The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1882-01-25
The Early Kings.

I believe, upon a good deal of evil
dence, that ancientkings were itinerant,
travelling, or ambulatory personages.
When they became stationary they gen.
orally persisted. The primitive Kings of
communities confined within the walls,
like the old Athenian and the old Roman
Kings, soon dropped ont Of sight. Per-
haps, as Mr.. Grote has suggested, they
lived too much in full view Of their sub
jects for their tumble state to command
much respect when the belief in their
sacredness had been lost. But the more
barbarous King of communities spread
over wide territory was constantly NOV
ing about it; or, if he did not, he, too,
persisted, us did the Kings called the
r0is faineantS of the Franks.
If were called upon to furnish tho
Oldest evidence Of these iabits of the
ancient King, should refer to those
Irish records, of which the value is only
beginning to he discerned, for, whatever
may be said by the theorists who explain
all national characteristics by something
in the race or the blood, themost ancient
Irish laws and institutions are nothing
more than the most ancient Gcrmanic
laws and institutions at IN ea.lier stage
of barbarism.
Now, when Englishmen like Edmund
Spencer first began to put their observa.
tlons OF Ireland into writing-.at the end
Of the sixteenth century-thcre was one
Irish practice Of which they spoke with
the keenest indignation. This was what
they called the cuttings aud "cosher-
ings" of the Irish Chiefs-that is, their
periodical circuits among their tenantry
for the purpose of feasting with their
company at the tenants expense. II
was, in fact, only n late survival of com
mon incidents in the daily life Of the
barbarous Chief or King, who had no
taX-gatherers to collect his dues. but
went himself to exact them, living
as matter Of right, while he moved, at
the cost of his subjects. The theory of
the Irish law was, though ii is impossl-
bic to say how far it correspondent with
the facts, that the Chief had earned his
right by stocking the clansman's land
with cattlo or sheep.
We find highly glorifed account of
the same practice III ancient records of
the life and state of those Irish Chiefs,
who called themselves Kings. 1.-The
King of Munster" says the Book of
Rights" "attended by the chief
Princes of his Kingdom, began his visits
to the King of Connaught, and presented
to him one hundred steeds, one hundred
suits of military array, one hundred
swords, and one hundred caps, in return
for which the King was to entertain him
for two months at his palace at Anachan,
and then escort him to the terri.
tories of Tyrconnell He presented to
the King of Tyrconnell twenty steeds,
twenty complete armor, and twenty
cIoaks, for which the King supported
him and the nobility of Munster for one
month, and afterward escorted him to
the Principality Of Tyrone"
The King of Munster is then described
as proceeding through Tyrone, Ulster,
Meath, Leinster, and Ossory, every
where bestowing gifts ON the rulers, and
receiving entertainment i'll return. sus.
pect the entertainment is of more
historical reality than the royal gifts.
The practice, however, described with
this splendor by the chronicler or
bard is plainly the same as the cut,
ting and coshering which Spencer and
others denounce rs one Of the curses OF
Ireland. Sir Henry s. Moinc IN Tia
FOriliqhtiy RcUiCp.