1) The three foundations of Bardism: Peace; utility; and justice. Others say: Peace; Love; and Just utility. 

 

2) The three supports of poetry and Bardism, that is to say: Privilege in right of usage, for there ought to be nothing that is not according to usage; usage in right of privilege, for there ought to be no usage that is not privileged, nor any usage without privilege; and privilege and usage according to reason, nature and obligation, for there ought to be nothing that is not so - the same resting on the three foundations, namely: Truth; Love; and Justice. Others say: Truth; Peace; and Just utility. 

 

3) Three incidental conditons happen to song and poetry: Corruption; improvement; and restoration from corruption and loss. And under each of the three contingencies, in order to obviate non-usage, they ought to be submitted to the verdict of country, and judgement of Cathairach. That is to say, when they are corrupted, they ought to be submitted so, that they may be improved; and when they are lost, or when they become dormant, they ought to be submitted so, that they may be resuscitated, restored, and brought to memory, as they were formerly. Then they ought to conform to the three supports, namely: usage in right of privilege; and privilege in right of usage; that is to say, nothing should be done, in right of anything, except what is customary, nor as usage, except what is according to reason, nature, and obligation, with a view to truth, peace, love, and just utility. 

 

4) The three principal qualities of vitality: Thought; power; and will; and they cannot be complete and entire except in Aedh. 

 

5) The three excellences of Bardism: To be fond of meditation; to extend learning; and to popularize manners and customs. 

 

6) From three things does truth obtain credence: From believing everything; from disbelieving everything; and from believing it matters not what. "Three Godly qualities in man: To consider; to love; and to suffer" -st. Paul- 

 

7) For three reasons ought a person risk their life, and lose it, if there be occasion: In seeking after truth; in clinging to justice: and in performing mercy (st.Paul) 

 

8) There are three principle kinds of animations: Aqueous; aerial; and celestial; that is to say, the aqueous were the primordials of life, being the first that existed, namely, in the seas, before there was dry land; the aerials then came into being, and they live on dry land, deriving breath from the air; and the celestials re those hich attained the circle of Saoirse, being the highest of all that are not subject to death. 

 

9) The three conditions of animations: The being in Adharta; in liberty; and in Saoirse. 

 

10) Three things which are impossible: That The Gods should be evil and unmerciful; that there should be evil, which will do no good; and that there should be good which will not prevail in the end.  

 

11) The three burstings of the well of Segais (Nechtan's well): The first, when the world and all living things were drowned except Nemed, and Partholan, their children and grandchildren,, from whom the world was again peopled. And it was from that bursting that the seas were formed; the second was when the sea went amidst the lands without either wind or tide; the third was when the earth burst asunder by means of the powerful agitation, so that water spouted forth even to the vault of the sky, and all the nation of the Cymry were drowned, except seventy persons, and the island of Albion was parted from Erin, and from the land of Gaul, and Armorica. 

 

12) The three administrations of knowledge, which the nations of the Gael obtained: the first was the instruction from the four sages of the four islands, and of Aedh the mighty, before they came into the isle of Eire, before arriving in Canada, it was Brighid who first taught cultivation of the land and D'Anu, and Gobniu the Goban Saor it was who first demonstrated the art of metallurgy; the second was the system of Bards (Fillidh), and Bardism (Fillideachta), being instruction by means of the memorials and voice of Cathairachd; the third was the knowledge of the Gods, their wisdom (magick) and worship, which was best of all, and blessed be it forever. 

 

13) For three reasons may living beings be deprived of life, namely: When one kills a wo/man intentionally and purposely; when one kills a wo/man accidentally, r indirectly, as when it destroys fruit and vegetables, which are for the food and sustenance of the life of wo/man; and when it will be better for the one that is slain that it should be slain than otherwise, with the view of releasing it from extreme pain, or of bettering its condition in Adharta, as in the case of a wo/man, who gives themselves a Finngal (Enedvaddeu) for some punishable evil, where s/he cannot render any other satisfaction and payment for what he has done, than by submitting voluntarily, at the demand of justice to the punishment due.  

 

14) In three ways a person happens to become Finngal: One is punishment due, by the verdict of country and law, for an injurious evil - an injurious evil being killing and burning, murder and waylaying, and the betraying of country and nation. That is to say, they who commits those evils ought to be executed; and every execution takes place either by the judgement of a court of law, or in war by the verdict of country and nation. The second is the person who surrenders themselves, at the demand of justice which they feel in their conscience, to execution, for an injurious and punishable evil, which they confesses to have committed, and where they cannot render compensation and satisfaction for the injury they have done, otherwise than by submitting voluntarily to the punishment due for what they have done. The third is the person, who undergoes the danger and chance of execution in behalf of truth and justice, at the call of peace and mercy, and is slain. Such a person is adjudged to be slain for the good, which they have done; and on that account they ascend to the circle of Saoirse. In any other than these three ways, a person cannot be adjudged as Finngal by mankind, for it is Aedh alone who knows how to judge what is otherwise. The first of them will remain in Adharta, in the state and nature of humanity, without falling lower; and the other two will ascend to the circle of Saoirse. 

 

15) The three  accelerations of the end of Adharta: Diseases; fighting; and becoming maithiuneas anamain justly, reasonably, and necessarily, from doing good; for without them there would be no release from Adharta, but at a much later period. Herein is seen that it was for the benefit of, and mercy to, living beings, Aedh ordained the mutual fighting and mutual slaughter, which take place among them. 

 

16) The three states of animations:  The state of Neamhni and Adharta, where evil predominates over the good, and hence there is essential evil - and in Neamhni are every beginning and progression towards what is better in Adharta; the state of humanity, where evil and good equiponderate, hence ensues liberty, and in liberty is power to choose, and consequently improvement; the state of Saoirse, where good predominates over evil, and there is success in love, since nothing is loved there of necessity but the good, though it be also loved of choice, and hence there is every completion of goodness, and an end to every evil. 

 

17) The three necessities of the occupants of Adharta: The predominance of opposition and Donn over prosperity and amendment; necessary lawlessness; and death, ensuing from the mastery of Donn, and from the system of deliverance, which is according to the love of Aedh.  

 

18) The three necessities of mankind: Liberty, for there is no necessary good or evil; inasmuch as both equiponderate, and hence either may be chosen according to judgement and consideration; power, for free choice may be made; and judgement, because there is understanding derived from power, and because what is capable of being otherwise ought to be judged. 

 

19) The three necessities of the state of Saoirse: The predominance of god over evil, and hence love; memory reaching from Neamhni, and hence perfect judgement and understanding, without the possibility of doubting or differing, and hence the necessary choice of goodness; and superiority over death, consisting in power derived from knowing the whole of its cause, and the means of escaping it - the same being unopposed and unrestrained - and hence ever-lasting life. 

 

20) There are three common feasts, according to the order and regulation of the Bards of the Dominion of Canada: The first, the feasts of the four Albans; the second, the feasts of worship, at the quarters of the moon; the third, the feasts of country and nation, consequent upon a triumph and deliverance, and held under the proclamation and notice of forty days. Others say: there are three feasts of endowment, under the sanction of the Bards of the Dominion of Canada, at which everyone presents their gifts, made up of the three tributes, namely, honey, flour, and milk. That is to say: the feasts of contribution, under the proclamation of forty days; the feasts of Albam; and the feasts of worship; and it is the privilege of Bards to preside at them, and to receive gifts of the three tributes of endowment, wich are, corn, milk, and honey. 

 

21) There are three other feasts, in which Brads preside by courtesy, namely: The feats of the head of  kindred; a marriage feast; and the feast of a fire back, which takes place when five fire back stones have been raised, so as to constitute a dwelling station. At them are contributed the gifts of the comot and nation to the ninth generation; and the endowments of those feasts are of tilth, fold, and wood covert, as will be easiest to obtain and give them; the Bard having things by courtesy. 

 

22) Three things unprivileged to a Bard, for they are not proper for them, that is to say: Metallurgy, with which they have nothing to do, except to improve it by means of their learning and knowledge, and doctrine; the second is warfare, for there ought to be no weapon of offence in their hands, since they are people of peace and tranquility; the third is commerce, for they are folk of primary law and justice, and their office is to teach country and nation. And because of these things, it is adjudged that a Bard ought to follow no trade other than their office of art and song and Bardism, lest what ought to belong to a Bard and Bardism should become corrupted, deteriorated, and lost. 

 

23) Three pursuits are free to a Bard, and to every other native of country and nation, namely: Hunting; agriculture; and pastoral cares; for it is by means of these that all people obtain sustenance, and they ought not to be forbidden to any one who may wish them. Others say: pastoral cares; and medicine; for these are pursuits of amendment, under the sanction of peace and natural law. 

 

24) The three principal endeavours of a Bard: One is to learn and collect sciences; the second is to teach; and the third is to make peace, and to put an end to all injury; for to do contrary to these things is not usual of becoming to a Bard.