thousand guests daily, besides princes, orators, and

men of science, engravers of gold and silver, carvers, modelers, and nobles. The Irish description of the banqueting-hall is thus translated: twelve stalls or divisions in each wing; sixteen attendants on each side, and two to each table; one hundred guests in

all."

Verse 7. 1. 4.

And stemm'd De Bourgo's chivalry.

The house of O'Connor had a right to boast of their victories over the English. It was a chief of the O'Connor race who gave a check to the English champion, De Courcey, so famous for his personal strength, and for cleaving a helmet at one blow of his sword, in the presence of the kings of France

and England, when the French champion declined the combat with him. Though ultimately conquered by the English under De Bourgo, the O'Connors had also humbled the pride of that name on a memorable occasion: viz. when Walter De Bourgo, an ancestor of that De Bourgo who won the battle of Athunree, had become so insolent as to make excessive demands upon the territories of Connaught, and to bid defiance to all the rights and properties reserved by the Irish chiefs. Aeth O'Connor, a near descendant of the famous Cathal, surnamed of the bloody hand, rose against the usurper, and de

feated the English so severely, that their general died of chagrin after the battle.

Verse 6. 1. 7.

Or Beal fires for your jubilee.

The month of May is to this day called Mi Beal

tiennie, i. e. the month of Beal's fire, in the original language of Ireland. the summits of mountains (the Irish antiquaries say) in honour of the sun; and are supposed, by those conjecturing gentlemen, to prove the origin of the Irish from some nation who worshipped Baal or Belus. Many hills in Ireland still retain the name of Cnoc Greine, i. e. the hill of the sun; and on all are to be seen the ruins of druidical altafs.

These fires were lighted on

Verse 8. 1. 12.

And play my clarshech by thy side.

The clarshech, or harp, the principal musical

instrument of the Hibernian bards, does not appear

to be of Irish origin, nor indigenous to any of the British islands.—The Britons undoubtedly were not acquainted with it during the residence of the Romans in their country, as in all their coins, on which musical instruments are represented, we see only the

Roman lyre, and not the British teylin or harp.

Verse 9. 1. 3 and 4.

And saw at dawn the lofty bawn.

Bawn, from the Teutonic Bawen-to construct

and secure with branches of trees, was so called because the primitive Celtic fortification was made by digging a ditch, throwing up a rampart, and on the latter fixing stakes, which were interlaced with boughs of trees. This word is used by Spenser;

but it is inaccurately called by Mr. Todd, his anno

tator, an eminence.

Verse 9. 1. 5.

And go to Athunree, I cried

In the reign of Edward the Second, the Irish

presented to Pope John the Twenty-second a memorial of their sufferings under the English, of which the language exhibits all the strength of despair."Ever since the English (say they) first appeared

66

upon our coasts, they entered our territories under

"a certain specious pretence of charity, and ex"ternal hypocritical shew of religion, endeavouring

"at the same time, by every artifice malice could

suggest, to extirpate us root and branch, and with

"out any other right than that of the strongest, they