nown o'er sea,
Lot and Luaimnech, 'White-hand' Lonn,
Latheirne skilful, also Lonn,
Laisre, Slanoll 'That cures all.'

"Dubthach, Fintan's blameless son,
Fintan, master Firfial, too,
Maine, Boethan 'Gives not pain,'
Eke his pupil, Boethan's son.

"These the leeches, five and ten,
Struck to death by Cethern, true;
I recall them in my day;
They are in the leeches' roll!"[4]

[2-2] Stowe.

[3-3] YBL. 40a, 31-33.

[a] 'Fifty or fifteen,' YBL. 40a, 35.

[4-4] Stowe, H. 1. 13 and Add. 18,748.

[W.4284.] Yea, even the fifteenth leech, it was but the tip of a blow that
reached him. Yet he fell lifeless of the great stun between the bodies of
the other physicians and lay there for a long space and time. Ithall, leech
of Ailill and Medb, was his name.

Thereafter Cethern son of Fintan asked another leech of Cuchulain to heal
and to cure him [1]forasmuch as the leeches of the men of Erin had failed
him.[1] "Come, master Laeg," quoth Cuchulain, "go for me to Fingin the
seer-leech, at 'Fingin's Grave-mound' at Leccan ('the Brow') of Sliab
Fuait, [2]him that is[2] leech to Conchobar. Bid him come to heal Cethern
son of Fintan."

[1-1] Stowe.

[2-2] YBL. 40a, 40.

Laeg hastened to Fingin the seer-leech at 'Fingin's Grave-mound' at Leccan
of Sliab Fuait, to the leech of Conchobar. And he told him to go cure
Cethern son of Fintan. Thereupon Fingin the prophet-leech came [3]with him
to where Cuchulain and Cethern were.[3] As soon as he was come, Cethern son
of Fintan showed him his stabs and his cuts, his sores and his bloody
wounds.

[3-3] Stowe.

* * * * *

[Page 273]

XXIIa

[1]CETHERN'S BLOODY WOUNDS[1]

[W.4299.] [2]"Look at this bloody wound for me, O Fingin," said Cethern.[2]
Fingin looked at the bloody wound. "Why, it is a slight, unwillingly given
wound we behold here," said the leech; [3]"even a wound that some one of
thine own blood hath given thee, and no desire or wish had he therefor,[3]
and it will not carry thee off at once." "That, now, is true," exclaimed
Cethern. "A lone man came upon me there; bushy hair on him; a blue mantle
wrapped around him; a silver brooch in the mantle over his breast; an oval
shield with plaited rim he bore; a five-pointed spear in his hand; a
pronged spare spear at his side. He gave this bloody wound. He bore away a
slight wound from me too." "Why, we know