romantic story, but evidently founded on fact, and full of
interest as descriptive of public and private life in the fifth century
before Christ. It tells how Maen, though supposed to be deaf and dumb,
was, nevertheless, given in charge of two officers of the court to be
educated; that he recovered or rather obtained speech suddenly, in a
quarrel with another youth; and that he was as symmetrical of form and
noble of bearing as all heroes of romance are bound to be. His uncle
expelled him from the kingdom, and he took refuge at the court of King
Scoriath. King Scoriath had a daughter, who was beautiful; and Maen, of
course, acted as a knight was bound to do under such circumstances, and
fell desperately in love with the princess. The Lady Moriath's beauty
had bewildered more heads than that of the knight-errant; but the Lady
Moriath's father and mother were determined their daughter should not
marry.

The harper Craftine came to the rescue, and at last, by his
all-entrancing skill, so ravished the whole party of knights and nobles,
that the lovers were able to enjoy a tete-a-tete, and pledged mutual
vows. As usual, the parents yielded when they found it was useless to
resist; and, no doubt, the poet Craftine, who, poet and all as he was,
nearly lost his head in the adventure, was the most welcome of all
welcome guests at the nuptial feast. Indeed, he appears to have been
retained as comptroller of the house and confidential adviser long
after; for when Labhraidh Maen was obliged to fly the country, he
confided his wife to the care of Craftine. On his return from
France,[85] he obtained possession of the kingdom, to which he was the
rightful heir, and reigned over the men of Erinn for eighteen years.

Another Historic Tale gives an account of the destruction of the court
of Da Derga, but we have not space for details. The Four Masters merely
relate the fact in the following entry:--

"Conaire, the son of Ederscel, after having been seventy years in the
sovereignty of Erinn, was slain at Bruighean Da Dhearga by insurgents."
Another prince, Eochaidh Feidhlech, was famous for sighing. He rescinded
the division of Ireland into twenty-five parts, which had been made by
Ugaine Mor, and divided the island into five provinces, over each of
which he appointed a provincial king, under his obedience. The famous
Meadhbh, or Mab, was his daughter; and though unquestionably a lady of
rather strong physical and mental capabilities,