0’ Connor’s Chronicles of Eri. 
*¢ Baal talked not with Sear. 
“Tt is the tongue of Wisdom that 
teacheth, 
Let man do even as he would be 
' donesby. 
“- What-if these five laws stand laws 
of Eiri?” 
‘Andvall said, “* Yea.” 
And Erimionn raised his voice, and 
said) 
«When we were together aforetime, 
I did say unto the assembly then— 
“The desire of the mind of Eocaid is 
towards peace, and the laws of peace 
continually: 
“True; we have laws from our fathers, 
the work of the chiefs; therefore they 
restrain not their passions, no punish- 
ment following their transgressions. 
** Fences there are round about the 
Gaal on every side; the Gaal respect 
them through fear, nothing from love. 
‘©Moreover, the words of the laws 
from the mouths of our great fathers to 
the! ears of our fathers, and so to us, are 
loosed and made fast, as the justicer 
pleaseth, without the consent of the 
Cluastig. 
Whilst the words are guarded as 
though they were the property of the 
judge, and by whom set forth no one 
ean render account. 
‘“'Pherefore, that the laws should be 
made/sure to curb violence, and to pu- 
nish the doer of wrong, be he chief, be 
he of the Gaal, and that the justicers 
also be brought within the rale of num- 
ber and authority; 
«What if the number of the justicers 
in each of the nations of the Gaal in 
Eri be twice nine justicers; one in the 
land of each Tanaisteas, and one chief 
judge to abide nigh unto the king in 
each of the nations, and ene other jus- 
ticer moreoyer to sit nigh unto this 
‘Teacmor?” 
And all said, “ Yea.” 
And Erimionn said, 
‘It is known unto. us, that. hereto- 
fore the justicers have taken on them to 
hear and to determine, the Cluastig not 
called ; 
“ What if the justicer be silent; till 
the Cluastig say aloud, yea, or nay; and 
if nine Cluastig be present, they do.all 
say yea, or they do all say nay. 
* And if twice nine, or more, do stand 
round about the seat of the justicer, the 
thing inquired of shall be as the greater 
number shall say. 
“And the justicer open not his Jips 
tilk the hands be counted; then the 
Montury Maa, No, 370, 
657 
jasticer shall spread out the roll of the 
laws, and he shall say alond, in the 
hearing of all the Cluastig, and of him 
complained against, the words thereon.” 
‘And all said, “ yea.” 
And Erimionn said, 
“Tfthe Cluastig say, the man did slay 
his fellow with evil mind, 
“What if the jadge read aloud, 
‘Let the'slayer of man be swept alive 
out of sight into the bowels of the earth, 
no trace of him remaining.” 
And all said, “yea.” 
And Erimionn said, 
“Tf one bath declared other than the 
truth before the justicer and the Clu- 
astig, and the falsehood be made 
manifest. 
“ Let ihe false one suffer in like sort, 
as by his words another had been trou- 
bled; and so in all cases whatsoever.” 
And all said, “ yea.” 
And Erimionn said, 
“If one taketh by stealth Sug of | 
another, and the taking be proved, 
“Let the evil-doer restore two-fold, 
and be put to shame in the sight of the 
children of the land; and if the trans- 
gressor cannot restore, the clan make 
good the loss, and the evil-doer bear his , 
own shame.” 
And all said, “yea.” 
And Eocaid, still standing, raised his 
voice, and said, : 
“What if words be set down on the 
roll of the laws? 
“ Let not the Gaal of Sciot of Iber go 
forth of Eri to waste the Jands of others: . 
and should the Gaal of strange nations. 
enter the land of the children of Iber to 
vex them, Ict the warriors be of. one 
mind, and as one arm, to drive the 
foreigner into the sea, or give. them 
graves in Eri, unless they become 
subjected.” 
And all shouted “ Eri,” nine times, 
And Erimionn said, 
“ Ericis the birtb- right of all the chil- 
dren of the land; the king hath his por- 
tion, the prince, the nobles; each hath 
his portion thereof; the Olam, the priests, 
the bards, and the minstrels, have their 
portions. 
“© And. the Gaal by their che have 
their portions thereof. 
“« rom the earth man deriveth suste- 
nance whereby to live. Hath any in- 
creased his store of cattle, or of stuff, or 
of arms? Let his words as to these, 
and these like, stand; of bis portion. of 
the Jand none can have dominion longer 
than he doth abide thereon, the children 
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