<> Conary Linen Hall Library 1880 Linen Hall Library Saturday, March 12, 2016 TIFF Ferg013 Manuscript Ferragon, Alba, Conor English https://www.niliteraryarchive.com/content/ferg013 Linen Hall Library Linen Hall Library Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike CC BY-NC-SA https://www.niliteraryarchive.com/sites/default/files/Ferg013_2.jpg LHL Archive Exaggerate, to shake my settled soul From that which is my right. Say on : what next ? " " A bench of three : thick-hair'd, and equal-long The hair on poll and brow. Black cloaks they wore, Black their sword-sheaths, their hafted lances black ; Fair men, withal, themselves, and ruddy-brown." " Who these, oh Ferragon ? " " I know not, I, Unless, it may be, these be of the Picts Exiled from Alba, who in Conor's house Have shelter ; and, if these indeed be they. Three better out of Alba never came Or sturdier to withstand the brunt of blows." " Blows they shall have," said Ingcel ; " and their home, Rid of their presence well, shall not again Have need to doom them to a new exile. What further sawest thou ? " " On the bench beside I saw three slender, three face-shaven men. Robed in red mantles and with caps of red. No swords had they, nor bore they spear or shield, But each man on his knee a bagpipe held With jewelled chanter flashing as he moved, And mouth-piece ready to supply the wind." " What pipers these ? " " These pipers of a truth If so it be that I mistake them not, Appear not often in men's halls of glee : Men of the Sidhs they are ; and I have heard Text