820
AN GAODHAL.
O'Curry's Lectures.
ON THE
MANUSCRIPT MATERIAL OF ANCIENT IRISH HIS¬
TORY.
Lecture 1.
(Cntinued)
A large portion, if not the whole, of this work
has come down to us by successive transcriptions,
dating from the close of the thirteenth, or beginn¬
ing of the fourteenth, to the latter part of the six¬
teenth century.
In the account of this work, generally prefixed
to it, and which is in itself of great antiquity, we
are told that it was Ros, the peet, that placed be¬
fore Saint Patrick the arranged body of the pre¬
viously existing Laws of Erinn: that the Saint ex¬
punged from them all that was specially antichris¬
tian or otherwise objectionable, and proposed such
alterations as would make them harmonize with
the new system of religion and morals which he
had brought into the country; that these altera¬
tions were approved of, adopted and embodied in
the ancient code ; and that code thus amended
was established as the National Law throughout
the land.
The great antiquity of this compilation is ad¬
mitted by Dr. Petrie, in his Memoir of Tara, al¬
ready alluded to; but that the professed authors
of it could possibly have been brought together at
the time of its reputed compilation, he denies, as
did Dr. Langan before him. Every year's invest¬
igation of our ancient records, however, shows
more and more their veritable character and
trust that the forthcoming Report of the Brehon
Law Commission, of which Dr. Petrie is a mem¬
ber, will remove the excusable scepticism into
which the caution of the more conscientious school
of critics who succeeded the reckless theorists of
Vallancey's time, as driven them. I believe it
will show that the recorded account of this great
revision of the Body of the Laws of Erinn is as
fully entitied to confidence as any other well-au¬
thenticated fact of ancient history.
But this subject (one obviously of great import¬
ance) will be thoroughly discussed in the forthcom¬
ing publication by the Breton Law Commission, of
this great monument of our ancient civilization,
so that you will understand why the subject can¬
not with propriety be entered into further here. So
far as the question of the antiquity of the con¬
tents of the Senchas Mor is concerned, I may only
observe that Cormac Mac Cullinan often quotes
passages from this work in his Glossary, which is
known to have been written not later than about the
close of the ninth century.
There is a curious account of a private collection
of books "of all the sciences," as it is expressed,
given in a note to the Felire, or metrical Festology
of Aengus Cele De, or the "Culdee," it is to this
effect, St. Colum Cille having paid a visit to Saint
Longarad of Ossory, requested permission to ex¬
amine his books, but Longarad having refused Co¬
lum then prayed that his friend should not profit
much by his refusal, whereupon the books became
illegible immediately after his death, and these
books were in existence in that state in the time of
the original author, whoever he was, of the note in
the Felire.
The passage is as follows, it is a note to the
stanza of the great poem, for September 3 — which
is as follows —
"COLMAN OF DROM-FERTA,
LONGARAD, A SHINING SUN —
MAC NISSE WITH HIS THOUSANDS,
FROM THE GREAT CONDERE."
[NOTE.] — "Longarad the white-legged, of Magh
Tuathat, in the north of Ossory (Osraighe) — i.e.
in Uibh Foirchellain — i.e. in Magh Garad, in
Disert Garad particularly, and in Cill Gabhra in
Sliabh Mairge, in Lis Longarad. The "white leg¬
ged," from the great white hair which was on his
legs — or his legs were transparently fair. He was
a Suidh (Doctor or Professor), in classics, and in
history, and in judgment (law), and in philosophy
(filidecht). It was to him Colum Cille went on a
visit — and he concealed his books from him, and
Colum Cille left a word (or imprecation) on his
books, i.e. 'May it not be of avail after thee' said
he 'that for which thou hast shown inhospitality'.
And this is what has been fulfilled, for the books
still exist, and no man can read them. Now when
Longarad was dead, what the learned tell us is,
that all the book-satchels dropped (from their
racks) on that night. Or they were the satchels
which contained the books of sciences (or, profess¬
ions) which were in the chamber in which Colum
Cille was, that fell. And Colum Cille and ull that
were in the house wondered, and they were all as¬
tounded at the convulsions of the books, upon
which Colum Cille said — 'Longarad,' said he, 'in
Ossory, i.e., a Sai (Doctor) in every science (it is
he) that has died now.' 'It will be long till that is
verified,' said Baithin. 'May your successor (for
ever be suspected on account of this,' said Colum
Cille — et dixit Colum Cille —
Lon is dead (Lon is dead,) *
To Cil Garad it is a great misfortune —
To Erinn with its countless tribes.
It is a destruction of learning and of schools.
Lon has died (Lon has died,)
In Cill Garad great the misfortune;
It is a destruction of learning and of schools,
To the Island of Erinn beyond her boundaries.
However fabulous this legend may appear, it
will suffice, at all events, to show in what estima¬
tion books were held in the time of the scholiast
of the works of Aengus, and also the prevalent be¬
lief in his time in the existence of an Irish lit¬
erature at a period so long antecedent to his own.
The probability is that the books ere so old at
the time of this writer as to be illegible, and hence
the legend to account for their condition.
There are some other ancient books in the An¬
nals of Ulster, of which one is called the BOOK oF
ST. MOCHTA, who was a disciple of St. Patrick.
his book is quoted at A. D. 527, but it is uncert¬
ain whether it was a book of general Annals, or a
Sacred Biography.
We also find mention of the Book of Cuana and
the Book of Dubh da leithe.
The BOOK OF CUANA, or Cuana's Book of Annals
* In ancient poetry, when the second half line
was a repetition of the first, it is very seldom writ¬
ten, though it was always well understood that it
ought to be repeated. And in fact the meter would
not be complete without the repetition.
