Then possessed Ireland a king that was most strong; he hight Gillomaur, he was lord of the people, the tidings came to him that the Britons were in the land, he caused forces to be summoned over all Ireland’s territory, and he gan to threaten greatly, that he would all drive them out.  When the word came to him, what the Britons would do there, and that they came for that only, to fetch the stones, then the King Gillomar made mickle derision and scorn, and said that they were foolish fellows, who over the broad sea were thither arrived, to seek there stones, as if none were in their land; and swore by Saint Brandan:—­“They shall not carry away one stone, but for love of the stones they shall abide the most of all mischiefs; spill their blood out of their bellies—­and so men shall teach them (they shall be taught) to seek stones!  And afterwards I will go into Britain, and say to the King Aurelie, that my stones I will defend, and unless the king be still, and do my will, I will in his land with fight withstand, make him waste paths, and wildernesses many; widows enow—­there husbands shall die!” Thus the unwise king played with words, but it all happened another wise, other than he weened.  His army was ready, and forth they gan march, so long that they came whereon the Britons lay.  Together they came, and hardily encountered, and fought fiercely—­the fated fell!  But the Irish were bare, and the Britons in armour, the Irish fell, and covered all the fields.  And the King Gillomar gan him to flee there, and fled forth-right, with twenty of his knights, into a great wood—­of worship bereaved—­his Irish folk was felled with steel.  Thus was the king shamed, and thus he ended his boast, and thus went to the wood, and let his folk fall!  The Britons beheld the dead over the fields; seven thousand there lay deprived of life.  The Britons went over the fields to their tents, and worthily looked to (or took care of) their good weapons, and there they gan to rest, as Merlin counselled them.

On the fourth day then gan they to march, and proceeded to the hill, all well weaponed, where the marvellous work stood, great and most strong!  Knights went upward, knights went downward, knights went all about, and earnestly beheld it, they saw there on the land the marvellous work stand.  There were a thousand knights with weapons well furnished, and all the others to wit guarded well their ships.  Then spake Merlin, and discoursed with the knights:  “Knights, ye are strong, these stones are great and long, ye must go nigh, and forcibly take hold of them; ye must wreathe them fast with strong sail-ropes, shove and heave with utmost strength trees great and long, that are exceeding strong, and go ye to one stone, all clean, and come again with strength, if ye may it stir.”  But Merlin wist well how it should happen.  The knights advanced with mickle strength; they laboured full greatly, but they had not power, so that they ever any stone might stir!  Merlin