Lecture　2
  The　Ancient　Irish　Law
  The　great　peculiarity　of　the　ancient　laws　of　Ireland；　so　far
  as　they　are　accessible　to　us；　is　discussed；　with　much　instructive
  illustration；　in　the　General　Preface　to　the　Third　Volume　of　the
  official　translations。　They　are　not　a　legislative　structure；　but
  the　creation　of　a　class　of　professional　lawyers；　the　Brehons；
  whose　occupation　became　hereditary；　and　who　on　that　ground　have
  been　designated；　though　not　with　strict　accuracy；　a　caste。　This
  view；　which　is　consistent　with　all　that　early　English　authorities
  on　Ireland　have　told　us　of　the　system　they　call　the　Brehon　law；
  is　certainly　that　which　would　be　suggested　by　simple　inspection
  of　the　law　tracts　at　present　translated　and　published。　The　Book
  of　Aicill　is　probably　the　oldest；　and　its　text　is　avowedly
  composed　of　the　dicta　of　two　famous　lawyers；　Cormac　and
  Cennfeladh。　The　Senchus　Mor　does；　indeed；　profess　to　have　been
  produced　by　a　process　resembling　legislation；　but　the　pretension
  cannot　be　supported；　and；　even　if　it　could；　the　Senchus　Mor　would
  not　less　consist　of　the　opinions　of　famous　Brehons。　It　describes
  the　legal　rules　embodied　in　its　text　as　formed　of　the　'law　of
  nature'；　and　of　the　'law　of　the　letter'。　The　'law　of　the　letter'
  is　the　Scriptural　law；　extended　by　so　much　of　Canon　law　as　the
  primitive　monastic　Church　of　Ireland　can　be　supposed　to　have
  created　or　adopted。　The　reference　in　the　misleading　phrase　'law
  of　nature'；　is　not　to　be　the　memorable　combination　of　words
  familiar　to　the　Roman　lawyers；　but　to　the　text　of　St　Paul　in　the
  Epistle　to　the　Romans：　'For　when　the　Gentiles；　which　have　not　the
  law；　do　by　nature　the　things　contained　in　the　law；　these；　having
  not　the　law；　are　the　law　unto　themselves。'　（Rom。　ii。　14）　The　'law
  of　nature'　is；　therefore；　the　ancient　pre…Christian　ingredient　in
  the　system；　and　the　'Senchus　Mor'　says　of　it：　'The　judgments　of
  true　nature　while　the　Holy　Ghost　had　spoken　through　the　mouths　of
  the　Brehons　and　just　poets　of　the　men　of　Erin；　from　the　first
  occupation　of　Ireland　down　to　the　reception　of　the　faith；　were
  all　exhibited　by　Dubhthach　to　Patrick。　What　did　not　clash　with
  the　Word　of　God　in　the　written　law　and　the　New　Testament　and　the
  consciences　of　believers；　was　confirmed　in　the　laws　of　the
  Brehons　by　Patrick　and　by　the　ecclesiastics　and　chieftains　of
  Ireland；　for　the　law　of　nature　had　been　quite　right　except　the
  faith；　and　its　obligations；　and　the　harmony　of　the　Church　and
  people。　And　this　is　the　〃Senchus　Mor〃。'
  Dr　Sullivan；　on　the　other　hand；　whose　learned　and　exhaustive
  Introduction　to　O'Curry's　Lectures　forms　the　first　volume　of　the
  'Manners　and　Customs　of　the　Ancient　Irish'；　affirms；　on　the
  evidence　of　ancient　records；　that　the　institutions　which　in　some
  communities　undoubtedly　developed　into　true　legislatures　had
  their　counterparts　in　the　Ireland　to　which　the　laws　belonged；　and
  he　does　not　hesitate　to　designate　certain　portions　of　the　Irish
  legal　system　'statute…law'。　In　the　present　sate　of　criticism　on
  Irish　documents　it　is　not　possible　to　hold　the　balance　exactly
  between　the　writers　of　the　Introduction　and　of　the　General
  Preface；　but　there　is　not　the　inconsistency　between　their
  opinions　which　there　might　appear　to　be　at　first　sight。　In　the
  infancy　of　society　many　conceptions　are　found　blended　together
  which　are　now　distinct；　and　many　associations　which　are　now
  inseparable　from　particular　processes　or　institutions　are　not
  found　coupled　with　them。　There　is　abundant　proof　that　legislative
  and　judicial　power　are　not　distinguished　in　primitive　thought；
  nor；　again；　is　legislation　associated　with　innovation。　In　our　day
  the　legislator　is　always　supposed　to　innovate；　the　judge　never。
  But　of　old　the　legislator　no　more　necessarily　innovated　than　the
  judge；　he　only；　for　the　most　part；　declared　pre…exiting　law　or
  custom。　It　is　impossible　to　determine　how　much　new　law　there　was
  in　the　Laws　of　Solon；　or　in　the　Twelve　Tables　of　Rome；　or　in　the
  Laws　of　Alfred　and　Canute；　or　in　the　Salic　Law　which　is　the
  oldest　of　the　so…called　Leges　Barbarorum；　but　in　all　probability
  the　quantity　was　extremely　small。　Thus；　when　a　body　of　Brehon
  judgments　was　promulgated　by　an　Irish　Chief　to　a　tribal　assembly；
  it　is　probable　than　convenience　was　the　object　sought　rather　than
  a　new　sanction。　A　remarkable　poem；　appended　to　O'Curry's
  Lectures；　tells　us　how　certain　Chiefs　proceeded　every　third　year
  to　the　'Fair　of　Carman'　and　there　proclaimed　'the　rights　of　every
  law　and　the　restraints'；　but　it　does　not　at　all　follow　that　this
  promulgation　had　any　affinity　for　legislation　in　the　modern
  sense。　The　innovating　legislatures　of　the　modern　world　appear　to
  have　grown　up　where　certain　conditions　were　present　which　were
  viturally　unknown　to　ancient　Ireland　　where　the　primitive
  groups　of　which　society　was　formed　were　broken　up　with　some
  completeness；　and　where　a　central　government　was　constituted
  acting　on　individuals　from　a　distance　coercively　and
  irresistibly。
  There　are；　moreover；　some　independent　reasons　for　thinking
  that；　among　the　Celtic　races；　the　half…judicial；
  half…legislative；　power　originally　possessed　by　the　tribal　Chief；
  or　by　the　tribal　Assembly；　or　by　both　in　combination；　passed　very
  early　to　a　special　class　of　learned　persons。　The　Prefaces　in
  Irish　found　at　the　commencement　of　some　of　the　law…tracts；　which
  are　of　much　interest；　but　of　uncertain　origin　and　date；　contain
  several　reference　to　the　order　in　Celtic　society　which　has
  hitherto　occupied　men's　thoughts　more　than　any　other；　the　Druids。
  The　word　occurs　in　the　Irish　text。　The　writers　of　the　prefaces
  seem　to　have　conceived　the　Druids　as　a　class　of　heathen　priests
  who　had　once　practised　magical　arts。　The　enchanters　of　Pharaoh
  are；　for　instance；　called　the　Egyptian　Druids；　in　the　Preface　to
  the　Senchus　Mor。　The　point　of　view　seems　to　be　the　one　familiar
  enough　to　us　in　modern　literature；　where　an　exclusive　prominence
  is　given　to　the　priestly　character　of　the　Druids；　nor　do　the
  Brehon　lawyers　appear　to　connect　themselves　with　a　class　of　men
  whom　they　regard　as　having　belonged　altogether　to　the　old　order
  of　the　world。　I　am　quite　aware　that；　in　asking　whether　the
  historical　disconnection　of　the　Brehons　and　the　Druids　can　be
  accepted　as　a　fact；　I　suggest　an　enquiry　about　which　there　hangs
  a　certain　air　of　absurdity。　There　has　been　so　much　wild
  speculation　and　assertion　about　Druids　and　Druidical　antiquities
  that　the　whole　subject　seems　to　be　considered　as　almost　beyond
  the　pale　of　serious　discussion。　Yet　we　are　not　at　liberty　to
  forget　that　the　first　great　observer　of　Celtic　manners　describes
  the　Celts　of　the　Continent　as　before　all　things　remarkable　for
  the　literary　class　which　their　society　included。　Let　me　add　that
  in　Caesar's　account　of　the　Druids　there　is　not　a　word　which　does
  not　appear　to　me　perfectly　credible。　The　same　remark　may　be　made
  of　Strabo。　But　the　source　of　at　all　events　a　part　of　the
  absurdities　which　have　clustered　round　the　subject　I　take　to　be
  the　Natural　History　of　Pliny；　and　they　seem　to　belong　to　those
  stories　about　plants　and　animals　to　which　may　be　traced　a　great
  deal　of　the　nonsense　written　in　the　world。
  You　may　remember　the　picture　given　by　Caesar　of　the
  Continental　Celts；　as　they　appear　to　him　when　he　first　used　his
  unrivalled　opportunities　of　examining　them。　He　tells　us　that
  their　tribal　societies　consisted　substantially　of　three　orders　he
  calls　the　Equites；　the　Druids；　and　the　Plebeians。　Somebody　has
  said　that　this　would　be　a　not　very　inaccurate　description　of
  French　society　just　before　the　first　Revolution；　with　its　three
  orders　of　Nobles；　Clergy；　and　unprivileged　Tiers…蓆at；　but　the
  observation　is　a　good　deal　more　ingenious　than　true。　We　ar