'Whatever harbour you came from last night, move up to me and speak
if you can.' Death answers: "Put away Hebrew, Greek and Latin,
French, and the three sorts of English, and I will speak to you
sweetly in Irish, the language that you found your verses in. I am
death that has hidden hundreds: Hannibal, Pompey, Julius Cæsar; I
was in the way with Queen Helen. I made Hector fall, that conquered
the Greeks, and Conchubar, that was king of Ireland; Cuchulain and
Goll, Oscar and Diarmuid, and Oisin, that lived after the Fenians;
and the children of Usnach that brought away Deirdre from
Conchubar; at a touch from me they all fell." But Raftery answers:
"O high Prince, without height, without followers, without
dwelling, without strength, without hands, without force, without
state: all in the world wouldn't make me believe it, that you'd be
able to put down the half of them."'