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 of sun-coloured silk, and on his head a red-gold crown. The queen stood by his side, attended by a number of fair young girls, and when the king and queen had greeted Niav they welcomed me.

"'There is no man we welcome more gladly to our land, noble Oisin,' the king said. 'For love of you our daughter Niav travelled the wide sea; for love of her you left your father and friends and country; now our fair and gentle daughter shall be given to you to be your wife for ever. Peace and joy and lasting youth will here be yours too, and all the delights that the heart can desire or the mind imagine you will find awaiting you.'

"I am not usually lacking in speech, Patrick, as you know, but there was such a high and splendid dignity about the king that I could find no words with which to thank him for his gracious welcome; I could only bend my knee before him in silent homage.

"Then we went into the dún, where a great feast was prepared in honour of our coming. For ten days we feasted and rejoiced; at the close of that time Niav became my wife.