After that lay:  “I pledge you my word,” said Fergus, “if so ye set at naught yon withy and the royal hero that made it, [3]and if ye go beyond[3] without passing a night’s camp and quarterage here, or until a man of you make a withy of like kind, using but one foot and one eye and one hand, even as he made it, [4]certain it is, whether ye be[4] under the ground or in a tight-shut house, [5]the man that wrote the ogam hereon[5] will bring slaughter and bloodshed upon ye before the hour of rising on the morrow, if ye make light of him!” “That, surely, would not be pleasing to us,” quoth Medb, “that any one should [6]straightway[6] spill our blood or besmirch us red, now that we are come to this unknown province, even to the province of Ulster.  More pleasing would it be to us, to spill another’s blood and redden him.”  “Far be it from us to set this [W.618.] withy at naught,” said Ailill, “nor shall we make little of the royal hero that wrought it, rather will we resort to the shelter of this great wood, [1]that is, Fidduin, (’the Wood of the Dun’)[1] southwards till morning.  There will we pitch our camp and quarters.”

    [3-3] LU. 270.

    [4-4] Reading with Stowe.

    [5-5] LU. 271.

    [6-6] LU. and YBL. 273.

    [1-1] A gloss in YBL. 274; found also in Eg. 1782.

Thereupon the hosts advanced, and as they went they felled the wood with their swords before their chariots, so that Slechta (’the Hewn Road’) is still the by-name of that place where is Partraige Beca (’the Lesser Partry’) south-west of Cenannas na Rig (’Kells of the Kings’) near Cul Sibrille.

[2]According to other books, it is told as follows:  After they had come to [3]Fidduin[3] they saw a chariot and therein a beautiful maiden.  It is there that the conversation between Medb and Fedelm the seeress took place that we spoke of before, and it is after the answer she made to Medb that the wood was cut down:  “Look for me,” said Medb, “how my journey will be.”  “It is hard for me,” the maiden made answer, “for no glance of eye can I cast upon them in the wood.”  “Then it is plough-land this shall be,” quoth Medb; “we will cut down the wood.”  Now, this was done, so that this is the name of the place, Slechta, to wit.[2]

    [2-2] YBL. 276-283.

    [3-3] ‘Fedaduin,’ MS.

[4]They slept in Cul Sibrille, which is Cenannas.[4] A heavy snow fell on them that night, and so great it was that it reached to the shoulders[a] of the men and to the flanks of the horses and to the poles[b] of the chariots, so that all the provinces of Erin were one level plane from the snow.  But no huts nor bothies nor tents did they set up that night, nor did they [LL.fo.59.] prepare food nor drink, nor made they a meal nor repast.  None of the men of Erin [W.630.] wot whether friend or foe was next him until the bright hour of sunrise on the morrow.

    [4-4] Eg. 1782.