3.18 The loss of Ireland


Too late both of the flowers will be lost,
the snake will not want to act against the law;
the forces of the leaguers confounded by the French,
Savona, Albenga through Monaco great martyrdom. (VI-62)



This quatrain concerns Ireland. The «two flowers» can either be thought of as referring to Ireland and Northern Ireland, or to the Protestant Irish and Catholic Irish. That poor island is so divided against itself that it’s best represented by two flowers rather than by one. Both groups in Ireland feel they are fighting for the good of their beloved country. And when it’s too late they will realize they have been tearing her down, so that she will be lost totally.

At the last minute they will try to compromise in an attempt to save the situation. The «snake» refers to the leader of the rebellious forces and the «law» refers to the forces that are cooperating with Great Britain. But they will be foiled in their efforts by various schemes implemented by members of the underworld in the various locations named in the quatrain. These will be tearing down the situation, both with supplying faulty arms to both sides and also smuggling in hard drugs and such to mess up the minds of the people who are fighting.

Monaco is the point where it’s being channeled through to Ireland. Members of the underworld are in the various locations described in the quatrain, but they coordinate their efforts and channel what must be done through Monaco. It seems like an illogical way of doing it, but through the tenuous connections of the underworld it is the most direct and logical way of doing it.


The brave eldest son of a king’s daughter
will drive the Celts back very far.
He will use thunderbolts, so many in such an array,
few and distant, then deep into the West. (IV-99)


This quatrain refers to the manner in which the Irish problem will be resolved. The Irish nation is deeply divided and has been for centuries. Prince Charles – «the brave eldest son of a king’s daughter» – or one of his sons will have a major part to play in bringing peace to Ireland. This man will find some leverage with which to deal with the problem, in order to bring it to a head, so that the Irish will have to choose between total destruction and peace. The Irish nation will be finally united once more; the threat of destruction will recede. The «Celts» were originally on the British Isle in Scotland, Wales and England. The Romans and the Anglo-Saxons drove them westward across the sea to Ireland where they became part of the Irish people.