and　the　weight　of　learned　opinion　inclines　strongly　to　the　view
  that　these　rules　had　universally　their　source　in　Roman　law；　but
  were　diffused　by　the　influence　of　the　Christian　clergy。　This
  assertion　cannot　be　quite　so　confidently　made　of　Contracts；　but
  the　sacredness　of　bequests　and　the　sacredness　of　promises　were　of
  about　equal　importance　to　the　Church；　as　the　donee　of　pious
  gifts；　and；　as　regards　the　Brehon　law；　it　is　plain　upon　the　face
  of　the　published　sub…tract　which　is　chiefly　concerned　with
  Contract；　the　Corus　Bescna；　that　the　material　interests　of　the
  Church　furnished　one　principal　motive　for　its　compilation。　The
  Corus　Bescna；　in　which；　I　may　observe；　a　certain　confusion　（not
  uncommon　in　ancient　law）　may　be　remarked　between　contracts　and
  grants；　between　the　promise　to　give　and　the　act　or　operation　of
  giving；　contains　some　very　remarkable　propositions　on　the　subject
  of　contract。　Here；　and　in　other　parts　of　the　Senchus　Mor；　the
  mischiefs　of　breach　of　contract　are　set　forth　in　the　strongest
  language。　'The　world　would　be　in　a　state　of　confusion　if　verbal
  contracts　were　not　binding。'　'There　are　three　periods　at　which
  the　world　dies：　the　period　of　a　plague；　of　a　general　war；　of　the
  dissolution　of　verbal　contracts。'　'The　world　is　worthless　at　the
  time　of　the　dissolution　of　contracts。'　At　first　sight　this　looks
  a　good　deal　liker　the　doctrine　of　the　eighteenth　century　than　of
  any　century　between　the　sixth　and　the　sixteenth。　Let　us　see；
  however；　what　follows　when　the　position　thus　broadly　stated　has
  to　be　worked　out。　We　come；　in　the　Corus　Bescna；　upon　the
  following　attempt　at　classification；　which　I　fear　would　have
  deeply　shocked　Jeremy　Bentham　and　John　Austin：　'How　many　kinds　of
  contracts　are　there？'　asks　the　Brehon　textwriter。　'Two；'　is　the
  answer。　'A　valid　contract；　and　an　invalid　contract。'　This；　no
  doubt；　is　absurd；　but　the　explanation　appears　to　be　as　follows。
  The　principle　of　the　absolute　sacredness　of　contracts　was
  probably　of　foreign　origin；　and　was　insisted　upon　for　a
  particular　purpose。　It　was　therefore　laid　down　too　broadly　for
  the　actual　state　of　the　law　and　the　actual　condition　of　Irish
  Celtic　society。　Under　such　circumstances　a　treatise　on　Contract
  takes　necessarily　the　form　in　great　measure　of　a　treatise　on　the
  grounds　of　invalidity　in　contracts；　on　the　manifold　exceptions　to
  an　over…broad　general　rule。　Anciently；　the　power　of　contracting
  is　limited　on　all　sides。　It　is　limited　by　the　rights　of　your。
  family；　by　the　rights　of　your　distant　kinsmen；　by　the　rights　of
  your　co…villagers；　by　the　rights　of　your　tribe；　by　the　rights　of
  your　Chief；　and；　if　you　contract　adversely　to　the　Church；　by　the
  rights　of　the　Church。　The　Corus　Bescna　is　in　great　part　a
  treatise　on　these　archaic　limitations。　At　the　same　time　some　of
  the　modern　grounds　of　invalidity　are　very　well　set　forth；　and　the
  merit　may　possibly　be　due　to　the　penetration　of　Roman　doctrine
  into　the　Brehon　law…schools。
  Something　must　be　said　on　the　extent　to　which　Christian
  opinion　has　leavened　these　Brehon　writings。　Christianity　has
  certainly　had　considerable　negative　influence　over　them。　It
  became　no　longer　possible　for　the　Brehon　to　assert　that　the
  transgressor　of　his　rules　would　incur　a　supernatural　penalty；　and
  the　consequences　of　this　were　no　doubt　important。　But　still；　as
  you　have　seen；　in　the　case　of　'fasting　on　a　man；'　or　'sitting
  dharna；'　the　heathen　rule　remained　in　the　system；　though　its
  significance　was　lost。　Again；　one　positive　result　of　the
  reception　by　the　Brehons　of　the　so…called　'law　of　the　letter'
  appears　to　have　been　the　development　of　a　great　mass　of　rules
  relating　to　the　territorial　rights　of　the　Church；　and　these
  constitute　a　very　interesting　department　of　the　Brehon　law。　But
  there　has　certainty　been　nothing　like　an　intimate
  interpenetration　of　ancient　Irish　law　by　Christian　principle。　If
  this　kind　of　influence　is　to　be　looked　for　anywhere；　it　must　be
  in　the　law　of　Marriage；　and　the　cognate　branches　of　Divorce；
  Legitimacy；　and　Inheritance。　These；　however；　are　the　very
  portions　of　the　Brehon　law　which　have　been　dwelt　upon　by　writers
  convinced　that；　as　regards　the　relations　of　the　sexes；　the
  primitive　Irish　were　near　akin　to　those　Celts　of　Britain　of　whose
  practices　Caesar　had　heard。　（B。　G。；　v。　14。）　The　'Book　of　Aicill'
  provides　for　the　legitimation　not　only　of　the　bastard；　but　of　the
  adulterine　bastard；　and　measures　the　compensation　to　be　paid　to
  the　putative　father。　The　tract　on　'Social　Connections　'　appears
  to　assume　that　the　temporary　cohabitation　of　the　sexes　is　part　of
  the　accustomed　order　of　society；　and　on　this　assumption　it
  minutely　regulates　the　mutual　rights　of　the　parties；　showing　an
  especial　care　for　the　interests　of　the　woman；　even　to　the　extent
  of　reserving　to　her　the　value　of　her　domestic　services　during　her
  residence　in　the　common　dwelling。　One　remark　ought；　however；　to
  be　made　on　these　provisions　of　the　Brehon　law。　It　is　not
  inconceivable　that；　surprising　as　they　are；　they　may　be　the　index
  to　a　social　advance。　Caesar　plainly　found　the　Celts　of　the
  Continent　polygamous；　living　in　families　held　together　by
  stringent　Paternal　Power。　He；　a　Roman；　familiar　with　a　Patria
  Potestas　as　yet　undecayed；　thinks　it　worthy　of　remark　that　the
  head　of　a　Gallic　household　had　the　power　of　life　and　death　over
  his　wives　as　well　as　his　children；　and　notices　with　astonishment
  that；　when　a　husband　died　under　suspicious　circumstances；　his
  wives　were　treated　with　the　same　cruelty　as　a　body　of　household
  slaves　at　Rome　whose　master　had　been　killed　by　an　unknown　hand。
  （B。　G。；　vi。　19。）　Now；　though　very　much　cannot　be　confidently　said
  about　the　transition　（which；　nevertheless；　is　an　undoubted　fact）
  of　many　societies　from　polygamy　to　monogamy　under　influences
  other　than　those　of　religion；　it　may　plausibly　be　conjectured
  that　here　and　there　it　had　its　cause　in　liberty　of　divorce。　The
  system　which　permitted　a　plurality　of　wives　may　have　passed　into
  the　system　which　forbade　more　than　one　wife　at　a　time；　but　which
  did　not　go　farther。　The　monogamy　of　the　modern　and　Western　world
  is；　in　fact；　the　monogamy　of　the　Romans；　from　which　the　license
  of　divorce　has　been　expelled　by　Christian　morality。　There　are
  hardly　any　materials　for　an　opinion　upon　the　degree　of　influence
  exercised　by　the　Church　over　the　transformation　of
  marriage…relations　in　Ireland；　but　there　are　several　indications
  that　the　ecclesiastical　rules　as　to　the　conditions　of　a　valid
  marriage　established　themselves　very　slowly　among　the　ruder　races
  on　the　outskirts　of　what　had　been　the　Roman　Empire。　Mr　Burton
  （'History　of　Scotland；'　ii。　213）；　in　speaking　of　the　number　of
  illegitimate　claimants　who　brought　their　pretensions　to　the　Crown
  of　Scotland　before　Edward　the　First；　observes：　'That　they　should
  have　pushed　their　claims　only　shows　that　the　Church　had　not　yet
  absolutely　established　the　rule　that　from　her　and　her　ceremony
  and　sacrament　could　alone　come　the　union　capable　of　transmitting
  a　right　of　succession　to　offspring。'　The　tract　on　'Social
  Connexions'　notices　a　'first'　wife；　and　the　recognition　may　be
  attributable　to　the　Church；　but　on　the　whole　my　impression
  certainly　is　that　the　extremely　ascetic　form　under　which
  Christianity　was　introduced　into　Ireland　was　unfavourable　to　its
  obtaining　a　hold　on　popular　morality。　The　common　view　seems　to
  have　been　that　chastity　was　the　professional　virtue　of　a　special
  class；　for　the　Brehon　tracts；　which　make　the　assumptions　I　have
  described　as　to　the　morals　of　the　laity；　speak　of　irregularity　of
  life　in　a　monk　or　bishop　with　the　strongest　reprobation　and
  disgust。　At　the　present　moment　Ireland　is　probably　the　one　of　all
  Western　countries　in　which　the　relations　of　the　sexes　are　most
  nearly　on　the　footing　req