Disaster, mishap, misfortune. Meditate, to plan, to intend. Handwood, a piece of wood to serve as a knocker, kept in a niche outside the door. Battalion, a body of foot soldiers. Alluring, very good, tempting a person to eat. Viands, food, victuals. XIV.--Page 72. Looming, appearing darkly and dimly in the distance. Steadfast, firm, fixed, determined. Valorous, brave, fearless, valiant. Your dear charge, Deirdre. Assailants, persons assailing or attacking. Misgivings, doubts and fears of something wrong. Unwittingly, without knowing. Unerring, with a straight aim so as not to miss. XV.--Page 75. Hireling troops, soldiers serving for pay: they were not Ultonians and did not belong to the Red Branch. The troops of the Red Branch could not be got to attack the Sons of Usna. Shouts of defiance, shouts challenging and threatening. Assault, a violent attack. Marshalling, arranging. Treason, treachery, foul play. Circuit, a journey around. Fissure, a split or chasm. Solemn, awful, serious, grave. Response, answer, reply. XVI.--Page 80. Deeming, believing, thinking. Onslaught, a fierce attack. Mannanan Mac Lir, the Pagan Irish sea-god. XVII.--Page 84. Billows of war, the tide or onward press of battle. Wreak, to inflict, to execute. XVIII.--Page 85. Incensed, very angry. Anguish, great grief, pain. Descendants, children, grand-children, &c. Spoil, to plunder and pillage. Illustrious, famous, noble, great. Marauding, plundering, robbing. Ravage, to lay waste and plunder. XIX.--Page 87. Magic, witchcraft, spells. Mighty, of wonderful skill. Distinguish, to tell one from another. Shadowy, uncertain, legendary. Historic times, when there are true accounts of things that happened. Professional, following some profession or calling. Remuneration, payment, salary. Attached, joined to. XX.--Page 89. Reverently, with great respect. Gaelic, the Irish language. Lore, learning. Injunction, an order or charge, an advice that should be followed. Extract, to take out. Devotedly, with great and anxious care. Balm, a sort of ointment that soothes pain and cures. Sentiments, thoughts, feelings. Comparatively late, late compared with older times. Predecessor, one who held an office or place before another. XXI.--Page 92. Tradition, accounts handed down from generation to generation. Provincial, belonging to one of the five provinces of Ireland. Tests, trials. Entertaining, amusing, diverting. Festive, joyous, gay, with feasts. Sedge, a kind of coarse grass. Keating: the Rev. Doctor Geoffry Keating, who wrote, in Irish, a well known History of Ireland, full of old stories: died 1644. Oppression, cruelty, tyranny, hardship. Suppress, to put down. Exact, to make people pay. An Irish poet: Thomas Darcy M'Gee.