Lecture　X
  The　Primitive　Forms　of　Legal　Remedies
  II
  I　pass　from　the　early　law　of　procedure　in　the　roman　and
  Teutonic　societies　to　the　corresponding　branch　of　another。
  ancient　legal　system　which　has　been　only　just　revealed　to　us；　and
  which；　so　far　as　its　existence　was　suspected；　was　supposed　until
  lately　to　be　separated　by　peculiarly　sharp　distinctions　from　all
  Germanic　bodies　of　usage。
  Rather　more　than　half　of　the　Senchus　Mor　is　taken　up　with　the
  Law　of　Distress。　The　Senchus　Mor；　as　I　told　you；　pretends　to　be　a
  Code　of　Irish　law；　and　indeed　to　be　that　very　Code　which　was
  prepared　under　the　influence　of　St。　Patrick　upon　the　introduction
  of　Christianity　into　Ireland。　I　added　that　in　the　present　state
  of　our　knowledge；　no　theory　can　be　very　confidently　advanced　as
  to　the　date　of　this　Brehon　compendium。　It　may　be　that　some　such
  revision　of　the　pre…Christian　law　did　take　place；　it　may　be　that
  the　Brehon　lawyers　only　conjectured　that　it　must　have　taken
  place；　it　may　be　that　a　tract　of　unusual　dimensions　and
  proportionately　valued　by　the　Brehon　law…school　which　happened　to
  possess　it；　came　gradually　to　be　associated　with　a　name　held　in
  pre…eminent　honour　or　pre…eminently　sacred；　a　process　of　which
  there　are　believed　to　be　several　examples　in　the　history　of
  eastern　jurisprudence；　These　doubts；　however；　as　to　the　true　date
  of　the　Senchus　Mor　do　not　take　away　from　the　significance　and
  instructiveness　of　the　fact　that　in　a　volume　of　great　antiquity；
  of　undoubted　genuineness；　and　evidently　thought　by　its　possessors
  to　contain　all　that　was　important　in　the　law；　the　Law　of
  Distress；　now　an　extremely　subordinate　branch　of　our　legal
  system；　occupies　a　space　so　extraordinarily　large。
  I　borrow　from　the　Editor　of　the　First　Volume　of　'Ancient　Laws
  of　Ireland；'　the　following　epitome　of　the　old　Irish　law　of
  distress　as　laid　down　in　the　Senchus　Mor：
  'The　plaintiff　or　creditor；　having　first　given　the　proper
  notice；　proceeded；　in　the　case　of　a　defendant　or　debtor；　not　of
  chieftain　grade；　to　distrain。　If　the　defendant　or　debtor　were　a
  person　of　chieftain　grade；　it　was　necessary　not　only　to　give
  notice；　but　also　to　〃fast　upon　him。〃　The　fasting　upon　him
  consisted　in　going　to　his　residence　and　waiting　there　for　a
  certain　time　without　food。　If　the　plaintiff　did　not　within　a
  certain　time　receive　satisfaction　for　his　claim；　or　a　pledge
  therefor；　he　forthwith；　accompanied　by　a　law…agent；　witnesses；
  and　others；　seized　his　distress。　The　distress；　when　seized；　was
  in　certain　cases　liable　to　a　Stay；　which　was　a　period　varying。
  according　to　fixed　rules；　during　which　the　debtor　received　back
  the　distress；　and　retained　it　in　his　own　keeping；　the　creditor
  having　a　lien　upon　it。　Such　a　distress　is　a　〃distress　with　time；〃
  but　under　certain　circumstances　and　in　particular　cases　an
  〃immediate　distress〃　was　made；　the　peculiarity　of　which　was　that
  during　the　fixed　period　of　the　Stay　the　distress　was　not　allowed
  to　remain　in　the　debtor's　possession；　but　in　that　of　the
  creditor；　or　in　one　of　the　recognised　greens　or　pounds。
  'If　the　debt　was　not　paid　by　the　end　of　the　Stay；　the
  creditor　took　away　the　distress；　and　put　it　in　a　pound。　He　then
  served　notice　of　the　distress　on　the　debtor　whom　he　had
  distrained；　letting　him　know　where　what　was　distrained　was
  impounded。　The　distress　remained　in　the　pound　a　certain　period；
  fixed　according　to　its　nature　（dithim；　translated　〃delay　in
  pound；〃　is　the　name　of　this　period）。　At　the　end　of　the　delay　in
  pound；　the　Forfeiting　Time　began　to　run；　during　which　the
  distress　became　forfeited　at　the　rate　of　three　〃seds〃　per　day；
  until　entirely　forfeited。　If　the　entire　value　of　the　distress
  thus　forfeited　was　exactly　equal　to　the　original　debt　and　the
  subsequent　expenses；　the　debt　was　liquidated；　if　it　was　less　than
  this；　a　second　distress　was　taken　for　the　difference；　and；　if
  more；　the　overplus　was　returned。　All　this　proceeding　was　managed
  by　the　party　himself；　or　his　law…agent；　with　the　several
  witnesses　of　the　various　steps；　and　other　necessary　parties。
  'But　if；　instead　of　allowing　his　cattle　to　go　to　pound；　the
  debtor　gave　a　sufficient　pledge；　e。g。；　his　son；　or　some　article
  of　value；　to　the　creditor；　that　he　would　within　a　certain　time
  try　the　right　to　the　distress　by　law；　the　creditor　was　bound　to
  receive　such　pledge。　If　he　did　not　go　to　law；　as　he　so　undertook；
  the　pledge　became　forfeited　for　the　original　debt。　At　any　time；
  up　to　the　end　of　the　〃dithim；〃　the　debtor　could　recover　his
  cattle　by　paying　the　debt　and　such　expenses　as　had　been　incurred。
  But；　if　he　neglected　to　redeem　them　until　the　〃dithim〃　had
  expired；　then　he　could　only　redeem　such　as　were　still
  unforfeited。'
  The　very　existence　in　ancient　Ireland　of　the　law　thus
  summarised　is　almost　enough　by　itself　to　destroy　those　reckless
  theories　of　race　which　assert　an　original；　inherent　difference　of
  idea　and　usage　between　Teuton　and　Celt。　The　Irish　system　of
  Distress　is　obviously；　in　all　essential　features；　the　Germanic
  system。　It　wears；　on　its　face；　a　very　strong　general　resemblance
  to　the　corresponding　branch　of　Our　Common　Law；　and　I　have　seen
  some　very　ingenious　attempts　to　account　for　the　differences
  between　the　two　by　suggestions　that　the　primitive　contour　of　the
  English　law　of　Distress　has　been　impaired。　The　object　of　such
  speculations　is　to　argue　for　the　direct　derivation　of　the　English
  set　of　rules　from　the　Celtic；　but　it　does　not　appear　to　the
  necessary　to　resort　to　a　supposition　which　has　great　and　special
  difficulties　of　its　own。　The　virtual　identity　of　the　Irish　law　of
  Distress　with　the　Teutonic　law　is　best　brought　out　by　comparing
  it　with　the　Teutonic　systems　of　procedure　collectively。　Thus　the
  Distress　of　the　Senchus　Mor　is　not；　like　the　Distress　of　the
  English　Common　Law；　a　remedy　confined　in　the　main　to　demands　of
  the　lord　on　his　tenants；　as　in　the　Salic　and　other　Continental
  Germanic　Codes；　it　extends　to　breaches　of　contract；　and　indeed；
  so　far　as　the　Brehon　law　is　already　known；　it　would　appear　to　be
  the　universal　method　of　prosecuting　claims　of　all　kinds。　The
  Notice　again　to　the　person　whose　goods　are　to　be　distrained　which
  it　strenuously　insists　upon；　though　not　found　in　the　surviving
  English　Common　law；　fills　an　important　place；　as　I　stated；　in
  other　Teutonic　collections　of　rules。　So　too　the　attendance　of
  witnesses　is　required　by　the　Continental　Codes；　and；　though　the
  presence　of　the　Brehon　law　agent　is　peculiar　to　the　Irish　system
  and　very　characteristic　of　it；　certain　persons　having　much　the
  same　duties　are　required　by　some　of　the　Teutonic　systems　to　be
  present　during　the　process　of　distraint。　Further；　the　Stay　of
  proceedings；　which　has　been　compared　to　an　Attachment；　seems　to
  me　better　explained　by　certain　provisions　of　the　'Leges
  Barbarorum。'　Under　some　of　them　when　a　person's　property　is　about
  to　be　seized　he　makes　a　mimic　resistance；　under　the　Salic　law；　he
  protests　against　the　injustice　of　the　attempt；　under　the
  Ripuarian　law；　he　goes　through　the　expressive　formality　of
  standing　at　his　door　with　a　drawn　sword。　Thereupon；　the　seizure
  is　interrupted　and　an　opportunity　is　given　for　enquiring　into　the
  regularity　of　the　proceedings　and；　probably　also；　into　the
  justice　of　the　claim。　The　Lien　or　charge　upon　the　distrained
  property；　which　the　Irish　law　confers　on　the　creditor　during　the
  currency　of　the　Stay；　is　not　found　in　the　Continental　Teutonic
  law　in　this　exact　shape；　but；　at　a　particular　stage　of　the　Salic
  proceedings；　the　creditor　has　the　power　of　interdicting　the
  debtor　from　selling　or　mortgaging　any　part　of　his　property　until
  the　debt　has　been　satisfied。　On　the　other　hand；　several　features
  of　the　Irish　system；　which　are　wholly　absent　from　the　Continental
  Teutonic　procedure；　or　very　faintly　marked　in　it；　belong
  conspicuously　to　the　English　law。　Among　these　may　be　placed　the
  impounding；　and　the　'taking　in　withernam；'　but　the　great。
  Resemblance　of　all；　and　the　common　point　of　dissimilarity　from
  the　most　ancient　of　the　Leges　Barbarorum；　lies　in　the　fact　that
  the　Irish　procedure；　like　the　English；　requires　neither
  assistance　nor　permission　from　any　Court　of　Justice。　In　all　the
  Teutonic　bodies　of　custom　except　the　English　and　the　Lombardic；
  even　when　the　greatest　latitude　of　seizure　is　allowed　to
  litigants　out　of　Court；　some。　judicial　person　or　body　must　be
  applied　to　before　they　proceed　to　extremities。　With　us；　however；
  the　entire　seizure　is　completed　before　authority　is　called　in；
  and　the　Irish　law　has　exactly　the　same　peculiarity。　Not　only　so；
  but　the　Irish　law　corresponds　to　the　English　law　of　Distress　in　a
  ve