<> Deirdre Linen Hall Library 1880 Linen Hall Library Thursday, February 4, 2016 TIFF Ferg040 Manuscript Sea-birds, Conor, Ulster English https://www.niliteraryarchive.com/content/ferg040 Linen Hall Library Linen Hall Library Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike CC BY-NC-SA https://www.niliteraryarchive.com/sites/default/files/Ferg040_0.jpg LHL Archive Sing to the harp, or listen to old tales Of love, and lover's perils, hopes and joys ; While Ardan and Lord Naisi seated by Beguiled the swift time in their chess-play-wars DEIRDRE, Lo, Ardan comes in haste. He wears the look Of one who presently has news to tell. No news were now good news. I pray the Gods We're not found out ! ARDAN. A sail, I've seen a sail Unless the sea-fog cheats my sight, a sail. DEIRDRE. A flight of sea-birds, haply ; not a sail. NAISI. Nay, wherefore, not a sail ? Were't Conor himself And all his ships, I'd hail the face of man. Let's forth and see it, whatsoe'er it be. AINLE. Hark, heard ye not a cry ? DEIRDRE. No. Keep within, 'Tis the fox barking, haply ; not a cry. ARDAN. 'Tis a man's cry ; a hunter's hallo, hark ! NAISI. I know the call ; an Ulster man is he Who gives it. If my old and glorious friend Fergus, the son of Roy, yet walks the earth, It is his hunting-call. Ho, Fergus, ho ! DEIRDRE. Vain my contention. Here, alas, he comes. FERGUS. Found in good hour. Hail ! sons of Usnach, hail! NAISI. Comest thou, Fergus, enemy or friend ? FERGUS. Friend as of old ; to well-loved friends I come, Text