University of Virginia Library

SCENE VIII.

Another part of the field. Enter Naisa, Ainli, and Ardan.
NAISA.
See! the Ultonians come to fire the house!
Go, Ardan, put it out. I will go forth
With Ainli to destroy three thousand more!
Come forth, dear brother! charge upon the Fiends!

Enter Daidra.
DAIDRA.
Well, by my troth! this is a prosperous day.
How many have you slain?

NAISA.
Three thousand men!
They lie, scattered around, like murrain sheep,
Whitening the earth with their gashed carcasses!
Like foliage of the woods in Autumn time,
Through which some furious Hurricane has passed,
Leaving the giant Oaks all naked to the blast—
So, through that wilderness of men, we passed—
Each Tree of Life shedding its leaves before—
Cutting our pathway up to Fame's dread Mount,
Where stands immortal Liberty, to crown
Our heads with Glory's everlasting bays.

[Exeunt.
Enter Conor.
CONOR.
Where is my own son, Fiacara the Fair?

FIACARA
(entering).
Here, father; here I am.

CONOR.
Ay, by my troth,
My noble boy! Knowest thou not that thou wert born
On the same night with Illan Fin, the Fair?

FIACARA.
As thou hast said, dear father, it must be.

CONOR.
As he has now his father's arms, take mine—
The Ocean, the Victorious, with the Cast,
And the Blue-Green Blade—that is, my Shield—
And my two Javelins and my Sword with you—
And urge great resolution on the field—
Meeting him front to front! If you do fall,
You will fall nobly fighting for the Crown,
And thy dear father's life. If he should fall,
Glory will crown thy head with living Bays,
And After Ages trumpet thee to Heaven!

FIACARA.
Farewell! I go to meet him, face to face—
Who never wages took from mortal man,
Except his father. There does stand not on
The ridge of this great world, a soul more brave!
If I do kill him, I will kill the bravest Man
That ever lived. If he kill me—then he
Will kill one who was brave enough to fight
With him! So let this be my Epitaph!
Farewell!

[Exit.
CONOR.
May all the Gods defend thy steps!

[Exit.
Enter Daidra, meeting Illan the Fair.
DAIDRA.
Where is Naisa?

ILLAN.
Safe—triumphant still!
Swift, like an Eagle among Crows, or Jove
Among the Infernal Gods, so charged he on
To Victory—Victory, doubly glorious,
Because so doubly dear!

DAIDRA.
Thank God for that!
But where is Conor?

ILLAN.
Fighting still—for life!
He seems like Lucifer let loose from Hell,
To make a bonfire of the bleeding World!

Enter Naisa.
DAIDRA.
Buini the Ruthless Red, has been false!

NAISA.
Let him be false, then—a father-like son.
But we are true—true to ourselves—to God!
What more could Angels be?

DAIDRA.
No more.
Thou hast been more than Angel unto me.

ILLAN.
By all the Gods in Heaven! we are like Gods!
They fell before us like the Harvest ripe,
Before the Reaper's sickle-edge! Now let
The Devil gather up his cockle-tails,
And shock them down in Hell for Monuments,
To preach forever of their overthrow!

NAISA.
Oh! Illan! this has been a bloody day!

ILLAN.
The Sun seems setting now in blood, God's sign
That even to-morrow will be bloodier still!

NAISA.
Like the great King of Glory, newly stabbed,
Climbing with labor now the bending sky—
Wiping the crimson baptism from his brow,
Then sprinkling it against the Doors of Heaven;
So rose the Sun, this morning, drenched in blood—
Until the clouds, his garments, rent in twain,
Wept crimson drops of rain to see him bleed!

ILLAN.
Let the day come—we are prepared for it.
'Tis not the day makes man, but man the day.
For never, while my heart beats in my breast,
Will I be false to Usna's Sons.

NAISA.
Nor they to thee.

ILLAN.
Then let us make three circuits round the Court,
And slay all that we meet!

NAISA.
We will. Come on!
To reap another harvest for the Crows—
Trusting in God's great power within our arms.
On—on, brave Illan, for another fight!

[Exeunt.