296 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



V 320. — 101. Question —What washes away from one's honour these seven 

 things ? Answer — Any filth that stains a person's honour, there be three 

 that wash it away, soap and water and towel. This, first, is the soap, con- 

 fession of the misdeed before men and promise not to return thereto again. 

 The water, next, payment for whatever perishes through his misdeeds. The 

 towel, penance for the misdeed, by the judgment of books. 



102. These are the classes of hoairig. Each grade that is nobler precedes 

 another. 



103. After this begin the grades of lords. The basis of rule, that is, rule 

 from (lordship of) sTJleis to a king. 



104. How many are the subdivisions of these? Seven. What are they? 

 Aire dhso, aire ichta, aire ardd, aire titise, aire forgill, second to king, and 

 king. 



What gives them status ? Their deis, their rights, each of them, both 

 small and great. 



105. Question — What is the d^is of a lord ? The good right of protecting 

 arts. There are four kinds of cUis for lords: the ancient protection of the 

 tuatli is his function in the tuath, including the function of commander or 

 second commander, whichever function of them it be ; his clients of vassalage, 

 his free clients, his old retainers ; the punishment of every defective vassalage ; 

 the retention of eottiership and /?«VZir-ship that he brings on his land, for 

 wealth is greater than worthies. If there be service from them to lords until 

 the ninth nine (year), they are cottiers or fuidirs. They are old retainers 

 thereafter.' 



lOQ. The aire desso, why is he so called ? Because it is in regard of his 

 deis that his dire (honourprice) is paid. Not so the bdaire, it is for his cattle 

 that dire is paid to him." 



IV 322. — 107. What is the property of an aire tlcssol He has ten clients, five 

 clients of vassalage and five free clients. His five clients of vassalage, he is 

 entitled to a definite food-provision from each of them. A cow with its 

 accompaniment, and a two-year-old steer, and three yearling heifers, every 

 winter, as well as his summer-food, he is entitled to from his five clients of 



' Deis here means the rule of a lord in the widest sense. Usually it means the body 

 of persons subject to his rule. It is not easy to make out what particular four kinds of 

 rfm are intended. They arc probably (1) military authority in the iiutlh, (2) dourc/ieli, 

 here called celi i/inUnai, "clients of vassalage," (3) soercheli, "free clients," (4) unfree 

 tenants, including seiichhthi, " old retainers," who were bound to the land, and huthaig, 

 " cottiers," and fuidre, who were not so bound. After three generations of service, 

 however, or eighty-one years, the hothich and thefuidii- became senchlethi. 



' In other words, the status of an aire desso or any noble of higher grade is based on 

 the number of his clients ; the status of a huuiie or any noble of lower grade is based on 

 his wealth in kine. 



