Him answered Oscar’s trusty steel; When craven Conan, taught to feel, And trembling for his worthless life, The Fenians prayed to end the strife, And stay rough Oscar’s blade. Between them swift the Fenians rushed, The rising storm of battle hushed, And Oscar’s vengeance stayed. Of Cumhail’s son then Caoilte sought What wizard Danan foe had wrought Such piteous change--and Finn replied, “’Twas Guillin’s daughter--me she bound By a sacred spell to search the tide Till the ring she lost was found.” Then Conan spoke in altered mood-- “Safe may we ne’er depart, Till we see restored our chieftain good, Or Guillin rue his art!” Then close around our chief we throng, And bear him on our shields along. Eight days and nights the caverned seat Where Guillin made his dark retreat We dig with sleepless care; Pour through its windings close the light, Till we see, in all her radiance bright, Spring forth th’ enchantress fair. A chalice she bore of angled mould,[5] And sparkling rich with gems and gold; Its brimming fount in the hand she placed Of Finn, whose looks small beauty graced. Feeble he drinks--the potion speeds Through every joint and pore; To palsied age fresh youth succeeds-- Finn of the swift and slender steeds Becomes himself once more. His shape, his strength, his bloom returns, And in manly glory bright he burns! We gave three shouts that rent the air-- The badgers fled the vale: And now, O sage of frugal care, Hast thou not heard the tale? D. [1] The game of chess is repeatedly noticed in connection with various historical incidents in the early history of Ireland. Theophilus O’Flanagan, in a note to his translation of _Deirdri_, an ancient Irish tale, published in the Transactions of the Gaelic Society of Dublin, speaks of it as “a military game that engages the mental faculties, like mathematical science.” O’Flaherty’s Ogygia states that Cathir, the 120th king of Ireland, left among his bequests to Crimthan “two chess-boards with their chess-men distinguished with their specks and power; on which account he was constituted master of the games in Leinster.” In the first book of Homer’s Odyssey the suitors are described as amusing themselves with the game of chess:-- _With rival art and ardour in their mien,_ _At chess they vie to captivate the queen,_ _Divining of their loves._ In Pope’s translation there is a learned note on the subject, to which the curious reader is referred; and also to a passage in Vallancey’s Essay on the Celtic Language. [2] Literally, _as lime_. [3] This will remind the reader of a similar question by Venus in the first Eneid:--