AN GAODHAL.
235
Oh ! grandson of Con, what is good for me?
If thou attend to my command thou will not
mock the old although thou are young, nor the
poor although thou art rich, nor the naked al¬
though thou art well clad, nor the lame although
thou art agile, nor the blind although thou art
clear-sighted, nor the feeble although thou art
strong, nor the ignorant although thou art learn¬
ed. Be not slothful nor passionate, nor penurious
nor idle, nor jelous; for he who is so is an object
of hatred to God as well as to man.
Oh ! grandson of Con, how are the human race
characterized?
The sedate are wise, the patient are pious, the
learned are desirous of acquiring knowledge, the
lover of his tribe is anxious to relieve them; the
untaught are stubborn, the strong vain, fools are
given to laughter; the possessor of the kine (i.e.
the rich man) is proud, the ignorant are quarrel¬
some, the wounded are timid, the timid wary, &c.
Thus I characterize the human race.
Oh! grandson of Con, what dost thou deem acts
of folly?
To pass hasty judgments, to excite the anger, to
speak foolishly after a wise man, to gainsay the
truth, to be melancholy at a banquet, to laugh at
the aged, to conceal historical facts, to contend
with the foolish, to be proud with a king, to speak
without wisdom, &c &c.
Oh ! grandson of Con ! I would fain know how I
should conduct myself among the wise, and among
the foolish; among friends and among strangers,
among old and among young ?
Be not too knowing nor too simple, be not proud,
be not inactive, be not too humble, neither be
haughty, be not talkative, neither be too silent, be
not timid, neither be severe. For if thou shouldst
appear too knowing, thou wouldst be satirized and
abused; if too simple thou wouldst be imposed
upon; if too proud thou wouldst be shunned; if too
humble, thy dignity would suffer; if talkative,
thou wouldst not be deemed learned; if too severe,
thy character would be defamed; if too timid, thy
rights would be encroached upon.
Oh ! grandson of Con, how shall I distinguish
the characters of woman?
I know them but I cannot describe them. Their
counsel is foolish, they are forgetful of love, most
headstrong in their desires, fond of folly, prone to
enter rashly into engagements, given to swearing,
proud to be asked in marriage, tenacious of enmi¬
ty, cheerless at the banquet, rejecters of reconcil¬
iation, prone to strife, of much garrulity, &c. &c.
He who listens to evil women shall be drowned
in the waves or consumed in the fire, they are
sharp weapons, they are wounding swords pur¬
suing thee, they are serpents in cunning, they are
darkness in light, they are evil amongst good, they
are the worst of evils. Until evil be good, until
hell be Heaven, until the sun hide his light, un¬
til the stars of heaven fall; woman shall remain as
we have stated. Woe to him, my son, who loves,
desires or serves a bad woman ! woe to every one
that has got a bad wife.
Oh ! grandson of Con, what are the most lasting
things in the world?
Grass, Copper, Yew.
Oh ! grandson of Con, what is bad for the hu¬
man body?
Too much sitting or lying, long resting, raising
heavy loads or any exertion beyond strength, too
much running or leaping, looking at the sun, cold,
fresh cuirm (beer), heat, hunger, gluttony, intem¬
perance, overmuch sleep, bathing after meals,
heavy sleep, slumbers, drinking deeply, &c. &c.
Oh ! grandson of Con, who is he whose protec¬
tion should not be relied upon ?
A miser or inhospitable man.
My son, if thou attend to my instructions, let
not the law-giver be a man of many associates,
thy butler a lover of dainties, thy fosadh (waiter)
a lazy complaining man, thy miller, a festive man
thy messenger, an angry peevish, impertinent man
thy secretary a talkative man, thy cup-bearer a
drunkard, the foot-man (door keeper) a bitter,
haughty man, let not thy counsellor be a rash
man.
We learn from the Tuam News that a number
of persons were summoned by the police of that
town for possessing unlicensed dogs, and that in
all instances the squires were fined one penny and
the plebians five shillings ! We presume the
squire's dog was considered less vicious than the
poor man's. Such is the impartiality of British
Justice.
THE GAELIC ALPHABET.
Irish.
Roman.
Sound.
Irish.
Roman.
Sound.
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