 'tis long since thou hast had a spouse from among the young (?) Sad for thee thy long waiting! O earliest love of Mil's sons, there is now a hero child in the Fort of fair-branching trees, Soon shalt thou be saved. O spouse of Niall of the Nine Hostages, he has come whom thou lookest for, whose heritage is sweet ripling Bóinn. Stay unwedded yet a while. Clann Carthaigh's heir, lord of Gaoidhil shall not long wear child's garments. Wait, O Banbha, spouse of Tuathail, till thou hast one fit to wed thee. When the scions of Conn and Eoghan have lightly (K) left thee fair queen of this warm land, wouldst thou wed a weak child? Yet, O love of Art Aoin-fhear, wondrous land of red roads, oft before has aged woman craved young spouse! O fair wife of Conn Céad-chathach, long hath thy name been coupled (K) with a hero of the true metal of Mogh Néid, pleasant this charge for one like thee. Once the fair seer, Aoibheall, foretold a term of her Fort for thee (?) She swore that (she) the prophetess would have a child from the west exalting her anew Be not downcast, O Boyne ! A young child of Clann Carthaigh to guard the fair Plain of the Breagha hath Fitheal the prophet foretold. Had any other man spoken of this prophecy ere it was fulfilled in thee, O fair spouse of Art, I had been jealous of his speech! That a kingly child has been born in the Three Heroes' Home Ealga's prophets show to be true and the bright skies! Concerning such a child I have brought forth (?) a story to tell thee, a story dread and gloomy (?) 15. lá ¿oir i gcat Cluana Tarb d'aird-ríġ Éireann na n-ór-arm 16. le cloinn Briain na síỏ-ġread seang an Ban-fáid darb ainm Aoibeall gus an mnaoi d'iarraid feasa tiaġair ar ċaoi cairdeasa 17. A-dubairt Donnċad mac Briain cia oínn tuitfeas san troimgliaid d'uaislib grian-daċa ċlann gCais La fonn iarraċa] an eolais. 18. Aird-rí fódla na sreab seang tuitfiỏ Brian ann ar Aoibeall tuitfiỏ Murċad gá mó sgéal ní foġċar 'na ċló a čoiṁ-¿réan 19. Tuitfio Toirdealbaċ óg ann mac Murċaid bus cruaid coṁlann re cois rogan fréiṁe Cais folaṁ Éire na n-éagṁais. 20. Cia géabas Éire dá n-éis ar Donnċad gnúis mar ġeil-géis sloinn dúin a ban-fáið ó mBriain súil ní faláir re finn-ċliaiġ. 21. Biaid an tír-sin na dtrí bfionn do réir m'fáisdine ar Aoibeall i ndiaid na n-ard-flat oile ag Tadg-ṁac Briain Bóroiṁe. 22. Gá dám dó cuirid an caż Loċlannaig is Laoiċ Teamraċ 23. Marbżar le Donnċad 'na diaid urra codnaċ síol saoir-Briain reaċt na fódla mairg do mill le fógra Taidg do ¿uitim. 24. Go haoibill d'éis an ċaża tig Donnċad gnúis żeal-data 25. An tí dar ċairrngir sinne Ráit Teaṁra is Dún Duib-Linne a cionta díom ni oliġe dá síol tiocfa an tairrngire 26. 1 geannas Críċe Teaṁraċ raċaid mac Taidg Toirdealbaċ ua na ríoġ [bus] rí eile do ní fíor dar bfáisdine. 27. Beag dtarba duit a Donnċaid caill do ċirt led ġníoṁarċaib uait féine i ndiaid do doi-beart biard Éire gan aodaireaċt. 28. Ní laibéar go laiċe an brái¿ d'éis síol mBriain ar an Ban-fái¿ gid doilig linn gan Leanṁain don buidin finn il-dealbaiġ. 29. Do b'fíor d'Aoibill a ndubairt fuigle ar naċ fuil contabairt ráinig ríge is reaċt Teaṁraċ neart na tíre ag Toirdealbaċ 30. Do tairrngir fáid fada ó soin 31. Muna tí an tairrngire is teaż 32. Fáisdine atar más fíor tiocfa is teaġ d'oiġre an aird- más fíor labrad gaċ fir eoil 33. Tréig a Taidg do ¿reallaṁ leinb ná luaid fearda feiòm roi. meirb súil Muṁan rib dá rírib 34. Gab umad ¿'úir-beart iarainn a rosg glas mar ġoirm-niaṁainn caoṁ-¿ruaill do ġlan-lúiriġ ġil ġarb-ġlúiniġ daol-ċruaiỏ deilg. nij. 35. Gab do lainn gcorr-glais gcuṁdaiż a meic na mná ó ríog-[Lundain] saṁail pmuail do driċlinn deirg dá friċing cruaid led ċéid-feirg. 36. Gab mar so le séan uaire dá fleig Con na Craob-ruaide fa baoġlaċ brać na bfoġAD i gcaċ faobraċ fionn-ċorad 37. Minic ród fuair a féaġain mionn Litreaċ lán d'oiréanaib |