A LITTLE way beyond the Gallows Green of
Cork, and just outside the town, there is a great lough of water, where people
in the winter go and skate for the sake of diversion; but the sport above the
water is nothing to what is under it, for at the very bottom of this lough
there are buildings and gardens, far more beautiful than any now to be seen,
and how they came there was in this manner.
Long before Saxon foot pressed Irish
ground, there was a great king called Corc, whose palace stood where the lough
now is, in a round green valley, that was just a mile about. In the middle of
the court-yard was a spring of fair water, so pure, and so clear, that it was
the wonder of all the world.
Much did the king rejoice at having so
great a curiosity within his palace; but as people came in crowds from far and
near to draw the precious water of this spring, he was sorely afraid that in
time it might become dry; so he caused a high wall to be built up round it,
and would allow nobody to have the water, which was a very great loss
to the poor people living about the palace. Whenever he wanted any for himself
he would send his daughter to get it, not liking to trust his servants with
the key of the well-door, fearing that they might give some away.
One night the king gave a grand
entertainment, and there were many great princes present, and lords and nobles
without end; and there were wonderful doings throughout the palace: there were
bonfires, whose blaze reached up to the very sky; and dancing was there, to
such sweet music, that it ought to have waked up the dead out of their graves;
and feasting was there in the greatest of plenty for all who came; nor was any
one turned away from the palace gates-but "you're welcome - you're
welcome, heartily," was the porter's salute for all.
Now it happened at this grand
entertainment there was one young prince above all the rest mighty comely to
behold, and as tall and as straight as ever eye would wish to look on. Right
merrily did he dance that night with the old king's daughter, wheeling here,
and wheeling there, as light, as a feather, and footing it away to the
admiration of every one. The musicians played the better for seeing their
dancing; and they danced as if their lives depended upon it. After all this
dancing came the supper; and the young prince was seated at table by the side
of his beautiful partner, who smiled upon him as often as he spoke to her; and
that was by no means so often as he wished, for he had constantly to turn to
the company and thank them for the many compliments passed upon his fair
partner and himself.
In the midst of this banquet, one of the
great lords said to King Corc, "May it please your majesty, here is every
thing in abundance that heart can wish for, both to eat and drink, except
water."
"Water !" said the king,
mightily pleased at some one calling for that of which purposely there was a
want: "water shall you have, my lord, speedily, and that of such a
delicious kind, that I challenge all the world to equal it. Daughter,"
said he, "go fetch some in the golden vessel which I caused to be made
for the purpose."
The king's daughter, who was called Fior
Usga, (which signifies, in English, Spring Water,) did not much like to be
told to perform so menial a service before so many people, and though she did
not venture to refuse the commands of her father, yet hesitated to obey him,
and looked down upon the ground. The king, who loved his daughter very much,
seeing this, was sorry for what he had desired her to do, but having said the
word, he was never known to recall it ; he therefore thought of a way to make
his daughter go speedily and fetch the water; and it was by proposing that the
young prince her partner should go along with her.
Accordingly, with a loud voice, he said,
"Daughter, I wonder not at your fearing to go alone so late at night; but
I doubt not the young prince at your side will go with you." The prince
was not displeased at hearing this; and taking the golden vessel in one hand,
with the other led the king's daughter out of the hall so gracefully that all
present gazed after them with delight.
When they came to the spring of water, in
the courtyard of the palace, the fair Usga unlocked the door with the greatest
care, and stooping down with the golden vessel to take some of the water out
of the well, found the vessel so heavy that she lost her balance and fell in.
The young prince tried in vain to save her, for the water rose and rose so
fast, that the entire court-yard was speedily covered with it, and he hastened
back almost in a state of distraction to the king.
The door of the well being left open, the
water, which had been so long confined, rejoiced at obtaining its liberty,
rushed forth incessantly, every moment rising higher and higher, and was in
the hall of the entertainment sooner than the young prince himself, so that
when he attempted to speak to the king he was up to his neck in water. At
length the water rose to such a height, that it filled the entire of the green
valley. in which the king's palace stood, and so the present lough of Cork was
formed.
Yet the king and his guests were not
drowned, as would now happen, if such an awful inundation were to take place;
neither was his daughter, the fair Usga, who returned to the banquet hall the
very next night after this dreadful event; and every night since the same
entertainment and dancing goes on in the palace at the bottom of the lough,
and will last until some one has the luck to bring up out of it the golden
vessel which was the cause of all this mischief.
Nobody can doubt that it was a judgment
upon the king for his shutting up the well in the courtyard from the poor
people : and if there are any who do not credit my story, they may go and see
the lough of Cork, for there it is to be seen to this day; the road to Kinsale
passes at one side of it; and when its waters are low and clear, the tops of
towers and stately buildings may be plainly viewed in the bottom by those who
have good eyesight, without the help of spectacles.
