Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: C 0 N G A L. BOOK IIL The dusky Dalaradian hefghts at hand appearing now, King Congal, as apart he stood, and from his galley's prow Beheld the swift ships far dispersed across the ocean dark, As harnessed steers, when, for a prize, within some rich man's park, They cut in clay, with coulter clean, the onward-reddening line, With slant keels ceaseless turning up the white-foam'd barren brine, 5 And black, pernicious, woe-charged sides, and tall masts forward bow'd, Intent to launch their fatal freight on Erin, groaned aloud: And " Much-loved native hills," he said, " I grieve that thus I come " Not charged with cups or cattle-spoil, nor carrying captives home, " Nor bearing boast of friends relieved or enemies confused, 10 " As other ship-returning Kings have heretofore been used; "" '' " " But laden deep with death and woe, of all my race the first - " To bringjhfi hireling stranger in, I come in hour accurst." Exclaimed an aged mariner who by the main-mast stood— " O'er all the Dalaradian hills there hangs a cloud.of blood. 15 " Gore-drops fall from its edges." , " Peace, foot" the King returned, " Twos but the early morning mist that in the sunrise burned." And cried to thrust the barques ashore where in a winding bay, Far camped along the margent foam, the hosts of Ulster lay Expectant. Forth the anchors went; and shoreward swinging round, S The lofty poops of all the fleet together took the ground, Harsh grinding on the pebbly beach : then, like as though a witch, Brewing her charm in cauldron black, should chance at owlet's scritch Hooting athwart the gloom, to turn her head aside, the while 10 Winds bellow, and the fell contents on all sides overboil: So, down the steep, dark galley's sides leaped t...