“Who might that be, O Fergus?” asked Ailill.  “I know him,” replied Fergus; “the foundation of knowledge; the master of the elements; the heaven-soaring one; he that blindeth the eyes; that depriveth his foe [W.5488.] of his strength through incantations of druids, namely Cathba the friendly druid, with the druids of Ulster about him.  And to this end he makes augury when judging the elements, in order to ascertain therefrom how the great battle on Garech and Ilgarech will end.  The two youths that are about him, they are his own two sons, to wit Imrinn son of Cathba and Genonn Gruadsolus (’Bright-cheek’) son of Cathba, he that has the somewhat light countenance.  Howbeit it will be hard for the men of Erin to withstand the spells of the druids.”

“Yet another company there came to the mound in Slane of Meath,” continued macRoth.  “A numberless, bright-faced band; unwonted garments they wore; a little bag at the waist of each man of them.  A white-haired, bull-faced man in the front of that company; an eager, dragon-like eye in his head; a black, flowing robe with edges of purple around him; a many coloured, leaf-shaped brooch with gems, in the robe over his breast; a ribbed tunic of thread of gold around him; a short sword, keen and hard, with plates of gold, in his hand; they all came to show him their stabs and their sores, their wounds and their ills, and he told each one his sickness, and he gave each a cure, and what at last happened to each was even the ill he foretold him.”  “He is the power of leechcraft; he is the healing of wounds; he is the thwarting of death; he is the absence of every weakness, is that man,” said Fergus, “namely Fingin the prophet mediciner, the physician of Conchobar, with the leeches of Ulster around him.  It is he that knoweth the sickness of a man by the smoke of the house wherein he lies, or by hearing his groans.  Their medicine bags are the sacks which thou sawest with them.”

“Another company came to the mound in Slane of Meath,” continued macRoth.  “A powerful, heavy, turbulent company; they caused uproar in their deeds of arms [W.5512.] for the accomplishment of brilliant feats;[a] they tore up the sad-sodded earth with the strength of their bitter rage, for the mighty princes of the proud province of Conchobar would not allow them to proceed to the great camp till all should be arrived.  Two youths, swarthy and huge, in the front of that company; soft, playful eyes in their heads; about them, dark-grey tunics with silver pins set with stones; great, horn-topped swords with sheaths they bore; strong, stout shields they bore; hollow lances with rows of rivets, in their hands; glossy tunics next to their skin.”  “We know well that company,” quoth Fergus; “the household of Conchobar and his vassals are those; their two leaders, Glasne and Menn, two sons of Uthechar.”

    [a] There is a gap here in both Stowe and H. 1. 13, and consequently
    the translation is uncertain.