Now a vision came to Ailill, as in sleep he lay awhile, or a youth and dame approached him, fairer none in Erin's Isle: "Who are ye?" said Ailill; "Conquest," said the fairy, "and Defeat "Though Defeat I shun," said Ailill, "Conquest joyfully I meet." "Conquest thou shalt have!" she answered: "Of the future I would ask, Canst thou read my fate?" said Ailill: "Light indeed for me the task," Said the dame: "the kine of Dartaid, Eocho's daughter, may be won: Forty cows she owns; to gain them send to her thy princely son, Orlam, whom that maiden loveth: let thy son to start prepare, Forty youths from Connaught with him, each of them a prince's heir: Choose thou warriors stout and stately; I will give them garments bright, Even those that decked the princes who so lately fell in fight: Bridles, brooches, all I give thee; ere the morning sun be high Thou shalt count that fairy treasure: to our country now we fly." Swiftly to the son of Tassa sped they thence, to Corp the Gray: On the northern bank of Naymon was his hold, and there he lay; And before the men of Munster, as their champion did he stand: He hath wrought-so runs the proverb-evil, longer than his hand. As to Corp appeared the vision: "Say," he cried, "what names ye boast!" "Ruin, one is called," they answered; "one, The Gathering of the Host!" An assembled host I welcome," answered them the gray Corp Lee; "Ruin I abhor": "And ruin," they replied, "is far from thee; Thou shalt bring on sons of nobles, and of kings a ruin great": "Fairy," said Corp Lee, the Gray one, "tell me of that future fate." "Easy is the task," she answered, "youths of every royal race That in Connaught's land hath dwelling, come to-morrow to this place; Munster's kine they hope to harry, for the Munster princes fell Yesterday with Connaught fighting; and the hour I plainly ten: At the ninth hour of the morning shall they come: the band is small: Have thou valiant men to meet them, and upon the raiders fall! Munster's honour hath been tarnished! clear it by a glorious deed! Thou shalt purge the shame if only in the foray thou succeed." "What should be my force?" he asked her: "Take of heroes seven score For that fight," she said, "and with them seven times twenty warriors more: Far from thee we now are flying; but shall meet thee with thy power When to-morrow's sun is shining; at the ninth, the fated hour." At the dawn, the time appointed, all those steeds and garments gay Were in Connaught, and they found them at the gate of Croghan Ay; All was there the fay had promised, all the gifts of which we told: All the splendour that had lately decked the princes they behold. Doubtful were the men of Connaught; some desired the risk to face; Some to go refused: said Ailill, "It should bring us to disgrace