[Sidenote: ‘Pretium sanguinis’ seven ancillæ.] Here the ordinary ‘_pretium sanguinis_’ or _coirp-dire_ is again clearly reckoned at VII. ancillæ, and the bishop, being of the seventh grade of rank in the ecclesiastical hierarchy, is to be paid for sevenfold. It is also worth notice that in these clauses the cutting off of a hand is reckoned as _half_ of the ‘_pretium sanguinis_.’ This is in full accordance with the Brehon rule laid down in the ‘Book of Aicill’ (iii. p. 349). Half the eric-fine of every person is to be paid for a foot, a hand, an eye, a tongue. But inasmuch as the ‘eric-fine’ in this case might be taken by mistake to include the honour-price as well as the coirp-dire, the commentary adds:-- He is entitled to half ‘coirp-dire’ and half compensation (aithgin) and full honour-price. The loss of the hand was reckoned at half the coirp-dire. The full honour-price was due for the insult or assault. Yet another clause in these canons seems to show that not only the coirp-dire of seven cumhals was familiar to the makers of the canons, but also the honour-price. In the Brehon Laws the honour-price was payable for breach of a chieftain’s protection, and in the case of the Ri-tuaith or kingly chieftain of a Tuath the honour-price was, as we have seen, seven cumhals. And so also was that of the bishop of the church in his territory.[88] [Sidenote: ‘Honour-price’ of a bishop or king seven ancillæ.] Accordingly, in the following clause in the canons the bishop is put in the same position as a king, with what was practically an honour-price of seven ancillæ:-- _Patricius dicit_: Omnis qui ausus fuerit ea quæ sunt regis vel episcopi aut scribæ furari aut rapere aut aliquod in eos committere, parvipendens dispicere, VII. ancillarum pretium reddat aut VII. annis peniteat cum episcopo vel scriba. _Patricius dicit_: Every one who shall dare to steal anything belonging to a king or bishop or scribe, or to take away from or commit anything against them heedlessly, shall pay the price of seven ancillæ or do penance for seven years with a bishop or scribe.[89] So that, though it is not very easy to put an exact date upon these canons, they seem clearly to adopt and confirm for ecclesiastical persons the Irish coirp-dire of seven ancillæ, and the highest honour-price also of seven ancillæ. And further the _ancilla_ of these canons was, it appears, of the same silver value as the _cumhal_ of the Brehon Laws. VI. THE BRETON OR GALLIC WERGELD OF THE SO-CALLED ‘CANONES WALLICI.’ It is perhaps possible with help from another set of canons to obtain further evidence of Celtic usage as to the fine for homicide, and what is still more to the point, to trace it back to the Continental side of the Channel. [Sidenote: The so-called ‘Canones Wallici’ of perhaps the Breton Church.]