lect08-第4章

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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。　The　difficulty　with　a　native　of　India；


unsophisticated　by　English　ideas；　is　not　to　find　a　reason　why　a


son　should　succeed　to　the　learning　of　his　father；　and


consequently　to　his　office　and　duties；　his　difficulty　would


rather　be　to　explain　to　himself　why　it　should　not　be　so；　and　how


the　public　interests　could　be　consulted　by　any　other　arrangement。


The　States　governed　by　native　Indian　Princes　are　becoming　a　good


deal　Anglicised；　but　still　in　them　it　is　the　practically


universal　rule　that　office　is　hereditary。　We　do　not；　however；


thus　arrive　at　a　complete　account　of　the　growth　of　those　castes


which　are　definite　sections　of　great　populations　one　only　of


these　castes　really　survives　in　India；　that　of　the　Brahmins；　and


it　is　strongly　suspected　that　the　whole　literary　theory　of　Caste；


which　is　of　Brahmin　origin；　is　based　on　the　existence　of　the


Brahmin　caste　atone。　Now；　the　tendency　of　knowledge　to　become


hereditary　is；　by　itself；　consistent　with　a　great　variety　of


religious　and　literary　cultivation；　but；　as　a　fact；　the　Brahmins


of　India　are　a　remarkably　homogeneous　class；　admitting　（though　no


doubt　with　considerable　local　qualifications）　a　general


brotherhood　of　all　members　of　the　order。


　　　　While；　then；　I　cannot　say　that　our　scanty　information


respecting　changes　in　the　status　of　the　Brehon　lawyers　helps　us


much　towards　a　comprehension　of　the　beginnings　of　Caste　in　the


true　sense；　I　certainly　think　that　we　learn　something　more　than


we　knew　before　from　the　references　in　the　Brehon　tracts　to


Literary　Fosterage。　They　appear　to　me　to　give　a　new　emphasis　and


point　to　the　rules　of　Hindoo　Law　respecting　the　remote　succession


of　the　'spiritual　preceptor'　to　the　property　of　families。　It


seems　as　if　in　the　most　ancient　state　of　both　systems　Literary　or


Religious　fatherhood　had　been　closely　assimilated　to　actual


fatherhood。　Under　these　circumstances；　if　great　schools　of　Vedaic


learning　existed　in　India　in　very　ancient　times；　as　we　have