a 
a 
193 
take his inheritance, but they take not upon them his guit, and he 
takes not of the inheritance of the tribe, and he bears his crimes,” 
The meaning of which is, viz. Whoever reddens his hand on his 
own tribe, by shedding their blood, is therefore a murderer, and it 
is not proper to place him in the sovereignty. And also it is ac- 
cording to law that his crime shall not be imputed to his tribe, 
(as it is said ¢ the crime of a relation,’ &c.) and that his inheri- 
tance shall pass into the hands of his tribe on that account. 
However, if the murderer does penance to God, and gives Eric 
to man, he receives his share of the inheritance of his father and 
grandfather, but he obtains not any portion of the land, the ge- 
neral inheritance of which belongs to all the tribe. And the law 
says, ‘ What establishes falsehood, and what gives fraudful se- 
curities, and what hires falsehood, and theft, and lies, and trea- 
chery, and murder, and house-robbery, that full penalty shall be 
levied off a man for each of these. And il is seen that if these, 
or any of these, be fixed upon B. the full penalty shall be levied 
off him; and for all the aforesaid causes the sovereignty shall be 
cut off from him, and it is lawful to give it up to A.” 
Amongst ,the Seabright manuscripts, in the Library of Trinity 
College,* are to be found some very ancient fragments of laws on 
murder, &c. from which the writer of these sheets would gladly have 
made full extracts ; but was prevented by the strict regulations of the 
College respecting the use of its manuscripts. He has, however, by 
the liberality and patriotism of a gentleman, who possesses a good 
modern copy of ancient laws, transcribed from vellum manuscripts 
of high antiquity, been enabled to collect some information on the 
Dp? 
* Class H. 53. p. p. 431 and 644, and class H. 54. p. 329, &c. 
