Page:Athletics and Manly Sport (1890).djvu/244

Rh "The relics of a civilization three thousand years old may still be gazed upon by modern eyes in the splendid and unrivalled antiquarian collection of the Royal Irish Academy. The golden circlets, the fibulas, torques, bracelets, rings, worn by the Tuatha Dé Danann, are not only costly in value, but often so singularly beautiful in the working out of minute artistic details, that modern art is not merely imable to equal them, but unable even to comprehend how the ancient workers in metal could accomplish works of such delicate, almost microscopic, minuteness of finish," (Sir William Wilde, "Ancient Dublin")

I have said this much about those ancient and precious Irish books to introduce a description of a fight between two Irish chieftains, which is related in the "Táin Bó Chuailgne", The poem is a picture of the time, an evidence of the extraordinary development of Irish civilization at a period when every country in Europe north of Italy was in absolute barbarism. Even at the time of its transcription by St. Ciaran, nearly thirteen and a half centuries ago, literature had not been born in England; indeed, that country was in the rudest condition, just emerging from the darkness of an utterly unsocial state.

I quote and condense from the book of the Táin, entitled "The Fight of Ferdiad:"

"And then it was discussed by the men of Eiriu who should go to combat and do battle with Cuchulaind at the early hour of the morrow. [Cuchulaind, or Cuchullain, had challenged all Queen Medb's warriors.] That they all said was: that it was Ferdiad, son of Daman, son of Dáre, the valiant warrior of