Muircheartach carried off the King of Ulster; and, as the old chroniclers tell us, keeping his left hand to the sea, he fared to Dublin, then the greatest stronghold the Danes had, not only in Ireland but in the west of Europe. He did not have to fight the Danes of Dublin, although he had often fought them before, for their king, probably thinking that "discretion was the better part of valour," surrendered himself a prisoner. And here one of these inconsequential incidents is related, which no one but an ancient Irish poet would dream of mentioning. Muircheartach seems to have had no objection to make love to a Danish maiden, often as he had fought Danish men. Cormacan, the poet, tells us that they "Were a night at fair Ath-cliath [Dublin]; It was not a pleasure to the foreigners: There was a damsel in the strong fortress Whose soul the son of Niall was; She came forth until she was outside the walls, Although the night was constantly bad." Muircheartach then proceeded south-west from Dublin to Aillinn, and carried away the King of Leinster. He then made for Cashel, where the King of Munster lived. But Callachan, that was his name, showed fight, and Muircheartach's men threw off their leather cloaks and prepared to stand by him. However, seeing that things were beginning to look serious, the King of Munster yielded and was carried away prisoner with a golden fetter on him. The leader of the Circuit then turned northwards into Connacht, and carried away the king of that province. So he had the four provincial kings in his power, and also the Danish King of Dublin. But he did them neither hurt nor harm, for he seems to have been in a good humour all the time he was "on circuit"; and we are told by his poet laureate that on their halts the soldiers amused themselves in many ways, especially by music and dancing, and he says-- "Music we had on the plain and in our tents, Listening to its strains, we danced awhile; There, methinks, a heavy noise was made By the shaking of our hard cloaks." The next three verses are magnificent. They are full of dramatic power and naturalness. When the triumphant army, but triumphant without having shed a drop of blood, approach Aileach, a messenger is sent forward to announce its arrival:-- "From the green of Lochan-na-neach A page is despatched to Aileach To tell Duvdaire[8] of the black hair To send women to cut rushes. "'Rise up, O Duvdaire (_said the page_), There is a company coming to thy house; Attend every man of them As a monarch should be attended.' "'Tell me (_she said_) what company comes hither To the lordly Aileach Rigreann, Tell me, O fair page, That I may attend them?' "'The Kings of Erin in fetters (_he replies_), With Muircheartach, son of the warlike Niall.'"