8 



their judgments the terms of the laws on which they founded their 

 decisions. In the present instance such was the case, but the Irish 

 original has not been handed down, and the words of the law are 

 dismissed by an Sfc. in this old translation. — Numbers XIV. and XV. 

 present a singular view of the possessions of the O'Brien and 

 Macnamara families, near five centuries ago. Number XXV. might, 

 with propriety, be termed Articles of Peace, between the Rival 

 Chieftains of those names. Number XXIX. and the note subjoined 

 to it are amongst the most interesting of the entire. The reader 

 cannot but be struck by the expression in the latter, " Prostrate 

 upon my knees before your honors," as displaying an incident which, 

 it is conceived, would form an appropriate subject for an historical 

 picture, whose leading feature might be the striking contrast be- 

 tween the humiliated Milesian prince on the one side, and the 

 arrogant members of Queen Elizabeth's Irish Privy Council of that 

 day on the other. 



But the principal value of investigations like the present lies in 

 the assistance which they afford the local or general historian, in 

 tracing the progress of society, and illustrating the manners and 

 customs of former times. The ancient writings now under consider- 

 ation, may prove serviceable in these respects. So far as they extend, 

 they shew the use and denomination of money, the value of land 

 and its produce, and the price of several commodities from time 

 to time, for some centuries. From among the matters of various in- 

 formation which they contain the following heads have been 

 selected. — In No. X. a fine or Eric appears to have been imposed 

 tor murder or homicide, but very inadequate in amount to the 

 dreadful crime committed. Although murder was generally punished 

 by fine, as before observed, yet it must not be concluded that that 

 was the only penalty. This and other heinous offences were punish- 



