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relative　or　tribesman　of　the　saint　be　qualified；　the　Abbacy　shall


go　to　some　member　of　the　tribe　which　originally　granted　the　land。


　　　　A　very　modern　example　of　this　plasticity　of　the　notion　of


kinship　has　recently　been　brought　to　my　notice。　The　co…villagers


of　an　Indian　village　call　themselves　brothers；　although；　as　I


have　frequently　observed；　the　composition　of　the　community　is


often　artificial　and　its　origin　very　miscellaneous。　The


appellation；　at　the　same　time；　is　distinctly　more　than　a　mere


word。　Now；　some　of　the　Christian　missionaries　have　recently　tried


an　experiment　which　promises　to　have　much　success；　and　have


planted　in　villages　converts　collected　from　all　sorts　of


different　regions。　Yet　these　persons；　as　I　am　informed；　fall　into


a　'brotherhood'　quite　as　easily　and　talk　the　language　and　assume


the　habits　appropriate　to　it　quite　as　naturally　as　if　they　and


their　forefathers　had　been　members　from　time　immemorial　of　this


peculiarly　Indian　association；　the　village…community。


　　　　There　is；　however；　another　set　of　phenomena　which　belong　to


the　same　class；　but　which　seem　to　me　to　have　been　much


misunderstood。　When　men；　under　the　influence　of　the　cast　of


thought　we　are　discussing；　are　placed　in　circumstances　which


naturally　breed　affection　and　sympathy；　or　when　they　are　placed


in　a　relation　which　they　are　taught　to　consider　especially


sacred；　not　only　their　words　and　ideas　but　their　feelings；


emotions；　and　prejudices　mould　themselves　on　the　pattern　of　those


which　naturally　result　from　consanguinity。　We　have；　I　believe；　a


striking　example　of　the　process　in　the　history　of　the　Christian


Church。　You　know；　I　dare　say；　that　Spiritual　Relationship　or　the


tie　between　a　sponsor　and　a　baptized　person；　or　between　Sponsors；


or　even　between　the　sponsors　and　the　family　of　the　baptized；


became　by　degrees　the　source　of　a　great　number　of　prohibitions


against　intermarriage；　which　stood　on　the　same　level　with　those


based　on　affinity；　and　almost　with　those　founded　on


consanguinity。　The　earliest　evidence　we　have　that　this　order　of


ideas　was　stirring　the　Christian　community　is；　I　believe；　a


Constitution　of　Justinian　in　the　Code　（v。　4。　26）；　which　forbids


the　marriage　of　the　sponsor　with　the　baptized；　but　the


prohibitions　were　rapidly　extended　by　the　various　authorities


which　contributed　to　the　Canon　law；　and　were　finally　regulated


and　somewhat　narrowed　by　the　Council　of　Trent。　Nowadays；　I　am


told　that　they　merely　survive　formally　in　the　Roman　Catholic


Church；　and　that　dispensations　relaxing　them　are　obtainable　as　of


course。　The　explanation　of　the　system　by　technical　theologians　is


that　it　is　based　on　the　wish　to　give　a　peculiar　sacredness　to　the


bond　created　by　sponsorship；　and　this　I　believe　to　be　a　true


account　of　its　origin。　But　I　do　not　believe　that　Spiritual


Relationship；　a　structure　based　on　contract；　would　in　every　stage


of　thought　have　assimilated　itself　to　natural　relationship。　The


system　developed　itself　just　when　Christianity　was　being　diffused


among　races　whose　social　organisation　was　founded　on　kinship；　and


I　cannot　but　think　that　their　ideas　reacted　on　the　Church。　With


such　races　a　very　sacred　tie　was　necessarily　of　the　nature　of　a


family　tie；　and　carried　with　it　the　same　associations　and　the


same　order　of　feeling。　I　do　not；　therefore；　consider　that　such


terms　as　Gossipred；　Godfather；　Godson　　to　which　there　are


counterparts　in　several　languages　　were　created　by　the　theory


of　Spiritual　Relationship；　but　rather　that　they　mark　the　process


by　which　that　theory　was　formed。


　　　　It　seems　to　me　accordingly　in　the　highest　degree　natural　that


Spiritual　Relationship；　when　introduced　into　a　tribal　society


like　that　of　the　ancient　Irish；　should　closely　assimilate　itself


to　blood…relationship。　We　know　in　fact　that　it　did　so；　and　that


the　stringency　of　the　relation　and　the　warmth　of　the　affections


which　it　produced　moved　the　scorn；　the　wrath；　and　the


astonishment　of　several　generations　of　English　observers；


deriving　their　ideas　from　a　social　order　now　become　very　unlike


that　of　Ireland。　But　by　the　side　of　Gossipred；　or　Spiritual


Relationship；　there　stood　another　much　more　primitive


institution；　which　was　extraordinarily　developed　among　the


ancient　Irish；　though　not　at　all　peculiar　to　them。　This　was


Fosterage；　the　giving　and　taking　of　children　for　nurture。　Of　the


reasons　why　this　practice；　now　known　to　have　been　widely　diffused


among　Aryan　communities；　should　have　had　an　exceptional


importance　and　popularity　in　ireland；　we　can　say　little　more　than


that　they　probably　belong　to　the　accidents　of　Irish　history　and


of　Irish　social　life。　But　of　the　fact　there　is　no　doubt。　An


entire　sub…tract　in　the　Senchus　Mor　is　devoted　to　the　Law　of


Fosterage；　and　sets　out　with　the　greatest　minuteness　the　rights


and　duties　attaching　to　all　parties　when　the　children　of　another


family　were　received　for　nurture　and　education。　It　is　classed；


with　Gossipred；　as　one　of　the　anomalies　or　curses　of　Ireland　by


all　her　English　critics；　from　Giraldus　Cambrensis　in　the　twelfth


century　to　Spenser　in　the　sixteenth。　It　seemed　to　them　monstrous


that　the　same　mother's　milk　should　produce　in　Ireland　the　same


close　affections　as　did　common　paternity　in　their　own　country。


The　true　explanation　was　one　which　is　only　now　dawning　On　us。　It


was；　that　Fosterage　was　an　institution　which；　though　artificial


in　its　commencements；　was　natural　in　its　operations；　and　that　the


relation　of　foster…parent　and　foster…child　tended；　in　that　stage


of　feeling；　to　become　indistinguishable　from　the　relation　of


father　and　son。


　　　　The　form　of　Fosterage　which　has　most　interest　for　the　modern


enquirer　is　called　by　the　Translators　of　the　Brehon　tracts


Literary　Fosterage。　It　was　an　institution　nearly　connected　with


the　existence　of　the　Brehon　Law　Schools；　and　it　consists　of　the


various　relations　established　between　the　Brehon　teacher　and　the


pupils　he　received　into　his　house　for　instruction　in　the　Brehon


lore。　However　it　may　surprise　us　that　the　connection　between


Schoolmaster　and　Pupil　was　regarded　as　peculiarly　sacred　by　the


ancient　Irish；　and　as　closely　resembling　natural　fatherhood；　the


Brehon　tracts　leave　no　room　for　doubt　on　the　point。　It　is


expressly　laid　down　that　it　created　the　same　Patria　Potestas　as


actual　paternity；　and　the　literary　fosterfather；　though　he


teaches　gratuitously；　has　a　claim　through　life　upon　portions　of


the　property　of　the　literary　foster…son。　Thus　the　Brehon　with　his


pupils　constituted　not　a　school　in　our　sense　but　a　true　family。


While　the　ordinary　foster…father　was　bound　by　the　law　to　give


education　of　some　kind　to　his　foster…children　　to　the　sons　of


chiefs　instructions　in　riding；　shooting　with　the　bow；　swimming；


and　chess…playing；　and　instruction　to　their　daughters　in　sewing；


cutting　out；　and　embroidery　　the　Brehon　trained　his　foster…sons


in　learning　of　the　highest　dignity；　the　lore　of　the　chief


literary　profession。　He　took　payment；　but　it　was　the　law　which


settled　it　for　him。　It　was　part　of　his　status；　and　not　the　result


of　a　bargain。


　　　　There　are　some　faint　traces　of　Fosterage　in　the　Hindoo　law；


but　substantially　it　has　dropped　out　of　the　system。　The　vestiges


of　Literary　Fosterage　are；　however；　tolerably　abundant　and　very


plain。　According　to　the　general　custom　of　India；　the　Brahmin


teacher　of　Brahmin　pupils　receives　no　payment　for　his　services；


but　the　Hindoo　law　repeatedly　reserves　to　him　a　remote　succession


to　their　property。　In　each　of　four　Brahminical　law…tracts　of


great　authority；　the　Vyavahara　Mayukha；　the　Daya…Bhaga；　the


Mitakshara；　and　the　Daya…Krama…Sangraha；　the　same　ancient　text　is


quoted　（sometimes　but　not　always　attributed　to　Manu）；　which　is　to


the　effect　that　'If　there　be　no　male　issue　the　nearest　kinsman


inherits；　or　in　default　of　kindred；　the　preceptor；　or　failing　him


the　disciple。'　One　commentator　explains　that　the　preceptor　is　the


instructor　in　the　Vedas；　and　another　describes　him　as　the　person


who　affords　religious　instruction　to　his　pupil　after　investing


him　with　the　Brahminical　thread。　These　writers　add　that　if


neither　teacher　nor　pupil　have　survived　the　deceased　his


fellow…student　will　succeed。　Modern　cases　turning　on　these


peculiar　rules　of　succession　may　be　found　in　the　Anglo…Indian　Law


Reports。


　　　　We　are　thus　brought　face　to　face　with　a　problem　which


possesses　interest　in　proportion　to　its　difficulty　　the　problem


of　the　origin　of　Castes。　I　cannot　profess　to　do　more　than


approach　it；　but　the　opportunity　of　throwing　even　the　least　light


on　a　subject　so　dark　ought　not　to　be　neglected。　First　let　me　say


that；　among　the　comparatively　few　English　writers　who　have


noticed　the　Brehon　lawyers；　some　have　loosely　described　them　as　a


caste。　But　this　is　an　improper　use　of　the　word；　though　it　is　one


not　uncommon　in　India。　As　regards　the　position　of　the　Brehons　in


very　early　times；　the　evidence　of　the　Irish　records　is　consistent


with　the　testimony　of　Caesar　as　to　the　literary　class　of　the


Gallic　Celts；　and　seems　to　show　that　anyone　who　went　through　a


particular　training　might　become　a　Brehon。　When；　however；　Ireland


began　to　be　examined　by　English　observers；　it　is　plain　that　the


art　and　knowledge　of　the　Brehon　had　become　hereditary　in　certain


families　who　were　attached　to　or　dependent　on　the　Chiefs　of


particular　tribes。　There　is　nothing　remarkable　in　this　change；


which　has　obviously　occurred　with　a　vast　number　of　trades　and


professions　in　India；　now　popularly　called　castes。　In　societies


of　an　archaic　type；　a　particular　craft　or　kind　of　knowledge


becomes　in　time　an　hereditary　profession　of　families；　almost　as　a


matter　of　course。