new that one or other of them would fall there that day, or
that they both would fall. It was then he donned his battle-weed of battle
and fight and combat, [LL.fo.86a.] or ever Cuchulain came to meet him. And
thus was the manner of this harness of battle and fight and combat: He put
his silken, glossy trews with its border of speckled gold, next to his
white skin. Over this, outside, he put his brown-leathern, well-sewed
kilt. Outside of this he put a huge, goodly flag, the size of a millstone,
[4]the shallow (?) stone of adamant which he had brought from Africa and
which neither points nor edges could pierce.[4] He put his solid, very
deep, iron kilt of twice molten iron over the huge, goodly flag as large as
a millstone, through [W.3730.] fear and dread of the Gae Bulga on that
day. About his head he put his crested war-cap of battle and fight and
combat, whereon were forty carbuncle-gems beautifully adorning it and
studded with red-enamel and crystal and rubies and with [1]shining
stones[1] of the Eastern world. His angry, fierce-striking spear he seized
in his right hand. On his left side he hung his curved battle-falchion,
[2]which would cut a hair against the stream with its keenness and
sharpness,[2] with its golden pommel and its rounded hilt of red gold. On
the arch-slope of his back he slung his massive, fine-buffalo shield [3]of
a warrior,[3] whereon were fifty bosses, wherein a boar could be shown in
each of its bosses, apart from the great central boss of red gold. Ferdiad
performed divers, brilliant, manifold, marvellous feats on high that day,
unlearned from any one before, neither from foster-mother nor from
foster-father, neither from Scathach nor from Uathach nor from Aife, but he
found them of himself that day in the face of Cuchulain.

[3-3] Eg. 106.

[4-4] Eg. 209.

[1-1] Reading with Egerton 106, which gives better sense than LL.'s
'brilliant plants.'

[2-2] Eg. 209.

[3-3] Stowe and Eg. 209.

Cuchulain likewise came to the ford, and he beheld the various, brilliant,
manifold, wonderful feats that Ferdiad performed on high. "Thou seest
yonder, O Laeg my master, the divers, bright, numerous, marvellous feats
that Ferdiad performs on high, and I shall receive yon feats one after the
other, and, therefore, [4]O Laeg," cried Cuchulain,[4] "if defeat be my lot
this day, do thou prick me on and taunt me and speak evil to me, so that
the more my spirit and anger shall rise