History of the Irish state to 1014 - National Library of Scotland

;X SOCIAL GRADES 201a vassal is not entitled to malt until he be a lord." Notbeing of noble descent the fer fothlai could claim nohereditary right to enter the ranks of the ruling classbut according to the old Irish principle that " aman isbetter than his birth," he had the opportunity whichruns through all Irish law for the man of ability andindustry to enter the rank above his own. " Thehighest is he who has clients " ; and the fer fothlai onlyneeded to amass double the possessions required for thelowest rank of noble, so as to lend stock not only todoer-cheli but to a sufficient number of soer-cheli—clientswho had not sold their honour-price, or whom he enabledto redeem it. Then with eight chattels for his honourprice,twenty-seven feet his house, seventeen his outhouse,four his guest-company, he could take his placeamong the faithi, or rulers.Another great man on the border line was the airecosring, " a noble of constraint," or " the noble of akin " who had accepted him as chief, and " he makesspeech for them." To compel them to obedience heprovided a pledge to king and synod and craftsmen, ofsilver or bronze or yew, to the value of five chattels.Nine chattels his honour-price ; his house of thirty feetwith out-house of nineteen ; and five persons his guestcompany.The Flaithi, or Rulers.Thus the bridge was built for the passage of the " menof worth " into the ranks of the highborn and chiefcounsellors. The hoaire was classed according to hispossessions in land ; but no early law-tract lays any stresson the ownership of land by ruling nobles. The flaithhad to prove his father and grandfather and their wivesto be of noble race. He had to stand at the head, notonly of doer-cheli^ but of soer-cheli—clients who hadretained or had bought back the right to exercise theirindependent franchise in the same court as himself, andsupported him in all public duties whether in law-courts,