195 
rights and privileges to which he had been entitled amongst his tribe 
had he been innocent, but also that no sanctuary could protect him 
from punishment. It appears that fraud, falsehood, or the suborna- 
tion of falsehood, theft, lies, treachery or robbery, deprived a prince 
of his right to inherit the sovereignty of his nation ; and that no 
power, ecclesiastical or lay, could screen from the vengeance of the 
law, the adulterous woman; the deserter from his tribe ; the per- 
sons, male or female, who were insensible to the calls of nature, and 
fled from their parents in the hour of their distress. And, for so far, 
it can hardly be denied, that the ancient Irish laws had a more mo- 
ral tendency than those of several polished and civilized nations 
of modern times. 
Amongst the College manuscripts * is to be found a law, that pre- 
scribes the proportions, in which Eric was to be levied and distri- 
buted amongst the members of a tribe; from which the following 
extracts are given : 
* Conall gaibais allaimh do rot do dam sort hirrot contorchartar 
“ fair inna landiri so is de ruccad la.t Cia ro it dire agus areir 
acas enecland ? Saigid dire co secht cumal, saigid aretr co cumal, 
saigid eneclainn co tri seotu.” 
“© Landire in athair, leth dire i mbrathair mathar, trian dire ina 
* mic no ina ingen, cethramthi dirt inna ua, enecland o ta sen, acas 
airew acas a diburdud.” 
“ Landiri i mathair, leth dire i siair mathar, trian dire inna 
macse no inna ingen, cethramthu dire inna ua enecland 6 ta, &c.” 
“ Landire i mbrathair o athair, lethdire inna macside no inna in- 
gin, trian dire inna ua, enecland 6 tha.” 
‘© Lethdire i mbrathair o mhathair, trian dire inna macside no 
“* inna ingin, cethramthe dire inna ua eneclann 6 tha.” 
a 
n 
a“ 
n 
a 
s 
n 
a 
* Class H. No. 34. + See Note (*) p. 194 
