share of the tribe land, besides what he received from the _Flath_. In the other he was dependent upon what he received from the _Flath_ for the whole of his stock. When the _Flath_ reclaimed his stock from the free _Ceile_, the latter had the option of becoming a bond _Ceile_, if he preferred doing so to returning his stock, and the _Flath_ was then bound to add the returnable _Seds_ to the stock he had originally given, which constituted the relation between him and the _Ceile_ as a permanent dependant. This process, therefore, not only led to the freemen of the tribe being gradually absorbed into the class of the dependants or following of the chief, but placed a powerful weapon in the hands of the latter, by which he could transform his temporary free _Ceile_ into permanent and more servile dependants. [Sidenote: The _Fuidhir_ or stranger septs.] As the _Flath_, however, increased in wealth and power and his territory extended, he was not satisfied with drawing his dependants from the tribe of which he was himself a member, but added to his followers by settling stranger septs upon his waste lands, and thus still further augmented his power. These stranger septs formed that class termed _Fuidhir_, a name which from its resemblance to the word _feud_, and from the apparent analogy between the position of the _Fuidhir_ with the vassals of the feudal system, has given rise to much speculation. These analogies are, however, more apparent than real, and there is probably no connection whatever beyond casual resemblance between the terminology of the two systems. In the oldest Glossary, that of Cormac, the term is applied to the superior instead of the dependant, and the name _Fuithir_ is said to be from _fo thir_, he who gives land (_tir_) to a stranger; but in the Brehon Laws it is applied to those stranger septs settled upon the land, and, like all the dependants, consisted of the two classes of _Saer_ and _Daer_, free and bond, according to the temporary or permanent character of the connection. With the exception that they were broken men from stranger tribes instead of members of the same tribe, their connection with the chief presented the same features with that of the native _Ceile_. Of these _Fuidhir_ there were said to be seven classes, ranging from those who had land or wealth and became detached from their tribe, to those who fled to the chief of another tribe for protection, and had nothing to give but their labour. The better class, termed _Fuidhir Grian_, obtained possession of a _Rath_ consisting of the usual five houses, received stock from the _Flath_ similar to that given to the _Ceile_, and had a _Lagenech_ or Honor price. These formed subordinate septs or _Finé_ under the chief,[195] and we are told that they ‘do not bear the liability of relationship unless there be five houses (_Treabba_) to relieve each other. If there be five houses with complete stock, they share the property of the