AN GAOḊAL
427
Dubhthach, of whom it is said that he was "lest an
lan do rath in Spirita Naomh inrin," pronounced
before St. Patrick, who had blessed his mouth,
and under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost,
Bénnaċais Pátraic iarum a gninsum,
agus do luiḋ raṫ, in Spirita Naoṁ, fós
a erabra.
that most beautiful poem which stands at the head
of the introduction to the Senchus Mor. Dubh¬
thach speaks with authority, and with the high dig¬
nity of a lawgiver, when he expresses himself thus
"breath reachta aomruidireir meicri," &c., and a¬
gain he says, "Concertain breithemnact bhais,"
&c. "I pronounce the judgment of death," &c.
The Breton Code seems to have maintained its
authority among the native Irish for a period of
twelve hundred years. As to the authors who
were directly concerned with the elaboration of
these laws, they were nine in number (Naof is knowl¬
edge of nine persons, is the name given to it on
that account); they were the nine pillars of the Sen¬
chus Mor, as the text says, "Naei sailgi sin t-Sen¬
cuis Moir." At another place we read — Nonbur
tra do erlas do ordughadh in liubair so ; ("nine
men were ordered to compose this book." Then fol¬
lows an enumeration of the nine authors, among
whom were specified "tri Epscuib tri righ, i bear¬
la 's i Filedh — three Bishops, three Kings, also an
expert in the old language, and a poet. And thus
the work itself received the name Naofis from this
circumstance; "Naofis, din. ainm in liubair so ro
ordaigse, — fis nonbur."
The Brehon Code must impress us favorably by
the refinement of its morals, as well as by the
skill and ingenuity which are evinced in the dis¬
cussion of the cases, the nicety of distinction, and
the accuracy of definition and classification. Its
judgments and penalties are, to a great extent,
mild and humane ; and in regard to various points
a somewhat considerable latitude seems to be allow¬
ed. Some laws relating to damages done to or by
animals, &c., remind us of some more or less anal¬
ogous regulations in the Jewish "Mishna." There
exists also a remarkable analogy with the Laws of
Manu and the legal customs of the Hindoos: not
only in regard to fines, but particularly to the "fast¬
ing," in certain cases, where the contending parties
would go before the residence of the defendant and
wait there without food for some time. This cor¬
responds, in a measure, to the dherna, which was
commonly resorted to by the creditors in Hindu¬
stan, when they went to sit at the door of the debt¬
or, rigorously abstaining from all food, and threat¬
ening to commit suicide by starvation; intending
thereby, to compel the debtor to return a loan or
fulfil his obligations towards the claimant. We
now have also to say a word of the "Tain bo
Cualnge", (the carrying off of the bull of Cualnge
which is at the present day called Cooley, in the
county of Louth). This is one of the most impor¬
tant and interesting literary productions of Ireland.
It treats of a contention about a beautiful white
bull, on account of which the heroes of Connaught
invaded Ulster, in Homeric fashion. It tells us of
many startling incidents of this war of Queen Medb
of Connaught, who is the divorced wife of Concho¬
bhar, the King of Ulster, but was afterwards mar¬
ried to Ailill. One hero comes forth and bids de¬
fiance to all the many enemies assembled. This
is Cuchulainn. He triumphs in single combat
over every one of his opponents, though being him¬
self dangerously wounded. The story tells of the
combat of Ferdiad with Cuchulainn for the
daughter of Queen Medb, and of the many wonder¬
ful feats of the great champion of Ulster in the
First Century of our era. The story ends with the
bull rushing against a rock and dashing out its
brains. This great Irish epic poem is very famous,
and of high literary interest, combining real hist¬
ory with fiction in all its parts.
[To be continued.]
Now that Dr. MacNish’s address has been con¬
cluded we shall devote three or four pages to Prof.
Roehrig's essay until it is finished. Any Irishman
who prides himself of an honored learned lineage
should preserve these papers. There is not so
much credit due to Dr. MacNish for his learned re¬
marks as there is to Prof. Roehrig, because the
learned Dr. is treating of a matter which interests
himself, as a Gael, as much as anyone else. But
the value of a foreign linguist and philogist's com¬
plimentary tribute should be highly esteemed by
he Irish Gael, for very few in latter years had the
honesty or courage to proclaim it.
OUR NEWSPAPER.
According to Edwin Alden & Bro.'s (Cincinnati,
O.,) American Newspaper Catalogue for 1884, there
are 14,867 newspapers and magazines published in
the United States and the British Provinces. To¬
tal in the United States, 14,176 ; in the British
Provinces, 691; divided as follows: Dailies, 1,357
Tri-Weeklies, 71, Semi-Weeklies, 168, Sundays 295
Weeklies, 10.975, Bi-Weeklies, 39; Monthlies 1,502
Bi-Monthlies 26, Quarterlies, 83; showing an in¬
crease over the publications of 1883 of 1,594. The
greatest increase has been among the Weekly News¬
papers of a political (?) while it has been least a¬
mong the class publications. The book is very
handsomely gotten up and contains some 850 pa¬
ges, printed on heavy book paper, elegantly bound
in cloth. It will be sent to any address, prepaid,
on receipt of $1.50:
The Gaelic Journal has translated and copied
"Richard's" poetical letter to "Little John Keat¬
ing", which appeared in a late issue of the Gael.
Mr. Flemming, the Editor, has, in copious notes,
explained the Munster idioms which abound in the
poem. It is a pity that the Irish people everywhere
would not give a more substantial support to the
Journal. It would be a grand heirloom in any
Irishman's family. We have received the 18 num¬
bers published, and no consideration would make
us part with them. — Here are the Journal's re¬
marks on "Little John Keating" —
The lines below have been extracted from the
Gael of August last, chiefly for the preservation of
the many Munster idioms and peculiarities of
speech they contain. The idioms and other pecu¬
liarities have been explained in foot notes, and a
translation, very nearly literal, has been given.
Professor Windisch, in a letter to the Gaelic Jour¬
nal, some months since, expressed a wish for less
book Irish and more of the living speech. Trans¬
ferring these lines to our columns is the first re¬
sponse to the learned Professor's suggestion.
