66 his own son. Many have fallen, but Murrogh's banner still stands, moving through the battalions." "That is well," replied the king: as long as the men of Erin see that standard they will fight with courage and valour." The same question a third time towards evening. "It is now as if Tomar's wood were on fire, and the flames burning, and the multitudes hewing down the underwood, leaving the tall trees standing. For the ranks are thinned, and only a few great heroes are left to maintain the fight. The foreigners are now defeated; but the standard of Murrogh has fallen.” "Evil are those tidings," said the old warrior king: "if Murrogh is fallen the valour of the men of Erin is fled, and they shall never more look on a champion like him." And again he knelt and prayed. And now came the great rout; and the guards, thinking all danger past, eagerly joined in the pursuit, so that the king and his attendant were left alone. Then Laiten becoming alarmed, said:-"Many flying parties of foreigners are around us: let us hasten to the camp where we shall be in safety." But the king replied:-" Retreat becomes us not; I know I shall not leave this place alive and what avails me, now in my old age, to survive Murrogh and the other champions of the Dalgas." He then spoke his last will to the attendant, giving his property to various religious houses, and directing, as a farewell mark of devotion to the church, that his body should be buried at Armagh: and after this he resumed his prayers. It happened that Broder, who had fled from the battle-field, came with some followers at this very time towards the tent. "I see some people approaching," said Laiten. "What manner of people are they?" asked the king. "Blue and naked people," replied the attendant. "They are Danes in armour," exclaimed the king, and instantly rising from his cushion, he drew his sword. Broder at that instant rushed on him with a double-edged battle-axe, but was met by a blow of the heavy sword that cut off both legs, one from the knee and the other from the ankle. But the furious Viking, even while falling, cleft the king's head with the axe. After a little time the guards, as if struck by a sudden sense of danger, returned in haste: but too late. They found the king dead, and his slayer stretched by his side dying. As to the numbers killed, the records differ greatly. According to the annals of Ulster 7000 fell on the Danish side and 4000 on the Irish, which is probably about the truth. Almost all the leaders on both sides were slain, and among them Mailmora, the direct inciter of the battle. The battle of Clontarf was the last great struggle between Christianity and heathenism. The news resounded through all Europe, and brought dismay and terror to every Norse household from the Baltic shore to their furthest settlements in the south. The Nial Saga-the Danish chronicle-relates the whole story of the battle as a great defeat, and tells of fearful visions and portents seen by the Scandinavian people in their homes in the north, on that fatal Good Friday. It ought to be remembered that in the very year of this great battle, Sweyn the Dane overran and mastered England; and that after his death three Danish kings ruled the country in succession. The body of King Brian and that of his son Murrogh were conveyed with great solemnity to Armagh, where they were interred in the cathedral, the archbishop and the clergy celebrating the obsequies for twelve days. On Easter Sunday Donogh entered the camp to find that all was over. As soon as the dead had been buried, he led his shattered Dalcassian battalions homewards towards Kincora, bearing their wounded on litters. When they had arrived near Athy, Mac Gilla Patrick, prince of Ossory, an old enemy of the Dalcassians, basely marched out to attack them. Donogh, making hasty preparations to meet him, gave orders that all the sick and wounded should be placed in the rear, with one-third of the army to guard them: but these brave men, feeble as they were, insisted on taking part in the fight. "Let stakes from the neighbouring wood be fixed in the ground," said they, "and let us be tied to them for support, with our swords in our hands, having our wounds bound up with moss, and let two unwounded men stand by each of us, on the right and on the left. Thus will we fight; and our companions will fight the better for seeing us." It was done so. And when the Ossorians saw this, they were struck with fear and pity, and refused point blank to attack such resolute and desperate men: so that the Dalcassians were permitted to pass on. This is the incident referred to by Moore in the song, "Remember the glories of Brian the brave": : "Forget not our wounded companions who stood In the day of distress by our side, When the moss of the valley grew red with their blood, After the battle of Clontarf and the death of Brian, Malachi, by general consent, took possession of the throne. He reigned for eight years after, and gave evidence of his old energy by crushing some risings of the Danes-feeble expiring imitations of their ancient ferocious raids—and by gaining several victories over the Leinstermen. He died in 1022, in the seventythird year of his age, leaving behind him a noble record of self-denial, public spirit, and kingly dignity. CHAPTER XVII. THE EVE OF THE INVASION. (A.D. 1022-1166.) ETWEEN the death of Malachi II. and the AngloNorman invasion about a century and a half elapsed, which was a period of great confusion; for the provincial kings waged incessant war with one another, striving who should be Ard-ri. At first the struggle lay between the O'Loghlins or Mac Loghlins of Ulster (who were a branch of the O'Neills) and the O'Briens of Thomond--the descendants of Brian Boru -till at last the O'Briens went down; and next between the O'Loghlins and the O'Conors of Connaught, till the O'Conors finally triumphed. These dissensions so weakened the country that the first Anglo-Norman invaders met with only a fitful and feeble resistance, and gained a foothold without any very great difficulty. Yet amid all this turmoil, the Irish kings continued to patronise and encourage learning and art, as is proved. by works still remaining, several of which are figured in this chapter. During this time there were eight provincial kings who are commonly set down as kings of Ireland; but not one of them made any pretence to rule the whole country to every one there was opposition-a refusal to acknowledge his authority-from some one or more of the provinces. Hence these eight are known in history as "kings with opposition." The first was Donogh, king of Munster, son of Brian Boru, who mastered all Ireland except Ulster, on which The beautiful and costly Shrine here represented was made by order of King Donall O'Loghlin (page 123) to cover the kings with opposition. Immediately on his death (1072), Turlogh O'Brien, venerable little iron bell of St. Patrick. Both Shrine and Bell king of Mun are in the National Museum, Dublin. Shrine 10%1⁄2 inches high. From Miss Stokes' "Christian Inscriptions," II. 110. ster, grandson of Brian Boru, asserted his claim to the supreme monarchy; and he is reckoned the third "king with opposition." |