William Yeats - The Collected Works in Verse and Prose of William Butler Yeats. Volume 4 of 8. The Hour-glass. Cathleen ni Houlihan. The Golden Helmet. The Irish Dramatic Movement

He is not, but Leagerie is.

No, but Conal is.

Make them listen to me, Cuchulain.

No, but listen to me.

When I said Cuchulain should have the Helmet, they blew the horns.

Conal has it. The best man has it.

Silence, all of you. What is all this uproar, Laeg, and who began it?

[ The Scullions and the Horseboys point at LAEG and cry, ‘ He began it .’ They keep up an all but continual murmur through what follows.

A man with a red beard came where we were sitting, and as he passed me he cried out that they were taking a golden helmet or some such thing from you and denying you the championship of Ireland. I stood up on that and I cried out that you were the best of the men of Ireland. But the others cried for Leagerie or Conal, and because I have a big voice they got down the horns to drown my voice, and as neither I nor they would keep silent we have come here to settle it. I demand that the Helmet be taken from Conal and be given to you.

It has not been given to Conal or to anyone. I have made it into a drinking-cup that it may belong to all. I drank and then Conal drank. Give it to Leagerie, Conal, that he may drink. That will make them see that it belongs to all of us.

Cuchulain is right.

Cuchulain is right, and I am tired blowing on the big horn.

Cuchulain, you drank first.

He gives it to Leagerie now, but he has taken the honour of it for himself. Did you hear him say he drank the first? He claimed to be the best by drinking first.

Did Cuchulain drink the first?

You drank the first, Cuchulain.

Did you claim to be better than us by drinking first?

Is it that old dried herring, that old red juggler who has made us quarrel for his own comfort? [ The Horseboys and the Scullions murmur excitedly. ] He gave the Helmet to set us by the ears, and because we would not quarrel over it, he goes to Laeg and tells him that I am wronged. Who knows where he is now, or who he is stirring up to make mischief between us? Go back to your work and do not stir from it whatever noise comes to you or whatever shape shows itself.

Cuchulain is right. I am tired blowing on the big horn.

Go in silence.

[ The Scullions and Horseboys turn towards the door, but stand still on hearing the voice of LEAGERIE’S WIFE outside the door.

My man is the best. I will go in the first. I will go in the first.

My man is the best, and I will go in first.

No, for my man is the best, and it is I that should go first.

I am Emer, wife of Cuchulain, and no one shall go in front of me, or sing in front of me, or praise any that I have not a mind to hear praised.

All of our three wives shall come in together, and by three doors equal in height and in breadth and in honour. Break down the bottoms of the windows.

[ While CONAL and LEAGERIE are breaking down the bottoms of the windows each of their wives goes to the window where her husband is.

[ When the windows have been made into doors, CUCHULAIN takes his spear from the door where EMER is, and all three come in at the same moment.

I am come to praise you and to put courage into you, Cuchulain, as a wife should, that they may not take the championship of the men of Ireland from you.

You lie, Emer, for it is Cuchulain and Conal who are taking the championship from my husband.

Cuchulain has taken it.

Townland against townland, barony against barony, kingdom against kingdom, province against province, and if there be but two door-posts to a door the one fighting against the other. [ He takes up the Helmet which LEAGERIE had laid down upon the table when he went to break out the bottom of the window. ] This Helmet will bring no more wars into Ireland. [ He throws it into the sea. ]

You have done that to rob my husband.

You could not keep it for yourself, and so you threw it away that nobody else might have it.

You should not have done that, Cuchulain.

You have done us a great wrong.

Who is for Cuchulain?

Let no one stir.

Who is for Cuchulain, I say?

[ She draws her dagger from her belt and sings the same words as before, flourishing it about. While she has been singing, CONAL’S WIFE and LEAGERIE’S WIFE have drawn their daggers and run at her to kill her, but CUCHULAIN has forced them back. CONAL and LEAGERIE have drawn their swords to strike CUCHULAIN.

Silence her voice, silence her voice, blow the horns, make a noise!

[ The Scullions and Horseboys blow their horns or fight among themselves. There is a deafening noise and a confused fight. Suddenly three black hands holding extinguishers come through the window and extinguish the torches. It is now pitch dark but for a very faint light outside the house which merely shows that there are moving forms, but not who or what they are, and in the darkness one can hear low terrified voices.