MacNeill — Ancient Irish Law : Law of Status or Franchise. 299 



Twenty chattels are his houourprice ; he makes oath, is bond, surety, 

 hostage, suitor, and witness to that extent. He is able to pay, if he be sued, 

 without surety or borrowing. He has thirty married couples on visitation 

 from Xew Year's day to Shrovetide, for the number on visitation is according 

 to the number of (those who pay) food-tribute.^ 



Twenty-nine feet (is the measurement of) his house, nineteen his out- 

 house. Eight beds in his house, with their full furnishing for the house of 

 an aire titise, includiug six couches {hrothracha), these having their proper 

 furnishing, botli cushions and rugs. Proper sets of furniture in the house, 

 woodwork (?) of every size, and irons for every use and bronze vessels, 

 includiug a cauldron which holds a beef and a bacon hog. He has clients 

 for his company, holding free capital from a king. 



Twelve horse-bridles, one of gold, the others of silver. He has not to 

 beg (?) for pet animals, deer-hound, fighting-men, lap-dogs for his wife. He 

 has the implements for every work, with a plough and its full lawful equip- 

 ment. Two work-horses on the road. A wife in the legitimate right of 

 marriage, his equal in kindred. So that he is full help in the tuath for 

 pleadings (?), affirmations, pledge, and hostage in treaty-law across the border 

 on behalf of his kindred and in the house of (his) lord (the liing). He 

 sustains right by warrant of his father and his grandfather. He can levy 

 his full claim by his (own) power. He makes oath over a grade that is lower 

 than he, and their affirmations support him (? are subordinate to hiui).'' 



IV 328. — 113. The aire forgill, " noble of superior affirmation," why is 

 he so called ? Because it is he who makes affirmation above the gi'ades that 

 we have stated, on any occasion in which they happen to be opposed in 

 statement, for his worth is nobler than the others. This man has forty 

 clients, twenty clients of vassalage, and twenty free clients. His twenty of 

 vassalage, he is entitled from them to five cows with their accompaniment, 

 and six two-year- old steers and nine yearlings every winter, with tlieir 

 summer-food. Fifteen chattels are his houourprice ; he makes oath, is 



client, his lord must be a king. Here is additional proof that the intermediate grade of 

 uiiej^oiyill is of later origin than the grade of aire iuise. 



' There are two married couples as against each vassal client. So too, in the case of 

 the aire arild and the aire desso. Apparently these nobles were entitled to quarter them- 

 selves between New Year's Day and Lent on their vassal clients, and to exercise the 

 same privilege for a definite number of their friends. 



- This last sentence is probably an early gloss on the next following words, aire fur- 

 gill. Fiisernnat u noillig: nuiUig, "oaths," is nominative plural, and an infixed pronoun, 

 3rd sing, masc, is concealed in /o-. The noun corresponding to fvsernitat is fussuir, 

 a thing sulstriitum ; it is the term for (1) the furniture of a house, 320 z, and (2) the 

 minor provision that accompanied a steer, etc., in food-render {Cain Aicillui, passim). 



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