"
What the champion said was true, for in royal wisdom the king far
excelled his foster-father, and that was the reason why Fergus had
abdicated the supreme captainship of the Red Branch in favour of
Concobar, for though his heart was great his understanding was not
fine and acute like the understanding of his foster-son.
The table was set for them upon the lawn before the great painted
and glowing palace, and three-footed stools were put on either
side of that table, and bright cloths flung over them. A knight to
whom that was a duty brought forth and unfolded a chess-board of
ivory on which silver squares alternated with gold, cunningly
wrought by some ancient cerd, [Footnote: Craftsman.] a chief jewel
of the realm; another bore in his hand the man-bag, also a wonder,
glistening, made of netted wires of findruiney, [Footnote: A
bright yellow bronze, the secret of making which is now lost. The
metal may be seen in our museums. In beauty it is superior to
gold. ] and took therefrom the men and disposed them in their
respective places on the board, each in the centre of his own
square.
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