43 



The next form is : — 



Qipipem ic Glc6ip .1. oepbao no bib acco pin aimpippin bo 

 belusab ecip ^at -j ptp .1. aipipeam oc alcbip .1. ceacc pa .i;c. 

 acimceall na halcopa, 1 upci bol lappm cpia biceabal Optiab paip. 

 t>a poppel, imoppo, comapca a peccaib paip bamab cmcac; ni 

 oenab, imoppo, epcoib 60 bamab anbac. 



" Airisem ic AMoir (Waiting at an Altar), i. e. a proof they had 

 at that time to distinguish between false and true ; i. e. waiting at an 

 altar, viz. : — to go nine times round the altar, and to drink water after- 

 wards, Druidical incantations having been uttered over it. Manifest, in- 

 deed, was the sign of his transgressions on a man, if guilty ; it harmed 

 him not, if innocent." 



This test, according to my original authority, was borrowed from 

 the Israelites by Cai Cainbrethach, one of the companions of the sons 

 of Milesius, who introduced it into Ireland. He is also stated to have 

 introduced many other regulations, especially certain provisions in the 

 ancient laws and institutes of this country, which are asserted to have 

 been founded on the Recht Maoist, or Mosaic law, and are alleged to 

 have been observed until superseded by the laws enacted through the 

 influence of St. Patrick. The process certainly bears a striking resem- 

 blance to the ordeal described in Numbers, v., where the woman sus- 

 pected of adultery is made to drink bitter waters on which the priest 

 had heaped curses ; and, if guilty, her flesh rotted. 



It is asserted by some writers that the ordeal was originally adopted 

 by Christian nations from the Jews; bat I think that it was common to 

 all primitive peoples, whether from any idea inherent in the human 

 mind that retribution in some shape or other was sure to follow crimi- 

 nality, I shall not take it upon me to say. The ceremonial of going 

 round a place or an object was Pagan, as it is Christian. The word 

 altoir is no doubt a loan word, representing the Latin altare ; but 

 this does not affect the subject much, as the Irish scribes were in the 

 habit of substituting modern expressions for ancient terms. It is 

 probable that the circuit was performed round a " cairn;" and St. Colum- 

 Cille may have referred to the practice in his invocation to God before 

 the battle of Cul Dremne, fought in 561, when he implores the Divine 

 protection against 



" The host that marches round a cairn." 



The last of the Fir Flatha enumerated in the list is the article called 

 Cuach Cormaic, or " Cormac's Cup," which broke into three pieces when 

 three false words were uttered over it ; but became united again when 

 a similar number of true words were spoken. The way in which King 

 Cormac obtained possession of this inestimable treasure is described in 

 a legend, which, as it contains some genuine elements of ancient Irish 

 romance, I would be tempted to quote, but it is altogether too long ; 

 besides, it has been already partly published by Standish Hayes 0' Grady, 

 Esq., in the " Transactions of the Ossianic Society," vol. iii., p. 212. 



