Then the steward takes the sword and goes to the King's brazier, by
name Connu.
"Art thou able," says Dubdrenn, "to open the hilt of this sword?" "I
am that," says the brazier.
Then the brazier took apart the hilt, and within, upon the tang of the
blade, he wrote the steward's name, even Dubdrenn, and the steward
laid the sword again by the side of Socht.
So it was for three months after that, and the steward continued to
ask Socht to sell him the sword, but he could not get it from him.
Then the steward brought a suit for the sword before the High King,
and he claimed that it was his own and that it had been taken from
him. But Socht declared that the sword was his by long possession and
by equity, and he would not give it up.
Then Socht went to his father, Fithel the brehon, and begged him to
take part in the action and to defend his claim. But Fithel said,
"Nay, thou art too apt to blame the pleadings of other men; plead for
thyself."
So the court was set, and Socht was called upon to prove that the
sword was his. He swore that it was a family treasure, and thus it had
come down to him.
The steward said, "Well, O Cormac, the oath that Socht has uttered is
a lie."
"What proof hast thou of that?" asked Cormac.
"Not hard to declare," replied the steward.
Pages:
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266