Brendans Fabulous Voyage | Page 9

xth is united (as in the
Septuagint) with the ixth, and the vth transferred out of its order. As
day broke, the cloud passed away from over the island and the
companies sang Psalms li., xc., and lxiii., and at 9 A.M. xlvii., liv., and
cxvi. From what this peculiar arrangement of the Psalms is taken, I do
not know. It is not that of the Monastic Breviary, nor of the Roman, nor
of the Greek Church, nor is it that of the Mozarabic, at least at present,
but from its excessive irregularity, in which it resembles the Mozarabic,
I guess that it may belong to some Ephesine rite, as introduced by
Patrick into Ireland, and that it is here set down at length because it was
becoming obsolete in the days of the writer. Then they went to
Communion. After this, two of the company of young men brought a
basket full of the purple fruit, and put it into the ship, saying, 'Take ye
of the fruit of the strong men's isle, and give us our brother and depart

in peace.' Then Brendan called the brother to him and said, 'Kiss thy
brethren, and go with them that call thee. I tell thee, brother, that in a
good hour did thy mother conceive thee, who hast earned to dwell with
such a congregation.' So they bade him farewell with tears, and when
he came to the companies, they sang, 'Behold, how good and how
pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity,' and then the Te
Deum, and the voyagers set out again upon their way.
The voyage now continues with two or three comparatively trivial
adventures. For twelve days they lived upon the juice of the scaltæ,
after which they fasted for three days. Then a bird brought them a
branch of an unknown tree, bearing a bunch of bright red grapes,
whereon they lived for four days, and then fasted for three more. On the
last of these they sighted the island where grew the grapes. It was
thickly wooded, with trees bending under the weight of the fruit, filled
with all manner of good vegetation, and exhaling an odour like that of
an house full of pomegranates (_mala punica_). Here they landed,
pitched the tent, and stayed for forty days.
After they left this island they were much alarmed by the sight of a
griffin flying towards them, but it was killed by another bird which
fought it in the air, and its body fell into the sea. They reached the isle
Ailbey in safety, and there passed the midwinter as usual.
The following years are passed over with merely the general statement
that they went about much in the ocean, and passed the usual seasons in
the usual places. It is mentioned that one midsummer the sea was so
clear for about a week that they could see the marine animals lying at
the bottom; and when Brendan sang, these came up and swam round
the ship.
It must be, as far as the chronology of the romance can be said to be
fixed, intended to be represented as in the February of the seventh year,
that the narrative again becomes continuous. They saw one day a pillar
standing in the sea, which appeared to be near them, but which they did
not reach for three days. Its top seemed to pierce the clouds. At the
distance of about a mile it was surrounded on every hand by a sort of
network, of a material like silver, but harder than marble. They drew in

the oars and mast, and passed through one of the interstices. The sea
within was as clear as glass, so that they could see the bottom, with the
lower part of the pillar and the network resting upon it. The pillar was
of absolutely clear crystal, so that the light and heat of the sun passed
through it. It was forty cubits broad on every side. On the south side
they found a chalice of the material of the network and a paten of the
material of the pillar. After passing again out of the network, they
sailed for eight days towards the North, and here begins what may be
called the diabolical portion of the story.
They saw one day a wild and rocky island, without grass or tree, but
full of smiths' forges. The wind bore them past it at about a stone's
throw, and they could hear bellows roaring with a sound like thunder,
and hammers striking upon anvils. Presently they saw one of the
inhabitants come out of a cave. He was shaggy and hideous, burnt and
dark. When he saw the ship, he ran back howling into his workshop.
Brendan immediately bid hoist the sail