<> Conary Linen Hall Library 1880 Linen Hall Library Saturday, March 12, 2016 TIFF Ferg028 Manuscript Druid, Childhood, Gods English https://www.niliteraryarchive.com/content/ferg028 Linen Hall Library Linen Hall Library Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike CC BY-NC-SA https://www.niliteraryarchive.com/sites/default/files/Ferg028_2.jpg LHL Archive " Gods ! can it be," said Conary, " that my chiefs Desert me in this peril ! " " King," said Cecht, " Escape who will, we here desert thee not." " Oh, never will I think that Conall fled," Said Ferflath. " He is brave and kind and true, And promised me he would return again. It is these wicked sprites of fairy-land Who have beguiled the chiefs away from us." " Alack," the Druid cried ; " he speaks the truth : He has the seer's insight which the gods Vouchsafe to eyes of childhood. We are lost ; And for thy fault, oh Conary, the gods Have given us over to the spirits who dwell Beneath the earth." " Deserted I may be. Not yet disheartened, nor debased in soul," Said Conary " My sons are with me still, And thou, my faithful sidesman, and you all Companions and partakers of my days Of glory and of power munificent, I pray the gods forgiveness if in aught, Weighty or trifling, I have done amiss ; But here I stand, and will defend my life. Let come against me power of earth or hell. All but the gods themselves the righteous ones, Whom I revere." " My king," said Cecht, " the knaves Swarm thick as gnats at every door again, Behoves us make a circuit, for ourselves. Around the house ; for so our fortune stands That we have left us nothing else to choose But, out of doors, to beat them oflF, or burn Within doors ; for they fire the house anew." Then uprose kingly Conary himself And put his helmet on his sacred head, And took his good sharp weapon in his hand, And braced himself for battle long disused. Text