price of a loveless match for money must have sounded strange in those days of "made marriages."
“Do b’ aiṫnid don tsaoġal is don ṗéist seo láiṫreaċ
Naċ taitneaṁ ná téaġaṁ ná éanṗuiṫ gráḋa ḋo
Ċeangail an péarla maorḋa mná leis
Aċt easnaṁ go léir,—ba ḋéirc léi an tsástaċt.”
The fairy queen's judgment contains one passage very significant cf Brian's attitude. She is tolerant of the hotblooded young man's wildness, but has no mercy for those who pose as rakes, who boast of their "conquests," who "kiss and tell," who are not driven to vice by "the swelling of the blood" but by sheer vanity and the desire for notoriety.
“Ċífe an pobul a gcogar ’s a sméide;
Is taitneaṁaċ leó ’sis dóṫ gur laoċus
Scannal na hóige, pósta is aonta.
Mian a dtoile ní sporann a gcionta,
Bréantus fola ná borraḋ na drúise.
Taitneaṁ don ġníoṁ ná fíoċ na féiṫe,
Aċt magaḋ na mílte ag maoiḋeaṁ a n-éaċta.”
This is Merriman's attitude throughout. What is natural can be forgiven to the flesh and heart and senses, but vice of the mind is damnable.
XII.
Brian Merriman appears, as I remarked, to have led a peaceful life, prosperous and respected. He "moved in the best circles" in his part of the country, was a popular guest at the houses of the gentry. He puts in the mouth of the maiden a reference to his satisfactory social position—
“Méid a ċeana idir ṁaiṫiḃ na tíre—
A réim le sealad i gcaradus daoine,
Seinnm ar ċeólta, spórt is aoiḃneas.
Imirt is ól ar ḃórd na saoiṫe
I gcoṁar na fuirinne fuineaḋ as féile.”
