* The genuine history and records of Ireland abound with incidents singularly romantic, and of details exquisitely interesting. In the account of the death of the celebrated hero Conrigh, as given by Demetrius O’Connor, the following instance of fidelity and affection of a family bard is given. “When the beautiful but faithless Blanaid, whose hand Conrigh had obtained as the reward of his valour, armed a favourite lover against the life of her husband, and fled with the murderer; Fierchiertne, the poet and bard of Conrigh, in the anguish of his heart for the loss of a generous master, resolved upon sacrificing the criminal Blanaid to the manes of his murdered lord. He therefore secretly pursued her from the palace in Kerry to the court of Ulster, whither she had fled with her homicide paramour. On his arrival there, the first object that saluted his eyes was the king of that province, walking on the the edge of the steep rocks of Rinchin Beara, surrounded by the principal nobility of his court; and in the splendid train he soon perceived the lovely, but guilty Blanaid and her treacherous lover. The bard concealed himself until he observed his mistress withdraw from the brilliant crowd, and stand at the edge of a steep cliff; then courteously and flatteringly addressing her, and clasping her firmly to his breast, threw himself headlong with his prey down the precipice. They were both dashed to pieces.”
“And from what period,” said I, “may the decline of these once potent and revered members of the state be dated?”
“I would almost venture to say,” returned the priest, “so early as in the latter end of the sixth century; for we read in an Irish record, that about _that_ period the _Irish monarch_ convened the princes, nobles, and clergy of the kingdom, to the parliament of _Drumceat_; and the chief motive alleged for summoning this vast assembly was to banish the Fileas or bards.”
“Which might be deemed then,” interrupted I, “a league of the _Dunces_ against _Wit_ and _Genius_.”
“Not altogether,” returned the priest. “It was in some respects a necessary policy. For, strange to say, nearly the third part of Ireland had adopted a profession at once so revered, and privileged, so honoured and so caressed by all ranks of the state. Indeed, about this period, such was the influence they had obtained in the kingdom, that the inhabitants without distinction were obliged to receive and maintain them from November till May, if it were the pleasure of the bard to become their guest; nor were there any object on which their daring wishes rested that was not instantly put into their possession. And such was the ambition of one of their order, that he made a demand on the golden broach or clasp that braced the regal robe on the breast of royalty itself, which was unalienable with the crown, and descended with the empire from generation to generation.”