306 Proceedmigs of the Rayal Irish Academy. 



king's) chattels, induding (those of) lord and base man and of the law of 

 the FenL' 



Next to him inward, envoys. Ifext to these, guest-eompanies. Poets 

 next to these, harpers next, nute-players, horn-players, jugglers, in the 

 sonth-east. 



On the other side, in the north, a man at arms, a man of action^ to guard 

 the door, each of them having his spear in front of him always against 

 confosion of the banquet-honse [by attack from without]. Ifext to these 

 inward, the free clients of the lord (Le. of the king). These are the folk 

 who are company to a king. Hostages next to these. The judge (the king's 

 assessor) next to these. His (the king's) wife next to him. The king next. 

 Forfeited hostages in fetters in the north-east.' 



136. The king of a tuMTi ( has a retinue) of twelve men (when he goes to 

 the conrt of a superior king) to (protect) the interests of the tvMli ; whom 

 the tuaih itself sustains as regards their expenses (?). Twelve men, too, are 

 the retinue of a bishop for the interests of church and tuaJth in which he 

 himself goes (on visitation). For a tvxdh cannot bear the retinues of king 

 and bishop if they be always battening on it. The retinue of a master also 

 is twelve men.^ 



137. "Which is higher in dignity, a king or a bishop ? A bishop is higher, 

 since a king rises to salute him because of religion. A bishop, too, raises 

 his knee to salute a king.' 



' The meaning of the last phrase is not clear. Andoin, "a lowly person," is ren- 

 dered " flnrfoi'n-chnrch " by O'Curry, who confuses the word with oiidoit. For corvt 

 Fine, "law of the Feni," we should perhaps read corus fine, "law of the joint 

 family.'' 



' The entrance is in the western end. The company is ranged in two rows face to 

 face on the southern and northern sides. The king sits in the eastern end. no doubt 

 facing the door. His wife sits on his right. Next to her, his judge. The unforfeited 

 hostages have a place of honour on the king's right. The other occupants of the right 

 or north side are the king's free clients, who are the nobles of the tuath and the 

 principal members of the aireehl or eonit. On the opposite side are harpers, poets, 

 gnests, and envoys. The inward corner on the king's right is occupied by forfeited 

 hostages who are fettered : the comer on his left by musicians and jugglers. !Near the 

 entrance are the king's bodyguard on the left, the guards of his house on the right. 



^ The " master " (sui) is the head of a Latin school. His later title is fer iegind. 



* The gesture of "raising the knee " is perhaps what is called genuflexion, the knee 

 being raised not absolutely but relatively as regards the body. 



The meeting of a king's airecht in his house had a twofold character, social as well 

 as judicial It is likely that the court, after the manner described already, sat on two 

 sides of a long table, and that business was followed by festivity. The poem quoted 

 below represents the king priding over the ale-feast, but goes on immediately to 

 describe the kind of adjudication expected of him. The business of the court was 

 mainly concerned with matters of land-law, such as are treated of in Breiha Comailh- 

 eheta (IV) and in Din Teehiuffud (IV). The translation is uncertain in some places. 



