THE WASHER OF THE FORD LEGENDARY MORALITIES AND BARBARIC TALES BY FIONA MACLEOD [Decoration] NEW YORK STONE & KIMBALL M DCCC XCVI BY THE SAME AUTHOR Pharais: _A Romance of the Isles_ The Mountain Lovers: _A Romance_ The Sin-Eater IN PREPARATION: Green Fire: _A Romance_ Lyric Rimes and Founsheen CONTENTS PAGE Prologue 3 The Washer of the Ford 25 St. Bride of the Isles 51 The Fisher of Men 97 The Last Supper 117 The Dark Nameless One 135 The Three Marvels of Hy 149 I. The Festival of the Birds 151 II. The Sabbath of the Fishes and the Flies 161 III. The Moon-Child 170 The Annir-Choille 183 The Shadow-Seers 237 I. The Sight 239 II. The Dark Hour of Fergus 244 III. The White Fever 254 IV. The Smoothing of the Hand 260 Seanachas 267 The Song of the Sword 271 The Flight of the Culdees 289 Mircath 301 The Laughter of Scathach the Queen 309 Ula and Urla 321 "Here are told the stories of these pictures of the imagination, of magic and romance. Yet they were gravely chosen withal, and for reasons manifold.... What if they be but dreams? 'We are such stuff as dreams are made of.' What if they be but magic and romance? These things are not ancient and dead, but modern and increasing. For wherever a man learns power over Nature, there is Magic; wherever he carries out an ideal into Life there is Romance." Patrick Geddes: "_The Interpreter_." PROLOGUE (TO KATHIA) _I find, under the boughs of love and hate, Eternal Beauty wandering on her way._ The Rose upon the Rood of Time.