227. Tri ata ferr i tig: daim, fir, bela.

[Note 227: dam N]

228. Tri ata messum i tig: m_ai_c, mna, meile.

[Note 228: measum bite a taig mic BM]

229. Tri comartha tirdachta .i. immargal [et] immarbag [et] meraichne.

[Note 229: im_ur_cal im_ur_baid imraithne N imabad LBM]

230. Cenele amus: salanaig buale [et] buicc brodnai [et] eoin erchoille [et] seiche corad.

[Note 230: cenela BM buale _om._ BM earcaille M coradh M]

231. Cenele daileman: mormenmnach meda, bolcsronach brocoiti, itfa eserni, cuacroessach, donndabach, bolcra paitte, abartach escrai, geir grainne, cranndretel cuirn.

[Note 231: cenela BM metha H bolgsronach BM itfa eserne BM cuachroeasach BM cuachrochesach H baite BM haiti H abarthach easgraidh M gearr grandai B grenn graindi H crand rebartach H treiteal cuirnd M cuirnn L]

219. The pottages of guarantorship: wer-geld or a debtor's ... or non-possession (?)[107]

[107] Obscure and probably corrupt. Cp. -- 139.

220. Three things hard to guarantee and to become a hostage and to make a contract for: to go security for constructing the fort of a king, an oratory, and a caldron. For it is hard for a man of a family to be given with (?) his fellow.[108]

[108] I cannot make out the meaning of _doberim fri_.

221. Three things that are undignified for everyone: driving one's horse before one's lord so as to soil his dress, going to speak to him without being summoned, staring in his face as he is eating his food.

222. Three lawful handbreadths: a handbreadth between shoes and hose, a handbreadth between ear and hair, a handbreadth between the fringe of the tunic and the knee.

223. What is worst in a household? Sons of a bawd, frequent feasts, numerous alliances in marriages, abundance of mead and wine. They waste you and do not profit.

224. Three illnesses that are better than health: the lying-in of a woman with a male child, the fever of an abdominal disease that clears the bowels, a feverish pa.s.sion to check evil by its good (?).

225. Three welcomes of an ale-house: plenty and kindliness and art.

226. Three services the worst that a man can serve: serving a bad woman, a bad lord, and a bad smith.[109]

[109] 'bad land,' N.

227. Three things that are best in a house: oxen,[110] men, axes.

[110] 'an ox,' N.

228. Three that are worst in a house: boys, women, lewdness.[111]

[111] 'Or, perhaps, as in -- 223, 'sons of a lewd woman,' only in that case we have no triad.

229. Three signs of boorishness: strife, and contention, and mistaking a person for another (?)[112]

[112] Or, perhaps, 'slight or superficial knowledge.'

230. Various kinds of mercenaries: ....[113]

231. Various kinds of dispensers: ....[113]

[113] As I could only offer unsatisfactory guess-work as a translation of these pa.s.sages, I omit them altogether.

232. Tri as anso bis do accallaim .i. ri imma gabail [et] Gall ina luirig [et] athech do muin commairchi.

[Note 232: annsom (andso H) do agallaim bis BHM rig M c.u.mairce N a chumairci H]

233. Tri as mo menma bis .i. scoloc iar legad a [.s]alm [et] gilla iar lecud a erraid uad [et] ingen iar ndenam mna di.

[Note 233: trede BMHN scol_aigi_ N scolaidi H iar lecun a eri uada H iar leccad a arad uad N]

234. Cetharda forna bi cosc no riagail .i. gilla sacairt [et] cu muilleorach [et] mac bantrebthaige [et] gamain gamnaige.

[Note 234: fornach bi BM na BM gamnaidhe M]

235. Tri huais doib: dul ar rig no uasal nemid, ar is lethiu enech rig aidbriud; dul fri cath, ar ni tualaing nech glinni fri cath acht rig lasmbiat secht tuatha foa mam; dul fri cimmidecht acht nech lasa mbi mug doer. Secht n-aurgarta doib: dul ar deoraid, ar druth [et] ar dasachtach, ar diaraig, ar angar, ar econn, ar essconn. Imnedach da_no_ cach rath, ar is ecen di dianapud im cach ngell dob_eir_, aill riam, aill iarum.

[Note 235: n_em_i N it lethai L lethe N aidbriu N tulaing N glinde N acht nech laisimbiad N fo mam_m_i N cimbidheacht acht nech lasambiad mogh daor dil_es_ N dasachtaig N imnedach do_no_ cech raith N imni da_no_ L dianapad N dobeir N]

236. Tri hamra Glinne Dallain i tir Eogain: torcc Dromma Leithe, is a.s.s rochin [et] is do-side for[.f]eimid Finn ni, co torchair im Maig Lii la aithech bui hic tirad, ut dixit Finn:

Ni mad biadsam ar cono. ni mad riadsam ar n-echa tan is aithechan atha. romarb torcc Dromma Letha.

Mil Leittreach Dallain, cenn duine fair, denam builc gobann olchena .i.

ech usci roboi isind loch i toeb na cille, is he dochuaid ar ingin in t[.s]acairt co ndergene in mil frie. Dam Dili in tres ingnad. Asind loch cetna tainic a athair co ndechaid for boin do buaib in brugad roboi i fail na cille, co ndeirgenai in dam de.

[Note 236: as as rocin N forfeimdi N Muig Hi N Muig Hith H. 1.15 ma biasam N ma riadsim ar n-eacha N ricsam andechi L L_et_hae N Leithi L ase docoid N fria N isin N co nderrna an dam fria N]

232. Three that are most difficult to talk to: a king about his booty, a viking in his hauberk, a boor who is under patronage.

233. Three whose spirits are highest: a young scholar after having read his psalms, a youngster who has put on man's attire,[114] a maiden who has been made a woman.

[114] Literally, 'who has doffed his (boy's) clothes.'

234. Four on whom there is neither restraint nor rule: the servant of a priest, a miller's hound, a widow's son, and a stripper's calf.

235. Three hard things[115]: to go security on behalf of a king or highly privileged person, for a king's honour is wider than any claim; to go security for battle, for no one is capable of any security for a battle save a king under whose yoke are seven tribes; to go security for captivity, except one who owns a serf.

Seven prohibitions: to go security for an outlaw, for a jester and for a madman, for a person without bonds, for an unfilial person, for an imbecile, for one excommunicated. Troublesome moreover is every security, for it is necessary for it to give sudden notice as regards every pledge which he gives, now beforehand, now afterwards.

[115] I do not understand the force of _doib_, 'to them,' either here or below after _secht n-aurgarta_.