but soon found themselves in want of helpmates. They applied again to their neighbours, and were obligingly supplied with wives on the condition that, when any difficulty should arise they should choose a king from the female royal race rather than from the male.' The Picts accepted the terms and the ladies; and the custom,' says Bede, as is well known, is observed among the Picts to this day.'

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CHAPTER II.

THE PAGAN MILESIAN KINGS OF IRELAND.

B. C. 1015 To A. D. 428.

SYNCHRONOUS EVENTS: Solomon, King of Israel-Revolt of the Ten Tribes-Kingdom of Macedon founded - Foundation of Rome-Sennacherib invades Judea-Termination of the Assyrian MonarchyBabylon taken by the Persians-Treaty between the Romans and Carthaginians-Persia invaded by Alexander-Punic wars-Death of Pompey-Murder of Cæsar-Birth of JESUS CHRIST-Persecution of the Christians-Alaric besieges Rome.

A

SECTION I. The Pagan Milesian Kings.

HUNDRED and eighteen sovereigns are said to have ruled in ancient Erin from the Milesian invasion to the coming of St. Patrick. But authentic Irish history is said to commence B.C. 716. Before that period, the principal deeds recorded are the clearing of forests, the enactment of laws, and the erection of forts.

Eremon divided Ireland during the year in which he obtained the sole sovereignty of that country. He gave the province of Ulster to Emhear, son of Ir; Munster to the five sons of Emhear Finn; Connaught to Un and Eadan; and Leinster to Crimhthann, a descendant of the Firbolgs. Eremon had married Tea, the daughter of Lughaidh, son of Ith, in Spain; and she requested a 'choice hill' as her dower, where she might be interred, and where every prince born of her race might dwell. She selected the hill of Druim-Caein. This was the name given by the Firbolg chieftains to the eminence subsequently known as the hill of Teamhair [Tara], mur in Irish, signifying a town or palace, and being joined to Tea gives its meaning, the house or palace of Tea. Thus was

founded the famous Tara, the ruins of which remain to the present day. The meaning of the name, however, has been variously rendered, and the most generally received interpretation is that Teamhair means a hill commanding a pleasant prospect. Eremon died at Airget-Ros, in the fifteenth year of his reign.

SECTION II. The Reign of Queen Macha.

About three hundred years before Christ, three cousins, the sons of three brothers, claimed an equal right to the throne, and it is at this period that the authentic preChristian history of Ireland is supposed to commence. These princes were named respectively Hugh the Red, Dithorba, and Kimbay. A compact was made, by which they agreed that each should reign for seven years in turn, and their agreement was confirmed by seven druids, seven poets, and seven champions; the seven druids to crush them by their incantations, the seven poets to lacerate them by their satires, the seven young champions to slay and burn them, should the proper man of them not receive the sovereignty at the end of each seventh year.' This compact was observed till each had reigned twice, for seven years in turn. After Hugh the Red had obtained his third septennial, he was drowned at Assaroe (Red Hugh's Cataract). Dithorba succeeded, and then Kimbay; but when it came to Hugh's turn again, his daughter Macha claimed the throne.

The two princes refused to give the sovereign power to a woman, and Macha had recourse to arms to enforce her claim. She obtained the victory, and drove Dithorba and his sons into Connaught, where he was slain. Having thus disposed of one of her opponents, she married the other and allowed him to reign. When the sovereignty had been settled, she marched into Connaught and captured Dithorba's sons, and brought them back in fetters to Ulster, where she compelled them to erect the fort of Emhain that it might always be the chief city of Ulster. A considerable portion of this marvellous fortress is still in

UGAINÉ AND HIS SON LORC.

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It is situated

existence, and is now called Navan Fort. near the present town of Armagh. Macha survived her husband seven years, and was slain by Rectaid; but her death was avenged by her foster-son Ugainé Môr, whose long and prosperous reign forms an important period in Irish pagan records. Ugainé Môr governed Ireland for fifty years; and the annalists declare that his power was acknowledged as far as the Mediterranean Sea. Ugainé Môr (the Great) divided his kingdom between his twentyfive children, of whom twenty-two were sons; and he exacted an oath from the people, 'by the sun and moon, the sea, the dew, and the colours, and all the elements visible and invisible,' that the sovereignty of Erin should not be taken from his descendants for ever. This mode of binding posterity seems to have been a favourite one, for we find it again adopted by Tuathal Techtmar, one of Ugainé's descendants.

Ugainé was succeeded by his son, Lorc, who was cruelly and treacherously killed by his brother, Cael. Indeed, few monarchs lived out their time in peace during this and the succeeding centuries. The assassination of Laeghairé was another manifestation of the old-world story of envy. The treacherous Cael feigned sickness, which he knew would obtain a visit from his brother. When the monarch stooped to embrace him, he plunged a dagger into his heart. His next act was to kill his nephew, Ailill Ainé; and his illtreatment of Ainé's son, Maen, was the consummation of his cruelty. The fratricide was at last slain by this very youth, who had now obtained the appellation of 'Lowry of the Ships.'

The History of the Exile' is still preserved in the Leabhar Buidhé Lecain, now in the Library of Trinity College, Dublin. It is a highly romantic story, but evidently founded on fact, and full of interest, as descriptive of public and private life about three centuries before Christ. It tells how Maen, though supposed to be deaf and dumb, was, nevertheless, given in charge of two officers of the court to be educated; that he recovered or rather obtained speech suddenly, in a quarrel with another youth; and that he was as symmetrical of form and noble of bearing as all heroes

of romance are bound to be. His uncle expelled him from the kingdom, and he took refuge at the court of King Scoriath. King Scoriath had a daughter, who was beautiful, and of whom Maen became enamoured. The Lady Moriath's beauty had bewildered more heads than that of the knight-errant; but the Lady Moriath's father and mother were determined their daughter should not marry.

The harper Craftiné came to the rescue, and at last, by his all-entrancing skill, so ravished the whole party of knights and nobles, that the lovers were able to enjoy a tête-à-tête, and pledged mutual vows. The parents yielded when they found it was useless to resist; and, no doubt, the poet Craftiné, who nearly lost his head in the adventure, was the most welcome of all welcome guests at the nuptial feast. Indeed, he appears to have been retained as comptroller of the house and confidential adviser long after; for when Maen was obliged to fly the country, he confided his wife to the care of Craftiné. On his return from France' he obtained possession of the kingdom, to which he was the rightful heir, and reigned over the men of Erin for eighteen years.

Another of the Historic Tales gives an account of the destruction of the court at Da Derga, which the 'Annals of the Four Masters' relate thus: 'Conairé, the son of Ederscel, after having been seventy years in the sovereignty of Erin, was slain at Bringhean Dá Dhearga by the insurgents.' Another prince, Evehy Felia, was noted for sighing. He rescinded the division of Ireland into twentyfive portions, which had been made by Ugainé Nôr for the benefit of his numerous offspring, and divided the island into five provinces, over each of which he appointed a provincial king, under his obedience. Fergus, son of Leide, he made king of Ulster; Dearga, son of Lur, and his relative Tighernach, were made kings of the two Munsters; Rossa, a son of Fergus, was made king of Leinster'; Oilioll, who was married to a daughter of Eochy, the famous

It is said that foreigners who came with him from Gaul were armed with broad-headed lances (called in Irish laighne), whence the province of Leinster has derived its name.