And of his justice it used to be said, that if his enemy and his
own son had come before him to be judged, it is a fair judgment he would
have given between them. And as to his generosity it used to be said, he
never denied any man as long as he had a mouth to eat with, and legs to
bring away what he gave him; and he left no woman without her
bride-price, and no man without his pay; and he never promised at night
what he would not fulfil on the morrow, and he never promised in the day
what he would not fulfil at night, and he never forsook his right-hand
friend. And if he was quiet in peace he was angry in battle, and Oisin
his son and Osgar his son's son followed him in that. There was a young
man of Ulster came and claimed kinship with them one time, saying they
were of the one blood. "If that is so," said Oisin, "it is from the men
of Ulster we took the madness and the angry heart we have in battle."
"That is so indeed," said Finn.
CHAPTER II. FINN'S HOUSEHOLD
And the number of the Fianna of Ireland at that time was seven score and
ten chief men, every one of them having three times nine righting men
under him. And every man of them was bound to three things, to take no
cattle by oppression, not to refuse any man, as to cattle or riches; no
one of them to fall back before nine fighting men. And there was no man
taken into the Fianna until his tribe and his kindred would give
securities for him, that even if they themselves were all killed he
would not look for satisfaction for their death.
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