Meanwhile a hollow array of men was made by Medb to face Conchobar and a [1]warlike[1] band of thirty hundred ready to close in from behind.  Conchobar proceeded to attack the circle of men, [2]to force an opening.[2] And he was far from seeking any particular breach, but he worked a small gap, broad enough for a man-at-arms, right in front over against him in the circle of combatants, and effected a breach of an hundred on his right side, and a breach of an hundred on his left, and he turned in on them, and mingled [3]among them[3] on their ground, and there fell of them eight hundred fully brave warriors at his hands.  And thereafter he left them without blood or bleeding from himself and took his station in Slane of Meath at the head of the men of Ulster.

    [1-1] Stowe and H. 1. 13.

    [2-2] Reading with Stowe.

    [3-3] Stowe and H. 1. 13.

“Come, ye men of Erin!” cried Ailill.  “Let some one go hence to scan the wide-stretching plain of Meath, to know in what guise the men of Ulster come to the height in Slane of Meath, to bring us an account of their arms and their gear [4]and their trappings, their kings and their royal leaders,[4] their champions and battle-warriors and gap-breakers of hundreds and their yeomen, [5]to which to listen will shorten the time for us."[5] [LL.fo.97a.] “Who should go thither?” asked all.  “Who but macRoth the chief runner,” Aililla[a] made answer.

    [4-4] Stowe and H. 1. 13.

    [5-5] Following Stowe.

    [a] ‘Fergus,’ H. 1. 13 and Stowe.

MacRoth went his way till he took his station in Slane [W.5151.] of Meath, awaiting the men of Ulster.  The Ulstermen were busied in marching to that hill from gloaming of early morn till sunset hour in the evening.  In such manner the earth was never left naked under them during all that time, every division of them under its king, and every band under its leader, and every king and every leader and every lord with the number of his force and his muster, his gathering and his levy apart.  Howbeit, by sunset hour in the evening all the men of Ulster had taken position on that height in Slane of Meath.

MacRoth came forward with the account of their first company to the place where Ailill and Medb and Fergus were and the nobles of the men of Erin.  Ailill and Medb asked tidings of him when he arrived.  “Come, macRoth,” quoth Ailill, “tell us in what manner of array do the Ulstermen advance to the hill of Slane in Meath?” “Truly, I know not,” answered macRoth, “except [1]this alone:[1] There came a fiery, powerful, most well-favoured company upon the hill of Slane in Meath,” said macRoth.  “It seemed, on scanning and spying, that[a] thrice thirty hundred[a] warriors were in it. [2]Anon[2] they all doffed their garments and threw up a turfy mound for their leader to sit on.  A youth, slender, long, exceeding great of stature, fair to behold, proud of mien, in the van