The ancient Britons dyed their _bodies_ blue.

The Cymric Celts were famous for their colours.
[84] _Emania_ .-- The legend of the building of this palace will be given in a future chapter.
[85] _France_ .-- It is said that foreigners who came with him from Gaul were armed with broad-headed lances (called in Irish _laighne_), whence the province of Leinster has derived its name.

Another derivation of the name, from _coige_, a fifth part, is attributed to the Firbolgs.
[86] _Diction_.-This tract contains a description of arms and ornaments which might well pass for a poetic flight of fancy, had we not articles of such exquisite workmanship in the Royal Irish Academy, which prove incontrovertibly the skill of the ancient artists of Erinn.

This is the description of a champion's attire:--"A red and white cloak flutters about him; a golden brooch in that cloak, at his breast; a shirt of white, kingly linen, with gold embroidery at his skin; a white shield, with gold fastenings at his shoulder; a gold-hilted long sword at his left side; a long, sharp, dark green spear, together with a short, sharp spear, with a rich band and carved silver rivets in his hand."-- O'Curry, p.38.We give an illustration on previous page of a flint weapon of a ruder kind.
[87] _Brains_ .-- My friend, Denis Florence MacCarthy, _Esq_., M.R.I.A., our poet _par excellence_, is occupied at this moment in versifying some portions of this romantic story.

I believe he has some intention of publishing the work in America, as American publishers are urgent in their applications to him for a complete and uniform edition of his poems, including his exquisite translations from the dramatic and ballad literature of Spain.