THE BATTLE OF VENTRV. 



.51 



cr6 a cumaidh chaich.' 7 ro innsaig an dias sin a cheili amail da leomun loinn-925 

 meara no amail do eireochaidis do muchad a cheili craebhthonna cladhanfaidh 

 cuipgheala Clidhna 7 tonn thaibhleabar toirismeach Thuaighi 7 tonn romur reacht- 

 aigeantach Rugraidhi. Ba samalta sin risin cirrbhadh 7 risan chomhthuargain thuc an 

 dis sin ar a cheiH 7 dob' e imthusa an comraic, ger fhada baethcomhrac na ban- 

 gaisgeadhidhe, doriacht beim o Finn di, gur theasc an minn righ, gurb e brollach na 930 

 luiridhe do ghabh risan cloidheam. 7 tuc an dara beim, gur scar an ceann 7 an 

 cholann re cheili. 7 do thuit fein isin choisair cro 7 ba marb he asa aithh acht ge 

 dho eirig aris. 



Do thuiteadar imoro sluaigh an domhain 7 fiana Eirenn leath ar leath ann sin 

 7 ni raibh 'na seasam do na cathaibh ceachtarrdha acht mac Crimhthainn ^^935 

 cuan .i. dalta d' Finn 7 taiseach teaghlaig righ an domhain .i. Finnachta Fiaclach. 

 7 tainic Finnachta Fiaclach fon ar 7 do bhi ag togbhail chuirp righ an domhain leis 

 ana luing 7 adubert : ' A fiana Eirenn,' ar se ' gidh olc do sluagaib an domain moir 

 an cath sa, budh measa dhibh-si he, uair geabhad-sa an domain mor thoir 7 a bos, 

 6 do thuiteabair-si leath ar leath." Do chuala imoro Finn sin 7 se 'na luighi '5^940 

 chosair cro 7 maithi chlainde Baiscne ana timchell 7 adubert : ' Is truagh lium 

 nach bas fuarus suil do cluinfinn an t-allmurach ac rad na m-briathar so 7 he ac 



thine head in its bed of blood like every one's else.' And those two encountered each 

 other like two angry lions, or as if there had arlsen to smother each other the bank- 

 overflowing white-foaming curled waves of Clidna, and the long-sided steady wave 

 of Tuaige, and the great right-courageous wave of Rugraide. Such Hke was the cutting 

 and the striking which those two inflicted on each other, and that was the progress of 

 the combat, though the foohsh fighting of the warrior-woman was long, a blow from 

 Finn reached her, and cut through the royal diadem, so that the breast of the hauberk 

 withstood the sword. And he gave a second blow and separated her head and the body 

 from each other. And he fell himself in his bed of blood, and was dead thereafter, but 

 that he rose again. 



Now, the hosts of the world and the fianns of Erinn had fallen side by side there, and 

 none were standing of both armies but the son of Crimthann of the Harbours, to wit, a 

 foster-son of Finn's, and the chief-henchman of the king of the world, to wit, Finnachta 

 Fiaclach. And Finnachta Fiaclach went among the slaughter and lifted up the body of 

 the king of the world with him to his ship, and said : * Ye fianns of Erinn,' said he, 

 ' though this battle was bad for the hosts of the great world, it was worse for you ; for I 

 shall take possession of the great world in the east and . . . whereas ye have fallen side 

 by side.' Now, Finn heard this, as he lay in his bed of blood, and the nobles of the 

 Clann Baiscne round about him, and he said : ' I am sad that I did not find death, ere 



927. reachiaigeaiithach MS. 929. bcathcottihrac MS. 934. shiigh MS. 



935. raibhe MS. with punctum delens unc'er r. 936. chuan MS. 941. c\ilaid)\e MS. 



H 2 



