THE BATTLE OF VENTRY. 53 



snamh a n-deagaidh an allmuraig 7 ni bia a fir aigi-sean nach neach da muintir 

 fen me 7 tainic snaithi mo saegal cheana 7 do budh maith hum da tuitedh an 

 t-allmurach hum suil do scarfadh m' anam rem corp.' 



Togbhais Fearghus leis dochum na fairrgi he 7 Hgis ar snam a n-deagaid an 

 allmuraig he. Anais an t-allmurach ris ar rochtain na luingi do, uair do sail 965 

 gumadh da muintir fen he. Eirghis Cael imoro ar gabal snam laimh risan luing. 

 Sinis an t-allmurach a lam chuigi. Gabhais Cael ar chaelcruibh hi 7 dunais na 

 doide daingeangreamacha doscailti uime 7 tuc tarruing ferrdha firchalma air, co 

 ruc tar bord amach he. Ro dhunadar na laechlamha leadurthacha tar [fo. lob. 2.] 

 corpaibh a cheili 7 rangadar ar aengrian 7 grinneall an ghlanmhara 7 ni facus97o 

 ceachtar dibh o sin aleith. 



Is ann sin tangadar mna 7 bannala 7 aes ciuil 7 oirfididh 7 ealathan na fian 

 Eirenn d' iarmoracht 7 d' adhlacadh righ 7 ro[f]Iatha na feine 7 dobreith gach ain 

 budh inleighis dibh co hait a leighis 7 tainic Geilgheis ingen mic \j\xgach .i. bhean 

 Chail mic Crimthainn na cuan 7 do clos fo oirear na criche uili na faidhffi?/^a975 

 fainne 7 na foscadha firtruagha dolig gos aird ac iaridh a caimhcheih a measc an 

 air. 7 mar do bhi ann do connairc si an choir lena 7 a dha h^n 7 an fiadhach 

 fochealgach risa n-abarthar an sinnach ar tf a hen 7 an uair do fobradh sisi dn dib 



and he will not know the truth, that I am not one of his own people, and .... 

 has reached my life even thus, and I would rejoice if the foreigner fell by me before my 

 soul should depart from my body.' 



Fergus Hfted him up and took him with him to the sea, and set him swimming after 

 the foreigner. The foreigner waited for him that he might reach the ship, for he 

 thought that he was of his own people. Then Cael raised himself as he swam along- 

 side the ship. The foreigner stretched out his hand towards him. Cael grasped it 

 at the slender wrist, and clasped the firm-clenching inseparable fingers round it, and gave 

 a manly truly-vahant puU at him, so that he drew him out overboard. Then they 

 locked their elegant heroes' hands across one another's bodies and went together to the 

 sand and gravel of the pure sea, and neither of them was ever seen from that time fortb. 



Then came the ladies and gentlewomen, and the minstrels and gleemen and skilled 

 men of the fianns of Erinn to search for and to bury the kings and princes of the fiann, 

 and every one of them that was curable was carried where he might be healed. And 

 Gelges, the daughter of Mac Lugach, to wit, the wife of Cael, the son of Criinthann of 

 the Ports, came, and the weak .... and the truly-wocful sobs that she uttered aloud 

 in seeking her fair mate among the slaughter, were heard over the border of all the 

 land. And as she was there, she saw the crane of the meadow and her two birds, and 

 the wily beast that is called the fox, a-watching of her birds, and when she covered one 



977. a fiadhach MS. 



