Another feature of the ancient tribal system in Ireland, presented to us in the Brehon Laws, must not be overlooked, and that is the system of fines, in which respect it closely resembled not only similar regulations in the Welsh Laws but likewise in those of the Anglo-Saxons. In that early state of society the idea that the slaughter or injury of any of its members was a crime against the State, which required the punishment of the criminal in vindication of the law of the land, was entirely unknown. The slaughter or injury of the member of the tribe was considered as a loss to the tribe itself, which must be compensated for, and when compensation was made and accepted the criminal was free. Originally the compensation was probably simple retaliation, but afterwards this right of retaliation might be bought off by payment of a fine. That a tradition of this kind existed appears from a passage in the Introduction to the Senchus Mor, in which we are told that ‘retaliation prevailed in Erin before Patrick, and Patrick brought forgiveness with him. At this day we keep between forgiveness and retaliation; for as at present no one has the power of bestowing heaven as Patrick had at that day, so no one is put to death for his intentional crimes, so long as Eric fine is obtained; and whenever Eric fine is not obtained, he is put to death for his intentional crimes, and placed on the sea for his unintentional crimes.’ Sir Henry Maine, in commenting on this passage, justly remarks, that ‘it is impossible, of course, to accept the statement that this wide-spread ancient institution, the pecuniary fine levied on tribes or families for the wrongs done by their members, had its origin in Christian influences; but that it succeeded simple retaliation is in the highest degree probable.’[174] [Sidenote: The Honor price.] The system of fines was based in the main upon a fixed value put upon each person, estimated according to his position and rank, and expressed by a standard of value in cattle. This was his _Enechlann_ or Honor price, and it enters as an element into all the pecuniary relations of the different members of the tribes with each other. This standard of value was expressed in two forms. First by what was termed a _Set_ or _Sed_, by which single animals of different value were meant. The next was the _Ri Set_ or milch cow, which was equal to two _Samaiscs_ or three-year-old heifers or mules, and each _Samaisc_ was equal to two _Dairts_ or _Colpachs_, that is, two-year-old heifers or bulls, and the rule was that of every three _Sets_ one must be of each kind.[175] The other standard of value was the _Cumhal_, which originally meant a female bondslave, and was equal in value to three milch cows.