Itseemsextremelyprobablethat，inaparticularstageofsociety，thispersonalservicetotheChieforKingwaseverywhererenderedinexpectationofrewardintheshapeofagiftofland。TheCompanionsoftheTeutonickings，inContinentalEurope，sharedlargelyintheBenefices-grantsofRomanprovinciallandfullypeopledandstocked。InancientEnglandthesameclassarebelievedtohavebeenthelargestgranteesofpubliclandnexttotheChurch；anddoubtlesswehaveherepartofthesecretofthemysteriouschangebywhichanewnobilityofThanes，derivingdignityandauthorityfromtheKing，absorbedtheoldernobilityofEorls。ButwearealittleapttoforgettheplentifulnessoflandincountrieslyingbeyondthenorthernandwesternlimitsoftheRomanEmpire，orjustwithinthem。MrThoroldRogers，writingofaperiodrelativelymuchlater，andfoundinghisopinionontheextantevidenceofreturnsfrommanor-lands，speaksoflandasthe’cheapestcommodityoftheMiddleAges。’Thepracticaldifficultywasnottoobtainland，buttheinstrumentsformakingitproductive；andhence，inasocietyolderrelativelythananyTeutonicsocietyofwhichwehaveanydistinctknowledge，thatverysocietywhichtheBrehontractsenableustounderstand，itmayverywellhavebeenthattheobjectofsuitatcourtwasmuchlesstoobtainlandthantoobtaincattle。TheChief，asIhavealreadysaid，wasbeforeallthingsrichinflocksandherds。Hewasmilitaryleader，andagreatpartofhiswealthmusthavebeenspoilofwar，butinhiscivilcapacityhemultipliedhiskinethroughhisgrowingpowerofappropriatingthewasteforpasture，andthroughasystemofdispersinghisherdsamongthetribesmen，whichwillbedescribedinthenextLecture。TheCompanionwhofollowedhimtotheforay，orwasreadytodoso，cannotbuthavebeenenrichedbyhisbounty；andthus，ifalreadynoble，hebecamegreater；ifhewasnotnoble，thewaytonobilitylaythroughwealth。ThepassagewhichIamabouttoreadtoyoumayservetoillustratewhatprobablytookplace，thoughthereisnothingexceptcommonhumanitytoconnectthetribesofwhosecustomsitspeakswiththeprimitiveTeutonsandCelts。TheRevH。Dugmore，inamostinterestingvolume，calleda’CompendiumofKafirLawsandCustoms，’andpublishedattheWesleyanMissionaryPress，MountCoke，BritishKaffraria，writesthusofmuchthemostadvancedoftheSouthAfricannativeraces，theKafirsorZulusp。27：’Ascattleconstitutethesolewealthofthepeople，sotheyaretheironlymediumofsuchtransactionsasinvolveexchange，payment，orreward。Theretainersofachiefservehimforcattle；norisitexpectedthathecouldmaintainhisinfluence，orindeedsecureanynumberoffollowers，ifunabletoprovidethemwithwhatatonceconstitutestheirmoney，food，andclothing。Herequires，then，aconstantfundfromwhichtosatisfyhisdependants；andtheamountofthefundrequiredmaybejudgedoffromthecharacterofthedemandmadeuponhim。Hisretinue，court，orwhateveritistobecalled，consistsofmenfromallpartsofthetribe，theyoung，theclever，andthebrave，whocometodocourtserviceforatime，thattheymayobtaincattletofurnishthemwiththemeansofprocuringwives，arms，orotherobjectsofdesire。Onobtainingthesetheyreturntotheirhomesandgiveplacetoothers。Thustheimmediateretinueofachiefiscontinuallychanging，andconstitutesapermanentdrainonhisresources。’MrDugmoregoesontostatethatthesourcesofthechief’swealtharetheinheritedcattleofhisfather，offeringsmadetohimontheceremonyofhiscircumcision，benevolencesleviedfromhistribe，finesandconfiscations，andtheresultsofpredatoryexcursions。
TheremarkablepartplayedbykineinancientIrishsocietywill，Ihope，bemademoreintelligibleinthenextLecture。
Meantime，letmeobservethatthetwoCelticsocietiesincludedintheseislandswhichlongestretainedtheirancientusageswerebothnotoriouslygiventotheplunderofcattle。LordMacaulay，inspeakingofIrishcattle-stealing，sometimes，Imustown，seemstometoexpresshimselfasifhethoughtthepracticeattributabletosomenativeviceofIrishcharacter；butnodoubtitwaswhatMrTylorhastaughtustocallasurvival，anancientandinveteratehabit，whichinthiscasecontinuedthroughthemisfortunewhichdeniedtoIrelandthegreatconditionofmodernlegalideas，astrongcentralgovernment。Theverysamepractice，amongtheCeltsoftheScottishHighlandsandtherudeGermanicpopulationoftheLowlandBorder，hasalmostbeeninvestedbyoneman’sgeniuswiththedignityofavirtue。Again，turningto’Waverley，’IsupposethereisnotruerrepresentativeoftheprimitiveCelticchiefthanDonaldBeanLean，whodrivesthecattleofTullyVeolan，andemploysasoothsayertopredictthenumberofbeeveswhicharelikelytocomeinhisWay。Heisafarmoregenuine’survival’thanFergusMcIvor，whoallbutdesertshiscauseforadisappointmentaboutanearldom。
IthasbeenpointedoutthatthestatusoftheKing’sCompanionswasatfirstinsomewayservile。WheneverlegalexpressionhastobegiventotherelationsoftheComitatustotheTeutonickings，theportionsoftheRomanlawselectedareuniformlythosewhichdeclarethesemi-servilerelationoftheClientorFreedmantohisPatron。TheBrehonlawpermitsustotakethesameviewofthecorrespondingclassinCelticsocieties。SeveraltextsindicatethataChiefofhighdegreeisalwaysexpectedtosurroundhimselfwithunfreedependants；andyouwillrecollectthattheretinueoftheKingofErinwastoconsistnotonlyoffreetribesmenbutofabodyguardofmenboundtohimbyservileobligations。Sofarasitgoes，IquiteagreewiththeexplanationwhichMrFreemanhasgivenoftheoriginalconnectionbetweenservilestatusandthatnobilitywithwhichtheprimitivenobilityofbirthhasbecomemixedupandconfounded。’Thelowlyclientage，’hesays，’oftheRomanPatricianandthenoblefollowingoftheHellenicandTeutonicleadermayreallycomefromthesamesource，andmaybothalikebepartsofthesameprimevalheritage。’’ComparativePolitics，’p。261。Butperhapswemaypermitourselvestogoastepbeyondthisaccount。TheComitatusorCompanionsoftheChief，evenwhentheywerefreemen，werenotnecessarilyOrordinarilyhisnearkindred。Theirdependenceonhim，carryingwithitfriendshipandaffection，wouldinmodernsocietiesplacetheminapositionwellunderstood，andonsomethinglikeanequalitywithhim；butinthebeginningofthingsonemanwasalwaysthekinsman，theslave，ortheenemyofanother，andmerefriendshipandaffectionwould，bythemselves，createnotiebetweenmanandman。Inorderthattheymighthaveanyreality，theywouldhavetobeconsideredasestablishingoneoftherelationsknowntothatstageofthought。Betweenequalsthiswouldbeassumedorfictitiouskinship。ButbetweentheChiefwhoembodiedpurityoftribaldescentandhisassociates，itwouldhavemoreorlesstofollowthepatternoftheslave’sdependenceonhismaster，and，wheretheCompanionwasnotactuallytheChief’sslave，thebondwhichconnectedthemwouldveryprobablybeadaptedtothemorehonourablemodelfurnishedbytherelationbetweenex-slaveandex-master。
TheChiefandtheLandTheBrehonlaw-tractsstronglysuggestthat，amongthethingswhichweinmoderntimeshavemostforgotten，istheimportanceofhornedcattle，notmerelyintheinfancyofsociety，butataperiodwhenithadmadesomeconsiderableadvancetowardsmaturityItisscarcelypossibletoturnoverapagewithoutfindingsomeallusiontobeeves，tobulls，cows，heifers，andcalves。Horsesappear，sheep，swine，anddogs；andbees，theproducersofthegreatestofprimitiveluxuries，haveaplaceassignedtothemasanarticleofpropertywhichhassomethingcorrespondingtoitinoldRomanlaw。Buttheanimalsmuchthemostfrequentlymentionedarekine。Therearesomefewfactsbothofetymologyandoflegalclassificationwhichpointtotheformerimportanceofoxen。Capitale——kinereckonedbythehead-cattle——hasgivenbirthtooneofthemostfamoustermsoflawandtooneofthemostfamoustermsofpoliticaleconomy，ChattelsandCapital。Pecuniawasprobablythewordformoneywhichwasemployedbythelargestpartofmankindforthelongesttimetogether。Butoxen，thoughtheyhavefurnishedamodernsynonymforpersonalproperty，werenot，Ineedscarcelysay，classedinthelowerorderofcommoditiesinallancientsystemsoflaw。TheprimitiveRomanlawplacedtheminthehighestclass，andjoinedthemwithlandandslavesasitemsoftheResMancipi。