The stainless heavens beneath His Hands unfolded,
    He moulded Man as free of mortal stain,
  And even now Earth’s sin-struck sons and daughters
    His Living Waters can make whole again.

  Not unto all of you is this my message
    Of marvellous presage at this hour revealed. 
  Let Bran but listen from Earth’s concourse crowded
    Unto the shrouded wisdom there concealed.

  Upon a couch of languor lie not sunken,
    Beware lest drunkenness becloud thy speech! 
  Put forth, O Bran, across the far, clear waters. 
    And Evin’s daughters haply thou may’st reach.

[Footnote A:  Plain or tableland such as the Curragh of Kildare.]

THE WISDOM OF KING CORMAC

(From the Early Irish)

THE DEPTHS OF KING CORMAC’S HEART

  Carbery

  “Cormac, Conn’s grandson, and son of great Art
  Declare to me now from the depths of thy heart,
    With the wise and the foolish,
      With strangers and friends,
    The meek and the mulish,
      The old and the young,
    With good manners to make God amends—­
      How I must govern my tongue,
    And in all things comport myself purely,
      The good and the wicked among.”

  Cormac

  “The answer thereto is not difficult surely. 
  Be not too wise nor too scatter-brained,
  Not too conceited nor too restrained,
  Be not too haughty nor yet too meek,
  Too tattle-tongued or too loth to speak,
  Neither too hard nor yet too weak. 
  If too wise you appear, folk too much will claim of you,
  If too foolish, they still will be making fresh game of you,
  If too conceited, vexatious they’ll dub you,
  If too unselfish, they only will snub you,
  If too much of a tattler, you ne’er will be heeded,
  If too silent, your company ne’er will be needed,
  If overhard, your pride will be broken asunder,
  If overweak, the folk will trample you under.”

THE HOUSE OF HOSPITALITY

  Carbery

  “Cormac, grandson of Conn, what dues hath a
      Chief and an ale-house?”
  Said Cormac:  “Not hard to tell! 
  Good behaviour around a good Chief;
  Lamps to light for the eye’s relief;
  Exerting ourselves for the Company’s sake,
  Seats assigned with no clownish mistake,
  Deft and liberal measuring carvers;
  Attentive and nimble-handed servers;
  Moderation in music and song;
  A telling of stories not too long;
  The Host, to a bright elation stirred,
  Giving each guest a welcoming word. 
  Silence during the Bard’s reciting—­
  Each chorus in sweet concent uniting.”

HOW KING CORMAC ORDERED HIS YOUTH

  Carbery

  “O Cormac, grandson of Conn, say