THE BATTLE OF VENTRY. 43 



Chairrgi Leithi ri Tuaghmuman ' ar Ferghus. ' Uair nir chinn neach air 6 chinn 

 a seacht va-Wiadayi anuas 7 ni chinneann anois.' ' Eirigh-si da adhmolad ' ar Finn 780 

 re Fearghus ' cumadh moidi leis a menma he.' ' Coir a adhmoladh,' ar Ferghus 

 'uair dar leat is sluagh ac rochtain di na roim tromfleachadh mara [fo. 9 a. i.] taid 

 na hallmuraig ag rith roime tar gach leath ' 7 teid Ferghus mar a raibhi Duban Donn 

 7 do ghabh ag moladh a nirt 7 a ghoile 7 a ghaiscid 7 ac molad a luith 7 a lamha 

 7 a ghnimarthadh ar cheana. 7 tainic fein mar a raibhe Finn aris 7 adubert Finn : 785 



' Cia anois is fearr isin cath, a Ferghus ? ' ar Finn. ' Oscar ilbuadhach,' ar Ferghus 

 ' 7 inna n-enchath re cach ata, uair do cuireadh ceithri c^d cuigi fein ar leith .i. da ced 

 Frangcach 7 da ced d' feraibh Gairian 7 Fiacra FoiUleabhar ri fer n-Gairian fein 7 

 ataid sin uih ac comtuargain sceith Oscuir 7 ni tuc laech dibh-sin guin air nach tuc- 

 san goin 'na haghaidh.' ' Cia reim na ruathar dochi ar Chailti mac Ronain . ' ar Finn. 790 

 ' Fuil sunn gan roeigean tar eis an deargruathair rug ' ar Ferghus. ' Eiridh-si chuigi,' 

 ar Finn ' 7 abair ris dream eigin dona allmurachaib do dhingmhail d' Oscur.' Teid 

 Ferghus chuigi. ' A Chailti,' ar se ' is mor an t-eigean ud dochi ar do charaid .i. 

 Oscur fa bheimnigh na n-allmurach 7 eirig do thabairt fortachta eigin do.' 



the son of the king of Cairrgi Leithe, the king of Thomond,' said Fergus, 'for 

 nobody has excelled him ever since his seventh year, and nobody excels him now.' 

 ' Rise to praise him,' said Finn to Fergus, ' that his courage may be the greater.' 

 'Justis it to praise him,' said Fergus, 'for you would think a host was fleeing from 

 or before a heavy drenching of the sea, (the way) the foreigners are running before 

 him on every side.' And Fergus went where Duban Donn was, and began to extol 

 his strength, and his valour and prowess, and to extol his vigour and his arms, and 

 his deeds besides. And he went again where Finn was, and Finn said : 



' Who is foremost in the battle now, O Fergus?' said Finn. ' Oscar of the many 

 victories,' said Fergus, ' and he is fighting alone against everybody, for four hundred 

 are standing against him separately, to wit, two hundred Franks, and two hundred of 

 the men of Gairian, and Fiachra Foltlebar, the king of the men of Gairian himself, 

 and all these are beating the shield of Oscar, and no warrior of them has inflicted a 

 wound on him for which he did not give him a wound in return.' ' What is the 

 progress and advance thou secst on Cailte, the son of Ronan?' said Finn. ' He is 

 there without great need after the red slaughter he has made,' said Fergus. * Go thou 

 to him,' said Finn, * and tell him to ward ofF some of the foreigners from Oscar.' 

 Fergus went to him. ' O Cailte,' said he, 'great is the strait yonder in which thou seest 

 thy friend Oscar, under the strokes of the foreigners, and do thou rise to give him 

 some help.' 



792. dona a. all- MS. 793. eigeaim MS. 



G 2 



