Part 56 (2/2)

They go accordingly with him to the brotherhood; and after the matter had been considered, it was arranged to set apart a young cleric to teach them; and it was decreed that they should not speak to any one except their own master till the end of a year.

So they continued for a whole year till they had read the Canons through, and by the time they had come to be able to read them, the whole brotherhood felt grateful (to G.o.d) for their piety and their gentleness.

At the end of the year they came to Finnen; and they knelt before him, and said to him:--”It is time now that we should be judged and sentence pa.s.sed on us for the great crimes we have committed.

”What,” said Finnen, ”do ye not think it enough--the penance you have done already for a whole year among the brotherhood?” ”It is not enough,” said they. ”What then are the greatest crimes ye have committed?” says Finnen. ”We have burned more than half the churches of Connaught; and neither priest nor bishop got quarter or protection from us.”

”You cannot” replied Finnen, ”give back life to the people you have killed; but do ye that which will be in your power, namely, to build up the churches ye have burned, and to repair every other damage ye have committed in them. And I will give to each man of you,” says he, ”the swiftness and strength of a hundred; and I will take from you all weariness of feet, of hands, and of body; and I will give you light and understanding which will have neither decay nor end.”

So the O'Corras departed, and went first to Tuam-da-Gualann; and after that, they fared through the province, obedient to rule and working hard each day, until it came to pa.s.s that they had restored everything they had previously destroyed.

After that they came at the end of the year to speak with Finnen. ”Have you been able,” asks Finnen, ”to repair everything ye destroyed belonging to the Church?” ”We have,” said they, ”except one place alone, namely Kenn-Mara.”[CLXIV.] ”Alas for that,” says Finnen; ”that is the very first place you should have repaired; for it is the homestead of the oldest of all the saints of Ireland, namely, the aged Camann of Kenn-Mara. And now go and carefully restore everything ye have destroyed in that homestead. And the sentence that holy man pa.s.ses on you, fulfil it patiently.”

So they went gladly to Kenn-Mara; and they repaired everything they had ruined there.

One day when they had come forth from the homestead, they sat on the margin of the little bay, watching the sun as it went westward. And as they gazed and reflected on the course of the sun, they began to marvel greatly, pondering whither it went after it had gone down beneath the verge of the sea. ”What more wonderful thing is there in the whole world,” said they, ”than that the sea does not freeze into ice, while ice is formed in every other water!”

Thereupon they formed the resolution on the spot to bring unto them a certain artificer who was a fast friend of theirs, and to (get him) to make a three-hide curragh[CLXV.] for them. Accordingly the curragh was made, and a strong-sided one it was. And the reward the artificer asked for building it was to be let go with them.

When the time had come, and they were about to embark, they saw a large crowd pa.s.sing close by; and this crowd was a company of _crossans_.[CLXVI.] When the _crossans_ saw the curragh putting forth on the sea, they inquired:--”Who are yonder people that are launching this curragh on the sea?” said they.

The _fursh.o.r.e_ (juggler) of the crossans said:--”I know them well; they are the sons of Conall derg O'Corra the fair-haired of Connaught, the destroyers and robbers, going on their pilgrimage on the sea and on the great ocean, to make search for their Lord.” ”And indeed,” added the _fursh.o.r.e_, ”my word for it, they do not stand more in need of seeking for heaven than we do.”

”It is a long day I fancy till you go on your pilgrimage,” said the leader of the band. ”Say not so,” answered the _fursh.o.r.e_: ”for I will certainly go with these people on my pilgrimage now without delay.”

”Upon our word,” said the _crossans_, ”you will not take away our clothes with you; for not a single article of the garments you wear belongs to you.” ”It is not so small a matter that would keep me with you,” says he.

So they stripped off all his clothes, and sent him away mother naked to the curragh.

”Who and what in the world are you, good man?” asked the crew. ”A poor wretch who wishes to go with you on pilgrimage,” said he. ”Indeed,” said they, ”you shall not by any means come with us, seeing that you are stark naked.” ”Say not so, young men,” said he, ”for the sake of G.o.d do not refuse me; for I will amuse you and keep your hearts cheerful (with my music and singing); and your piety will not be a whit the worse for it.”

And (inasmuch as he had asked) for the sake of G.o.d they consented to let him go.

Now this is how it was with the crew:--each man of them had built a church and raised an altar to the Lord in his own district. Their number was nine; among whom was a bishop, and a priest, and a deacon; and they had one _gilla_ (attendant) who was the ninth man.

”Let us go aboard our curragh now,” says Lochan, ”as we have finished our task of restoring the churches, and as we have, besides, each of us built a church to the Lord in our own district.”

It was then they put up their prayers fervently to G.o.d in the hope that they might have fine weather; and that the Lord would quell the fury of the billows, and the might of the ocean, and the rage of the terrible sea monsters. So they embarked in their curragh, bringing their oars; and they began to question among themselves what direction they should take. ”The direction in which this wind will bring us,” says the bishop.

And having commended themselves to G.o.d, one and all, they betook them to their oars. A great wind now arose, which drove them out on the waste of waters straight to the west; and they were forty days and forty nights on the ocean. And G.o.d revealed to them great and unheard of wonders.

They had not been long rowing when the _crossan_ died; and sad and sorrowful were they for his loss, and wept much. While they were still mourning, they saw a little bird alight on the deck of the curragh. And the little bird spoke and said to them:--”Good people, tell me now in G.o.d's name what is the cause of your sorrow.”

”A _crossan_ that we had playing music for us; and he died a little while ago in this curragh; and that is the cause of our sorrow.”

And the bird said:--”Lo, I am your little _crossan_: and now be not sorrowful any longer, for I am going straightway to heaven.” So saying he bade them farewell and flew away.

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