No More Learning

As I came down the lane by Tubber-vanach
A boy and man sat cross-legged on two stones,
With moving hands and faces famine-thin,
Gabbling to crowds of men and wives and boys
Of how two merchants at a house in the woods
Buy souls for hell, giving so great a price
That men may live through all the dearth in plenty.
The vales are famine-crazy--I am right glad
My home is on the mountain near to God.

[_He turns to go. _

CATHLEEN.

They will give you ale and meat before you go.
You must have risen at dawn to come so far.
Keep your bare mountain--let the world drift by,
The burden of its wrongs rests not on you.

HERDSMAN.

I am content to serve your ladyship.

[_He goes. _

OONA.

What did he say? --he stood on my deaf side.
He seemed to give you word of woful things.

CATHLEEN.
A story born out of the dreaming eyes
And crazy brain and credulous ears of famine.
O, I am sadder than an old air, Oona,
My heart is longing for a deeper peace
Than Fergus found amid his brazen cars:
Would that like Edain my first forebear's daughter,
Who followed once a twilight's piercing tune,
I could go down and dwell among the Sidhe
In their old ever-busy honeyed land.

OONA.

You should not say such things--they bring ill-luck.

CATHLEEN.

The image of young Edain on the arras,
Walking along, one finger lifted up;
And that wild song of the unending dance
Of the dim Danaan nations in their raths,
Young Aleel sang for me by the great door,
Before we lost him in the shadow of leaves,
Have filled me full of all these wicked words.

[_The SERVANT enters hastily, followed by three men.
Two are peasants. _

SERVANT.

The steward of the castle brings two men
To talk with you.

STEWARD.

And tell the strangest story
The mouth of man has uttered.

CATHLEEN.

More food taken;
Yet learned theologians have laid down
That he who has no food, offending no way,
May take his meat and bread from too-full larders.

FIRST PEASANT.

We come to make amends for robbery.