Note 2-2 — Footnotes.

W. 4556. LL. fo. 92a. 2Cuchulain despatched his charioteer to2 Rochad 3Rigderg ('Red-king')3 son of Fathemon, 4from Rigdorn in the north,4 5that he should come to his aid.5 He was of Ulster. 6The gilla comes up to Rochad and tells him, if he has come out of his weakness, to go to the help of Cuchulain, that they should employ a ruse to reach the host to seize some of them and slay them. Rochad set out from the north.6 Thrice fiftya warriors was his number, and he took possession of a hill fronting the hosts. 7"Scan the plain for us to-day," said Ailill. "I see a company crossing the plain," the watchman answered, "and a tender youth comes in their midst; the other warriors reach but up to his shoulder." "Who is that warrior, O Fergus?" asked Ailill. "Rochad son of Fathemon," he answered; "and it is to bring help to Cuchulain he comes. I know what ye had best do with him," Fergus continued. "Let a hundred warriors go from ye with the maiden yonder to the middle of the plain and let the maid go before them, and let a horseman go tell Rochad to come alone to hold converse with the maid and let hands be laid on him, and thus shall be removed all fear of his people from us.7 Finnabair, W. 4558. daughter of Ailill and Medb, perceived that and she went to speak to her mother thereof, even to Medb. 1Now it happened that Finnabair loved Rochad. It is he was the fairest young warrior in Ulster at that time.1 2And Finnabair disclosed her secret and her lovea to her mother.2 "Truly have I loved yonder warrior for a long time," said she; "and it is he is my sweetheart, 3my first love3 and mine own choice one in wooing 4of the men of Erin."4 "An thou hast 5so5 loved him, daughter," 6quoth Ailill and Medb,6 "sleep with him this night and crave for us a truce of him for the hosts, until 7with Conchobar7 he encounters us on the day of the great battle when four of the grand provinces of Erin will meet at Garech and Ilgarech in the battle of the Foray of Cualnge."