A history of the Highlands and of the Highland clans : with an ...

GENEALOGY AND CHRONOLOGY OF THE SCOTO-IRISH KINGS. 7 7
them. But the strong attachment tliiis created was not confined to
foster-brothers : it also extended to their parents. Spenser relates ol
the foster-mother to Murrough O'Brien, that, at his execution, she
Slicked the blood tVoui his hi-ad, and bathed her face and breast with
it, saying that it was too precious to fall to the earth.
The family, which had been fortunate to bring up the chief, were
greatly beloved and respected by him, and the foster-brothers were
promoted in his household to places of trust and confidence. The
remuneration for fosterage was often a matter of paction, and, ia
modern times, became, in some cases, the subject of .an especial written
agreement ; but, in general, an understood practice prevailed in parti
cular districts. " In Mull, the father sends with his child a certain
number of cows, to which the same number is added by the fosterer;
the father appropriating a proportionate extent of country, without
rent, for their pasturage. If every cow brings a calf, half belongs to
the fosterer and half to the child ; but if there be only one calf between
two cows, it is the child's ; and when the child returns to the parents.
It is accompanied by all the cows given both by the father and by the
fosterer, with half of the increase of the stock by propagation. These
oeasts are considered as a portion, and called macaladh cattle, of which
the father has the produce, but is supposed not to have the full pro-
perty, but to owe the same number to the child, as a portion to the
daughter, or a stock for the son."*
It is unnecessary, at this stage of our labours, to enter upon the
subject of clanship, as we mean to reserve our observations thereon till
we come to the history of the clans, when we shall also notice some
peculiarities or traits of the Highlanders not hitherto mentioned. We
shall conclude this chapter by giving
A GENEALOGICAL AND CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE OF THE
SCOTO-IRISH KINGS, FROM THE YEAR 503 TO 843.
Scriw.