Note 1-1 — Footnotes.

MacRoth came forward with the account of their first company to the place where Ailill and Medb and Fergus were and the nobles of the men of Erin. Ailill and Medb asked tidings of him when he arrived. "Come, macRoth," quoth Ailill, "tell us in what manner of array do the Ulstermen advance to the hill of Slane in Meath?" "Truly, I know not," answered macRoth, "except 1this alone:1 There came a fiery, powerful, most well-favoured company upon the hill of Slane in Meath," said macRoth. "It seemed, on scanning and spying, thata thrice thirty hundreda warriors were in it. 2Anon2 they all doffed their garments and threw up a turfy mound for their leader to sit on. A youth, slender, long, exceeding great of stature, fair to behold, proud of mien, in the van of the troop. Fairest of the princes of the world was he in the midst of his warriors, as well in fearsomeness and in awe, in courage and command; fair-yellow hair, curled, delicately arranged in ridges and bushy had he 3reaching to the nape of his neck;3 a comely, clear-rosy countenance he had, 4narrow below and broad above;4 a deep-blue-grey, angry eye, devouring. W. 5175. and fear-inspiring, in his head; a two-forked beard, yellow, fairly curled, on his chin; a purple mantle with fringes and five-folded wrapped around him; a 1conspicuous,1 salmon-shaped brooch of 2red2 gold in the mantle over his breast; a shining-white, hooded shirt under red interweaving of red gold he wore next his white skin; a bright-white shield with figures of beasts of red gold thereon; a gold-hilted, hammered sword in one of his hands; a broad and grey-green lance-head 3on an ashen shaft3 in the other; 4the pillar of a king's house on his back.4 That warrior took his station on the top of the mound, so that each one came up to him and his company took their places around him.