AN GAOḊAL.
10I
ster” the noblest ancient literary monument
possessed by any nation in Europe. This still
magnificent manuscript — for nearly the half of
it ,too, has been lost — contains upwards of four
hundred pages of closely written matter, and
treats of almost every possible subject, from
religion to war. Its age is not exactly known
but there can hardly be a doubt but that it
was compiled in "Kildare's holy fane” some
time in the eleventh century. The book con-
tains a marginal entry on page 275 which in
great measure fixes its date, in one direction at
least, for it shows plainly that it was in exis-
tence in the year 1169. The entry is at the
top of the page, and is as follows :
A Mhuire! is mor an gnimh do righnedh inn
Erind anndiu Dearmat Mac Dondcha Mae
Murchadha, ri Laghen agus Gall, do iomarba
do fheraibh Eirend dar muic uch, uch a Cho-
imhdtu cid do ghen!” which means in English:
“Oh Mary ! it is a great deed that was done in
Ireland to-day, namely, Dermot the son of Dona-
cha, the son of Murroch, King of Leinster and of
the Danes, to be banished across the sea by the
men of Ireland. Oh God what shall I do!"
The "Speckled Book” (Leabhar Breac) comes
next. It is not quite so old as the other two,
having been complied from old manuscripts some
time in the fourteenth century; but it contains
some of the most ancient specimens of the
Gaelic language known to exist, and in an an-
tiquarian and historic point of view, is a volume
of great value and importance.
These magnificent old volumes are not only
monuments of ancient Celtic learning and civil-
ization ; they are works of art also. Nothing
can be superior to the neatness and beauty of
the writing they contain. Some of the capital
letters are two or three inches high, and are
most elaborate and intricate in their designs
and tracings. These capital letters are all rich-
ly colored in originals but the coloring has
not been copied in the fac similes, as it would
have involved great additional expense and trouble
to have done so.
There exist three other immense volumes of
ancient Gaelic literature to transcribe — namely,
the two Books of Lecan and the Book of Bally-
mote; but it is to be feared that the death of
Mr. O'Longan has put a stop to any more vol-
umes of ancient Irish lore being transcribed at
present.
The Public Library also contains four mag-
nificent volumes entitled the "National Manu¬
scripts of Ireland.” These are genuine fac sim-
iles of pages from all the old books bearing on
the ancient history and literature of Ireland.
They were got up and edited by Mr. Gilbert
of Dublin. In them the illuminations and
gorgeous colorings of the capital letters are faith-
fully reproduced. No country in Europe possess-
es anything at all comparable to them; and while
gazing on their glorious pages, we hardly know
whether to admire most the art and civilization
of the nation which produced them, or the patri-
otism and enterprise of the men who have so
faithfully copied them and put them before the
public.
Besides the works already mentioned, the Chi-
cago Library contains almost all the Gaelic books
that have been translated by O'Donovan, Todd,
and O'Curry, including the “Annals of the Four
Masters,” and almost all the translations issued
by the Royal Irish Academy of Dublin. He
should indeed be a soulless Irishman who could
gaze unmoved on such a magnificent array of
books without feeling proud of the existence
of such unmistakable evidences of the civiliza-
tion and refinement of his nation. Books are the
test of civilization ; art only implies it. Men
might build pyramids, and yet be barbarians ;
but they cannot produce books unless they are
far advanced in the path of knowledge :— conse-
quently those old books are a surer test of the civ-
ilization of ancient Ireland than if every square
mile of her soil were covered within the ruins of
temples.
T. O. N.
THE FIRST INNING FOR THE GAEL.
We have just received a commuuication from
that stiring patriot, Major Maher, of New Haven,
in which he says that the Rev. Father Fagan of
Naugatuck, Conn. is to have the corner stone of
his new church laid on July 23rd. and that a
copy of the GAEL is to be placed therein ”to be
preserved for future generations."
SIGNS OF THE TIMES.
We have been informed by newly arrived im-
migrants from Munster and Connaught, that in
several districts in these provinces, the country
people coming to shop in the towns will deal with
no shop-keeper unless the clerks are able to
answer them in the Irish Language. That is the
way to promote the cultivation of the language.
The readers of the Gael would confer a favor,
and also promote our object, by sending us the
names of persons who would endorse the
Gaelic revival movement, so that we might send
them complimentary copies of the journal. Many
persons who would willingly support the move-
ment may not be aware of the Gael's existence, or
of the exertions which are being made.
The Gaelic Publication Company would appeal
to their Patriotic countrymen to buy shares of
their Capital Stock- The object of the company
is to publish cheap literature in the Irish Lan-
guage. The shares are Five Dollars each.
Address the Secretary, M. J. Logan, at 814 Pacific
st. Brooklyn N. Y.
