ing his charioteer:
'Let us go to this meeting,' etc.
The servant got the horses and yoked the chariot, and they went
forth from the camp.
'My lad,' said Fer Diad, 'it is not fitting that we make our
journey without farewell to the men of Ireland. Turn the horses
and the chariot for us towards the men of Ireland.'
The servant turned the horses and the chariot thrice towards the
men of Ireland. ...
'Does Ailill sleep now?' said Medb.
'Not at all,' said Ailill.
'Do you hear your new son-in-law greeting you?'
'Is that what he is doing?' said Ailill.
'It is indeed,' said Medb, 'and I swear by what my people swear,
the man who makes the greeting yonder will not come back to you on
the same feet.'
'Nevertheless we have profited by(?) the good marriage connection
with him,' said Ailill; 'provided Cuchulainn fell by him, I should
not care though they both fell. But we should think it better for
Fer Diad to escape.'
Fer Diad came to the ford of combat.
'Look, my lad,' said Fer Diad; 'is Cuchulainn on the ford?'
'He is not, indeed,' said the servant.
'Look well for us,' said Fer Diad.
'Cuchulainn is not a little speck in hiding where he would be,'
said the lad.
'It is true, O boy, until to-day Cuchulainn has not heard of the
coming of a good warrior [Note: Gloss incorporated in the text: 'or
a good man.'] against him on the Cattle Foray of Cualnge, and when
he has heard of it he has left the ford.'
'A great pity to slander Cuchulainn in his absence! For do you
remember how when you gave battle to German Garbglas above the
edge-borders of the Tyrrhene Sea, you left your sword with the
hosts, and it was Cuchulainn who killed a hundred warriors in
reaching it, and he brought it to you; and do you remember where we
were that night?' said the lad.
'I do not know it,' said Fer Diad.
'At the house of Scathach's steward,' said the lad, 'and you went
---- and haughtily before us into the house first. The churl gave
you a blow with the three-pointed flesh-hook in the small of your
back, so that it threw you out over the door like a shot.
Cuchulainn came into the house and gave the churl a blow with his
sword, so that it made two pieces of him. It was I who was steward
for you while you were in that place. If only for that day, you
should not say that you are a better warrior than Cuchulainn.'
'What you have done is wrong,' said Fer Diad, 'for I would not have
come to seek the com
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