Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition
The birth and life of St Mo Ling (Author: [unknown])

chapter 15

CHAPTER XV

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There was a meeting between the Leinstermen and the sons of Aed Sláine,50 to wit, Diarmait and Blathmec, to divide a territory between the Leinstermen and the Húi Néill likewise. The Leinstermen said that, in the absence of Moling, they would not mark the bounds of their land. ‘Do ye mark it,’ say the sons of Aed Sláine, ‘and we will go to meet the cleric alone.’ Then messengers went to the cleric, and he was told the reason why he had been addressed; and he knew that the sons of Aed Sláine had a plot, for 'tis they that had sent messengers to him. ‘Get ye gone before us,’ says the cleric to the messengers; ‘and let the meeting take place to-morrow, and let not the kings start at dawn, for it is far from me; and the place in which we shall forgather, let the boundary be fixed there.’


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The messengers went northward to the place where the sons of Aed Sláine were dwelling, and declare to them the cleric's admonitions. The kings sent ambuscaders against the cleric, and put nine men in every gap51 from Conlón Cinn of Sliab Bladma52 to Ursainn Fintain on the top of the mountain as far as Dublin. And they were told not to shew mercy to the cleric, whichever of them he should reach. Now that was revealed to Moling, and he took an unshapely appearance on himself and on his gillie, and he fared forward on that day till he traversed the whole province, from Teg Moling53 to Tnuthel. They searched Tnuthel, and found no welcome in (any) house there. They enter a certain house there, which was on the outskirts of the town. There was one woman therein, and she makes them welcome. ‘We need it,’ says the cleric, ‘for we found no welcome in (any) other house in the town.’ ‘Ye will find it here,’ says the woman.

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The woman brought him a cow's milking which she had earned by needlework: for there was no other food in the house save what she was earning by needlework. Then Moling quaffed a drink out of the cup, and gave it to his gillie, who drank a drink out of it, and not the less were the contents thereof.54 In comes the man of the house and bade them welcome. No food was found for them then save that a horse-steak which was in the house should be put for them into the cauldron. The cleric blessed the house and the cauldron, for he knew that what was therein was the flesh of a horse. Now when the charge in the cauldron was turned, what was there was a quarter of mutton! It was brought before the cleric. He divided it to them so that they were satisfied. After that Moling blessed the household, so that from them thenceforward is the lordship of Leinster.


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