--- title: Opening, part 8 — The foray of Queen Meave, and other legends of I… · full text with trees · page 2 description: Opening, part 8, «The foray of Queen Meave, and other legends of Ireland's heroic age» by Aubrey De Vere: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: Then to the Gael their bard, Amergin, spake: ‘Sail forth, my sons, nine waves across the deep, And when this --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg78491/8/page/2/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/) / [The foray of Queen Meave, and other le…](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg78491/) / Opening, part 8 # Opening, part 8 · page 2 [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg78491/8/) **2** On whom the new queen cast a glance oblique One moment’s space; then, flinging wide her arms, With instinct changed, and impulse lightning-like, Clasped them in turn and wondered at their charms, And cried, ‘If e’er a stepmother could love I of that tribe renowned will tenderest prove.’[46](../../46/ "tree and pragmatics") And so by her great loving of those four Still from her husband won she praises sweet And plaudits from his people more and more; Her own she called them: nor was this deceit: She loved them with a fitful love--a will To make them or to mar, for good or ill.[47](../../47/ "tree and pragmatics") She wooed them still with shows, with flowers, with fruit; Daily for them new sports she sought and found: Yet, if their father praised them, she was mute, And, when he placed them on his knee, she frowned, Murmuring, ‘How blue their eyes! their cheek how pale\![48](../../48/ "tree and pragmatics") Their voices too are voices of the Gael!’[49](../../49/ "tree and pragmatics") Meantime, as month by month in grace they grew, Their father loved them better than before; And so, one eve, their slender cots he drew Each from its place remote, and lightly bore, And laid them ranged before his royal bed; And o’er the four a veil gold-woven spread;[50](../../50/ "tree and pragmatics") Their mother’s bridal-veil: and still as dawn Was in its glittering tissue caged and caught He left his couch, and, that light veil withdrawn, Before his children stood in silent thought; And, if they slept, he kissed them in their sleep, Then watched them with clasped hands in musings deep.[51](../../51/ "tree and pragmatics") And, if they slept not, from their balmy nest With under-sliding arms he raised them high, And clasped them each, successive, to his breast, Or on them flashed the first light from the sky: Then laid him by his mute, sleep-feigning bride, And slept once more: and oft in sleep he sighed.[52](../../52/ "tree and pragmatics") Which things abhorring, she her face averse Turned all day steadfast from the astonished throng: And next, as one that broods upon a curse, She sat in her sick-chamber three weeks long, And never raised her eyes, nor made complaint, Dark as a fiend and silent as a saint.[53](../../53/ "tree and pragmatics") Lastly to Lir she spake: ‘Daily I sink Downward to death.[54](../../54/ "tree and pragmatics") I wither in my prime: Home to my father I would speed, and drink Once more the breezes of my native clime.[55](../../55/ "tree and pragmatics") All night in sleep along Lough Derg I strayed, And wings of strength about my shoulders played.[56](../../56/ "tree and pragmatics") ‘These four--thy children--with me I will take To please my father’s eye; he loves them well: Thou too, whene’er thy leisure serves, shalt make Thither thy journey.’[57](../../57/ "tree and pragmatics") All the powers of Hell Thrilled at that speech in penal vaults below: But Lir, no fraud suspecting, answered, ‘Go!’[58](../../58/ "tree and pragmatics") Therefore next morn when earliest sunrise smote Green mead to golden near the full-fed stream, They caught four steeds that grazed thereby remote, And yoked abreast beside the chariot beam; And when the sun was sinking toward the West By Darvra’s lake drew rein, and made their rest.[59](../../59/ "tree and pragmatics") Then the bad queen, descending, round her cast A baleful look of mingled hate and woe, And with those babes into a thicket passed, And drew a dagger from her breast; and lo\![60](../../60/ "tree and pragmatics") She struck them not, but only wailed and wailed-- In her so strongly womanhood prevailed.[61](../../61/ "tree and pragmatics") The mood was changed.[62](../../62/ "tree and pragmatics") She smiled that smile which none How wise soe’er, beholding, could resist, And drew those children to her, one by one; Then wailed once more, and last their foreheads kissed, And cried with finger pointing to the lake, ‘Hence! and in that clear bath your pastime take!’[63](../../63/ "tree and pragmatics") She spoke, and from their silken garb forth-sliding, Ere long those babes were sporting in the bay: And, as it chanced, the eddy past them gliding Wafted a swan’s plume: ’twas less white than they: Frowning, the queen beheld them, and on high Waved thrice her Druid wand athwart the sky:[64](../../64/ "tree and pragmatics") Then, standing on the marge wan-cheeked, wide-eyed, As near they drew, awe-struck and wondering, Therewith she smote their golden heads, and cried, ‘Fly hence, ye pale-faced children of the king\![65](../../65/ "tree and pragmatics") Cleave the blue mere, or on through ether sail; No more his loved ones, but a dolorous tale!’[66](../../66/ "tree and pragmatics") Straightway to snow-white swans those children turned: And, sideway as they swerved the creatures four Fixed on her looks with human grief that yearned; Then slowly drifted backward from the shore; While loud with voice unchanged, Finola cried, ‘Bad deed is thine, false queen and bitter bride\![67](../../67/ "tree and pragmatics") ‘Bad deed afflicting babes that harmed thee not; Bad deed, and to thyself an evil dower: Disastrous more than ours shall be thy lot\![68](../../68/ "tree and pragmatics") Thou too shalt feel the weight of Druid power: From age to age thy penance ne’er shall cease: Our doom, though long it lasts, shall end in peace.’[69](../../69/ "tree and pragmatics") Then rang a wild shriek from that dreadful shape: ‘Long, long, aye long shall last those years of woe\![70](../../70/ "tree and pragmatics") Here on this lake from misty cape to cape Three centuries ye shall wander to and fro; Three centuries more shall stem with heavier toil Far Alba’s waves, the black sea-strait\[18\] of Moyle.[71](../../71/ "tree and pragmatics") ‘Lastly three centuries where the Eagle-Crest\[19\] O’er-looks the western deep, and Inisglaire, Upon the mountain waves that know not rest Shall be your rolling palace, foul or fair, Till comes the Tailkenn,\[20\] sent to sound the knell Of darkness, and ye hear his Christian bell.’[72](../../72/ "tree and pragmatics") Lo, as a band of lilies, white and tall Beneath a breeze of morning bend their head High held in virgin state majestical, So meekly cowered those swans in holy dread Hearing that promised Tailkenn’s blissful name: For they long since had heard in dream the same.[73](../../73/ "tree and pragmatics") Then fell a dew of meekness on the proud Noting their humble heart; and drooped her front; And sorrow closed around her like a cloud; And thus with other voice than was her wont To those soft victims of her wrath she cried: ‘Woe, woe\![74](../../74/ "tree and pragmatics") Yet Fate must rule, whate’er betide\![75](../../75/ "tree and pragmatics") ‘The deed is done; yet thus much I concede: In you the human heart shall never fail, Changed though ye be, and masked in feathery weed: Your voice shall sweet remain as voice of Gael; And all who hear your songs shall sink in trance And, sleeping, dream some great deliverance.’[76](../../76/ "tree and pragmatics") She spake, and smote her hands; and at her word Once more the attendants caught the royal steeds Grazing in peace beside the hornèd herd Amid the meadow flowers, and yellow weeds: And fiercely through the night that dark one drave, And reached Lough Derg what time above its wave[77](../../77/ "tree and pragmatics") The sun was rising; and at set of sun Entered once more her father’s palace gate: Seated thereby, his nobles, every one, Arose and welcomed her with loving state: She answered naught, but sternly past them strode And found her girlhood’s bower, and there abode.[78](../../78/ "tree and pragmatics") But when of Lir King Bove had made demand, She answered thus: ‘Enough\![79](../../79/ "tree and pragmatics") My Lord is naught; Nor will he trust his children to thy hand, Lest thou should’st slay them.’[80](../../80/ "tree and pragmatics") Long in silent thought The old man stood, then murmured in low tone, ‘I loved those children better than mine own!’[81](../../81/ "tree and pragmatics") That night in dream King Lir had anguish sore, And southward, ere the dawn, rode far away With many a chief to see his babes once more Beside Lough Derg; and lo, at close of day Nighing to Darvra’s lake, the westering sun In splendour on the advancing horsemen shone.[82](../../82/ "tree and pragmatics") [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg78491/8/) **2** - ← previous: [page 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg78491/8/) - next →: [Opening, part 9](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg78491/9/) - ↑ back to [The foray of Queen Meave, and other legends of Ireland's heroic age](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg78491/)