3 



THE BATTLE OF VENTRY. 



mac Eimhin ana ruathar roreatha chuca 7 fiarfaigis Finn scela de 7 do fiarfaig de 



57ocanas a tainic. 'O brugh Thaidhg mic Nuadhad thanac,' ar mac Eimhin '7 dot 

 fis-sa do cuireadh me da iarfaidhi dhid cinnas fobhraidh dul a n-agaid righ an 

 domhain 7 nach deargann airm no ilfaebair air.' ' Is cubhais dam-sa/ ar Finn 

 ' muna deargaid m' airmb-si air, co m-bruidhfidir Uum a corp a medhon a luirighi.' 

 ' A rifeinnidh,' ar mac Eimhin ' ataid agam-sa ann so na hairm neime da fuil a 



575 n-dan do bas d' fagail 7 tuc Labhraidh Lamfada derbrathair do mathar-sa fein 

 chugad iad tre dolb draidheachta.' 7 tucadh a laimh Finn iad 7 do bean a cumdaighi 

 dib 7 ro eirgeadar saighnena teinntighi 7 bolga bithneimneacha dib 7 nir fedadar 

 ogbaidh na hairm sin d' [fjechain 7 tafnic trian do ghal 7 do ghaisceadh 7 do mean- 

 main 7 do morcroidhe da gach ^nfear d' fianaibh Eirenn le faicsin na n-arm sin ag 



580 Finn. Uair na caertha teinedh do theilgdis dibh, ni gabhadh eirreadh na eideadh riu 

 co teighdis tre corpaibh na n-daine fa neasa doib ana saighdib sithneimneacha 7 

 adubert Finn : ' Tairre, a Ferghus Finnbhel,' ar se ' 7 fechar lat ca m^d maireas 

 don feinn docum an morchatha aniubh.' Airmis imoro Fergus Finnbhel fad 7 

 adubert re Finn : ' Encath eagair amain mhaireas don feinn/ ar sd ' 7 is imdha ann 



585 sin fear comhlaind triair 7 fear comlaind nonbhair 7 fear comlaind trichad 7 fear 

 comlaind ced.' 'Eirigh mas ead' ar Finn ' mar a fuil righ an domhain 7 abair ris 

 lathair an morchatha d' innsaighi feasta.' 



his rush of quick runnlng coming towards them, and Finn asked tidings of him, and 

 asked him whence he did come. ' From the brug of Tadg the son of Nuadu have 

 I come,' said Mac Eimin, ' and to thee have I been sent, to ask thee, how it comes that 

 ye go against the king of the world and do not redden your arms or many weapons upon 

 him.' ' I pledge my faith,' said Finn, ' that if my weapons do not get reddened on 

 him, his body shall be crushed by me in the midst of his coat of mail.' * O king of the 

 fianns,' said Mac Eimin, * I have here with me the venomous weapons tlirough which 

 he is fated to find death, and Labraid Lamfhada (L. of the Long Hand), the brother of 

 thy own mother, has sent them to thee through druidical sorcery.' And he placed them 

 into the hand of Finn, and he took their coverings ofF them, and there arose from them 

 fiery flashes of Ughtning, and most venomous bubbles, and the warriors could not endure 

 < looking at those weapons, and one third of prowess and valour and courage and high 

 spirits came into every man of the fianns of Erinn as he beheld those weapons with 

 Finn. For the balls of fire they sent forth, no dress or garment could resist them, but 

 they went through the bodies of the men next to them hke most venomous arrows. 

 And Finn said : ' Go, O Fergus Finnbel,' said he, ' and see how many of the fiann 

 remain for the great fight to-day.' Then Fergus Finnbel counted them, and said to 

 Finn : ' One battahon in order alone remains of the fiann,' said he, ' and many are the 

 men in it, that are able to fight three, and those that are able to fight nine, and thirty, 

 and a hundred.' ' Arise, if it be so,' said Finn, *to where the king of the world is, and 

 teli him to betake himself forthwith to the place of the great fight.' 



