.'"

We saw from us afar a sunny palace of beautiful front; its form and
appearance were the most beauteous that were to be found in the world.

"What exceeding fine royal mansion, and also the best that eye hath
seen, is this that we are travelling near to, or who is high chief of
that place?"

"The daughter of the King of the 'Land of Life' is Queen, yet in that
fortress she was taken by Fomhor Builleach, of Dromloghach, with violent
strength of arms and activity. Obligation she put upon the brave never
to make her a wife till she got a champion or true hero to stand battle
with him hand to hand."

"Take success and blessings, O golden-headed Niamh. I have never heard
better music than the gentle voice of thy sweet mouth; great grief to us
is a woman of her condition. I will go now to visit her to the fortress,
and it may be for us it is fated that that great hero should fall by me,
in feats of activity as is wont to me."

We went then into the fortress. To us came the youthful Queen. Equal in
splendour was she to the sun, and she bade us a hundred welcomes.

There was apparel of yellow silk on the Queen of excellent beauty. Her
chalk-white skin was like the swan on the wave, and her cheeks were of
the colour of the rose. Her hair was of a golden hue, her blue eyes
clear and cloudless; her honey lips of the colour of the berries, and
her slender brows of loveliest form.

Then we there sat down, each of us on a chair of gold. There was laid
out for us abundance of food and drinking-horns filled with beer. When
we had taken a sufficiency of food and much sweet drinking wines, then
spoke the mild young princess, and thus said she, "Hearken to me
awhile." She told us the knowledge and cause of her tale, and the tears
flowed down her cheeks. She said, "My return is not to my own country
whilst the great giant shall be alive."

"Be silent, O young princess! Give o'er thy grief and do not mourn, and
I give to thee my hand that the giant of slaughter shall fall by me!"

"There's not a champion now to be found of greatest repute under the sun
to give battle hand to hand to the bold giant of the hard blows."

"I tell to thee, O gentle queen, I am not daunted at his coming to meet
me. Unless he fall by me, by the strength of my arms, I will fall myself
in thy defence."

'Twas not long till we saw approaching the powerful giant that was most
repulsive. A load was on him of the skins of deer, and an iron bar in
his ha