StateofIreland，’andhereisthepassage：——
　　’Thereareoneortwostatuteswhichmakethewrongful
　　distrainingofanyman’sgoodsagainsttheformeofCommonLawto
　　befellony。Thewhichstatutesseemesurelytohavebeenatfirst
　　meantforthegoodoftherealme，andforrestrayningofafoul
　　abuse，whichthenreignedcommonlyamongthatpeople，andyetis
　　notaltogetherlaide；that，whenanyonewasindebtedtoanother，
　　hewouldfirstdemandhisdebt，and，ifhewerenotpaid，he
　　wouldstraightgoandtakeadistressofhisgoodsandcattell，
　　wherehecouldfindthemtothevalue；whichhewouldkeeptill
　　heweresatisfied；andthisthesimplechurlastheycallhim
　　dothcommonlyusetodoeyetthroughignoranceofhismisdoing，
　　orevilusethathathlongsettledamongthem。Butthis，though
　　itbesuremostunlawful，yetsurelymeseemsitistoohardto
　　makeitdeath，sincethereisnopurposeinthepartytosteal
　　theother’sgoods，ortoconcealthedistress，buthedoethit
　　openlyforthemostpartbeforewitnesses。Andagainthesame
　　statutesaresoslacklypennedbesidesthereisoneso
　　unsensiblycontryvedthatitscarcelycarryethanyreasoninit
　　thattheyareoftenandveryeasilywrestedtothefraudeofthe
　　subject，asifonegoingtodistrayneuponhisownlandor
　　tenement，wherelawfullyhemay，yetifindoingthereofhe
　　transgressetheleastpointoftheCommonLaw，hestraight
　　committethfellony。Orifonebyanyotheroccasiontakeany
　　thingfromanother，asboyessometimescaponeanother，thesame
　　isstraightfellony。Thisisaveryhardlaw。
　　Spensergoeson，inapassagewhichIneednotquoteinfull，
　　toaccountforthesestatutesbyaspecialprovisioninthe
　　chartersofmostoftheAnglo-Irishcorporatetowns。TheEnglish
　　lawhadnotcurrency，hetellsus，beyondthewalls，andthe
　　burgesseshadthepowerconferredonthemofdistrainingthe
　　goodsofanyIrishmanstayinginthetownorpassingthroughit，
　　foranydebtwhatsoever。HesuggeststhattheIrishpopulation
　　outsidewasledinthiswaytosupposeitlawfultodistrainthe
　　propertyofthetownspeople。Theexplanation，iftrue，wouldbe
　　sadenough，butweknowthatitcannotconveythewholetruth，
　　andtherealstoryisstillsadder。TheIrishusedtheremedyof
　　distressbecausetheyknewnootherremedy，andtheEnglishmade
　　itacapitalfelonyinanIrishmantofollowtheonlylawwith
　　whichhewasacquainted。Nay，thoseverysubtletiesofold
　　Englishlawwhich，asBlackstonesays，madethetakingof
　　distress’ahazardoussortofproceeding’tothecivil
　　distrainor，mightbringanIrishmantothegallows，ifin
　　conscientiouslyattemptingtocarryouttheforeignlawhefell
　　intothesmallestmistake。Itissomesmallconsolationtobe
　　able，asoneresultoftheinquirieswehavebeenprosecuting，to
　　putasideasworthlesstheeasyjustificationofthosewhopass
　　overthesecrueltiesaspartoftheinevitablestrugglebetween
　　menofdifferentraces。BoththeIrishlaw，whichitwasa
　　capitalcrimetoobey，andtheEnglishlaw，whichitwasa
　　capitalcrimetoblunderinobeying，wereundoubtedlydescended
　　fromthesamebodyofusageonceuniversallypractisedbythe
　　forefathersofbothSaxonandCelt。
　　Amongthewriterswhohaverecognisedthestrongaffinities
　　connectingtheEnglishandIrishLawofDistress，Ifindit
　　difficulttodistinguishbetweenthosewhobelieveinthedirect
　　derivationoftheEnglishlawfrompre-existingCelticcustoms
　　commontoBritainandIreland，andthosewhoseeasufficient
　　explanationoftheresemblancesbetweenthetwosetsofrulesin
　　theircommonparentage。Iamnotatallpreparedtodenythat
　　recentresearches，andparticularlythoseintooldFrench
　　customarylaw，renderiteasiertobelievethanitoncewasthat
　　portionsofprimitiveoraboriginalcustomsurvivethemost
　　desolatingconquests。ButIneedscarcelysaythatthehypothesis
　　ofthedirectdescentofanyconsiderablebranchofEnglishlaw
　　fromBritishusageisbesetbyextraordinarydifficulties，of
　　whichnottheleastisthecuriouslystrongcasewhichmayalso
　　bemadeoutforthepurelyRomanoriginofagoodmany
　　institutionsandruleswhichweareusedtoconsiderpurely
　　EnglishandGermanic。Onthislastpointaveryinteresting
　　littlevolume，whichhasattractedtoolittlenotice，MrCoote’s
　　’NeglectedFactinEnglishHistory，’maybereadwithadvantage，
　　andshouldbecomparedwiththereplytoitsarguments，onthe
　　wholeasuccessfulone，whichMr。Freemanpublishedin
　　’Macmillan’sMagazine，forJuly，1870。Thetruerivalofall
　　thesetheoriesofthederivationofonebodyofcustomfrom
　　anotheris，ofcourse，thetheoryofthecommondescentofall
　　fromanoriginalbasisofusagewhichwemust，provisionallyat
　　allevents，callAryan。Confiningourselvestothepracticewhich
　　wehavebeeninvestigating，theremedyforsupposedwrongby
　　distress，iftherecouldbeadoubtofitsbeingalegacyfrom
　　theprimitiveAryanusages，itwouldberemovedbytheremarkable
　　detailwhichconnectstheIrishwiththeHindoolaw。TheIrish
　　rulesofdistraintverystronglyresembletheEnglishrules，less
　　stronglyresembletheContinentalTeutonicrules，butthey
　　includeonerulenotfoundinanyTeutonicCode，almost
　　unintelligibleintheIrishsystem，butknowntogovernconduct
　　evenatthishourallovertheEast，whereitsmeaningis
　　perfectlyclear。Thisistherulethatacreditorwhorequires
　　paymentfromadebtorofhigherrankthanhimselfshall’fast
　　uponhim。’Whatpossibleexplanationwillcoverallthefact
　　exceptthattheprimitiveAryansbequeathedtheremedyof
　　distresstothecommunitieswhichsprangfromthem，andthat
　　varietiesofdetailhavebeenproducedbywhatDr。Sullivan，in
　　hisIntroduction，hashappilycalleddynamicalinfluences？
　　HereistheleadingprovisionoftheSenchusMoronthe
　　subjecti。113：——
　　’Noticeprecedeseverydistressinthecaseoftheinferior
　　gradesexceptitbebypersonsofdistinctionoruponpersonsof
　　distinction。Fastingprecedesdistressintheircase。Hewhodoes
　　notgiveapledgetofastingisanevaderofall；hewho
　　disregardsallthingsshallnotbepaidbyGodorman。’
　　Mr。WhitleyStokeswasthefirst，Ibelieve，topointout
　　thattheinstitutionherereferredtowasidenticalwitha
　　practicediffusedoverthewholeEast，andcalledbytheHindoos
　　’sittingdharna。’Iwillpresentlyreadyouapassageinwhich
　　theproceedingisdescribedasitwasfoundinIndiabeforethe
　　Britishgovernment，whichhasalwaysregardeditasanabuse，had
　　gonefarinitseffortstosuppressit。Butperhapsthemost
　　strikingexamplesoftheancientcustomaretobefoundatthis
　　dayinPersia，whereIamtoldamanintendingtoenforce
　　paymentofademandbyfastingbeginsbysowingsomebarleyat
　　hisdebtor’sdoorandsittingdowninthemiddle。Thesymbolism
　　isplainenough。Thecreditormeansthathewillstaywhereheis
　　withoutfood，eitheruntilheispaidoruntilthebarley-seed
　　growsupandgiveshimbreadtoeat。
　　ThecorrespondingIndianpracticeisknown，Ibeforestated，
　　as’sittingdharna’——dharna，accordingtothebetteropinion，
　　beingexactlyequivalenttotheRoman’capio，’andmeaning
　　’detention’or’arrest。’Amongthemethodsofenforcingpayment
　　ofadebtdescribedinthecollectionofrulesattributedtothe
　　semi-divinelegislator，Manuviii。49，isonewhichSirWilliam
　　Jonesrenders’themediationoffriends；’butmorerecent
　　Sanscritscholarsassertthattheexpressionoftheoriginaltext
　　signifies’dharna。’AndintheVyavaharaMayukha，aBrahminical
　　law-bookofmuchauthority，Brihaspiti，ajuridicalwriter
　　sometimesclassedwithManu，iscitedasenumerating，amongthe
　　lawfulmodesofcompulsionbywhichthedebtorcanbemadeto
　　pay，’confininghiswife，hisson，orhiscattle，orwatching
　　constantlyathisdoor。’Thisremarkablepassagenotonly
　　connectsHindoolawwithIrishlawthroughthereferenceto
　　’watchingconstantlyatthedoor，’butitconnectsitalsowith
　　theTeutonic，andamongthemwiththeEnglishbodiesofcustom，
　　byspeakingofthedistraintofcattleasamethodofenforcinga
　　demand。WehavenotintheWesternworld，sofarasIamaware，
　　anyexampleofsostrongaformofdistressasseizingaman’s
　　wifeorchildren，butitissomewhatcuriousthatwehave
　　evidenceofitshavingbeencommoninancientIrelandtogivea
　　sonasapledgetothecreditorforthepurposeofreleasingthe
　　distrainedproperty。
　　LordTeignmouthhasleftusadescriptioninForbes’
　　’OrientalMemoirs，’ii。25oftheformwhichthe’watching
　　constantlyatthedoor’ofBrihaspitihadassumedinBritish
　　Indiabeforetheendofthelastcentury。’Theinviolabilityof
　　theBrahminisafixedprinciplewiththeHindoos，andtodeprive
　　himoflife，eitherbydirectviolenceorbycausinghisdeathin
　　anymode，isacrimewhichadmitsofnoexpiation。Tothis
　　principlemaybetracedthepracticecalleddharna，whichmaybe
　　translatedcaptionorarrest。ItisusedbytheBrahminstogain
　　apointwhichcannotbeaccomplishedbyanyothermeans，andthe
　　processisasfollows：TheBrahminwhoadoptsthisexpedientfor
　　thepurposementionedproceedstothedoororhouseoftheperson
　　againstwhomitisdirected，orwhereverhemaymostconveniently
　　arresthim；hethensitsdownindharnawithpoisonorapoignard
　　orsomeotherinstrumentofsuicideinhishand，andthreatening
　　touseitifhisadversaryshouldattempttomolestorpasshim，
　　hethuscompletelyarrestshim。InthissituationtheBrahmin
　　fasts，andbytherigouroftheetiquettetheunfortunateobject
　　ofhisarrestoughttofastalso，andthustheybothremaintill
　　theinstitutorofthedharnaobtainssatisfaction。Inthis，ashe
　　seldommakestheattemptwithouttheresolutiontopersevere，he
　　rarelyfails；forifthepartythusarrestedweretosufferthe
　　Brahminsittingindharnatoperishbyhunger，thesinwouldfor
　　everlieuponhishead。Thispracticehasbeenlessfrequentof
　　lateyears，sincetheinstitutionoftheCourtofJusticeat
　　Benaresin1793；buttheinterferenceoftheCourtandevenof
　　theResidenthasoccasionallyprovedinsufficienttocheckit。’
　　YouwillobservethattheoldBrahminicalwritermerely
　　speaksofconfiningamantohishouseby’watchingconstantlyat
　　thedoor’asoneamongseveralmodesofextortingsatisfaction。
　　Heclassesitwithformsofdistraintmoreintelligibletous——
　　theseizureofthedebtor’scattle，ofhiswife，orofhischild。
　　Thoughtheancientrulehasnotdescendedtousalongwithits
　　originalcontext，weneednotdoubtthatevenintheearliest
　　timesitwasenforcedbyasupernaturalsanction，sinceevery
　　violationoftheBrahminicalCodewasregardedbyitsauthorsnot
　　onlyasaciviloffencebutasasin。ThusaBrahminmightquite
　　wellbeconceivedassayingwiththewriterintheSenchusMor，
　　’Hewhodoesnotgiveapledgetofastingisanevaderofall；he
　　whodisregardsallthingsshallnotbepaidbyGodorman。’Many
　　centuriesthenelapse，whichitwouldbevaintocalculate，and
　　almostinourowndaywefindtheancientusagepractisedin
　　India，butwithmodificationscorrespondingtoagreatdealof
　　changewhichissuspectedtohaveoccurredinHindootheology。
　　Theindefinitesupernaturalpenaltyhasbecomethedefinite
　　supernaturalpenaltyincurredbydestroyinglife，and
　　particularlyhumanlife。Thecreditornotonly’watchesatthe
　　door，’butkillshimselfbypoisonordaggerifthearrestis
　　broken，orbystarvationifpaymentistoolongdelayed。Finally，
　　wehavethepracticedescribedbyLordTeignmouthasone
　　peculiarlyorexclusivelyresortedtobyBrahmins。Thesanctity
　　ofBrahminicallifehasnowinfactprettymuchtaken，inHindoo