AN GAODHAL.
979
this precedence of two years is regular to 1270.
From thence to 1284, the advance is of three years,
from 1284, the advance is of four years, down to
1303, which is really 1307. Then a folio is missing
which has been evidently cut out, and we pass on
to 1313, which is marked by Ware on the margin
1316, an advance only of three years. This advance
of three years continues from that to 1366, which
is marked on the margin by Ware 1370, an ad¬
vance of four years again, which continues to 1379
where the following note is in Ware's hand, —
'From this year 1379, the computation of years is
well collected.
It is pretty clear that the writer of this latter
part of the Ulster Annals, who thus antedates ev¬
en the latter ages of the Christian aera, must be
very dfferent from the writer of the first part down
to the year 1268.
Johnston has published Extracts from a Version
part English and part Latin, in the British Mus¬
eum, which has inserted in his Antiquities Celto-
Normannicae, Copenhagen, 4to, 1786, p. 57. Of
this version he says very truly, that the language
is extremely barbarous : that it is often hard to
discover whether the transcriber means the Scots
Mc Ercs, Dalriad, Cruachne, Athachliath of Ire¬
land, or the Scots, Mc Ercs, Dalriedea, Cruithne,
and Alacluoith of Britain ; that it is with great di¬
ffidence that he ventures to print these extracts,
and that his principal inducement was a hope that
such a specimen might suggest to some Irish gen¬
tleman the idea of publishing, at least, the more
material parts of these valuable records, in the o¬
riginal.
After such a modest avowal, no man can find
pleasure in noticing the many errors in Mr. John¬
son's work. But historical truth demands that
those errors which affect the very foundations of
history, should be rectified.
At 471, Mr. Johnson's issue states, 'The Irish
plundered the Saxons. Mathew, in his book of the
Cuanac, says it was in 472'.
Now, continues Dr. O'Conor, the very words of
the original are, 'Preda secunda Saxonum de Hib¬
ernia, ut alii dicunt, in isto anno deducta est, ut
Mocteus dicit. Sic in Libro Cuanac invenii. That
is, 'In 471, Ireland was plundered a second time
by the Saxons this year, as some say, as Mocteus
says. I found it so in the Annals of Cuanac' [sic
— In Johnston's two short lines there are four ma¬
terial errors — First, he makes the Irish plunder
the Saxons, whereas the truth is, that the Saxons
a second time plundered them. — Secondly he makes
the annals quote Matthew; whereas even the in¬
terpolated copy in the museum has Mactenus; the
original is properly Mocteus, who was an Irish
writer of the fifth century. Thirdly, he makes this
Matthew a writer in the book of Cuanac. Fourth¬
ly, he makes the book of Cuanac refer these trans¬
actions to 472.
At 473, Johnston's edition gives only 'The Skir¬
mish of Bui,' whereas the original has some foreign
history under that year, and then adds, — Quies Doc
ci Episcopi Sancti, Brittonum Abbatis. [The death
of Docci, a a holy bishop, Abbot of the Britons]
Dorugal Bri-Eile f. Laigniu ria n Alill Molt.
The Battle of Rri Eile was gained over the Lein¬
ster men by Alill Molt.]
(To be continued)
New York and its suburbans contain over three
millions of people, of which Brooklyn contributes
930,000.
Another interesting contribution
from the Old Sod.
Smuainte an Bhuinneáin Aoraigh.
Lá n-aon da raibh an Buinneán sug¬
ach sár-mhedhireach tar bántaibh míne
feur-uaithne Mumhan tharla roilg cluth¬
mhar dhó air bhárr cnoicín ghrianda i d-
tiubraid Chiarain i n-Uibh fátha idir
Sliabh g-Cua agus Sliabh g-Crot, 'nar h-
adhlacadh cian ó shoin an t-ollamh árd-
léigheanta Dochtúr Seathfruin Céitinn.
Do h-athruigheadh a ghnuis go doilbh-chumhach
air meamhrughadh go cruinn dhó air treidh¬
the an fhir bhí sínte go h-uaigneach gur
thuit frasa deor le n a ghruagh, agus
chan sé an laoi :—
A Dhochtúir na cille, a ghiolla budh bhinn-
ghlórach,
A Shagairt do h-oileadh i bh-fine go
n-deagh-chró-fhuil,
Mo leir-chreach mo mire i roilg faoi
dhoimhin-fhódaibh
Le ciúmhas na lice tá cloigean mo
ghlinn-stóir ghil.
Air chlár lom na cruinne tá fuirinneach
feidhm-shlóghtach,
Tar tonntaibh na tuile go h-imioll a
slim-thoran,
Níor frith fós, dar m'fhallaing, air in¬
is ná linn seolmhar
Ariamh aon churadh raibh gile mo ghrinn-
leomhain air.
A cheanas air talamh budh ghradamach an
t-adhbhar maoidhte,
Air annsacht, air taithneamh, air ait¬
ios i meamhair saoithe;
Más craobhach clann Adaim níor asc¬
air an gabhal riamh leith'
Budh gheall le Seathfruin gidh leathan
an leabhar-bhuidhean úd.
Níor bh'ísiol a mhaise na sheasamh go
modhamhuil caoin-dreach
Ag leigheamh an aifrinn, ag teagasg
os comhair daoineadh,
Budh luthmhar a teanga do speagadh gach
togha m-briathar
Mar sruthán an easa go fairsing le
fonn liomhtha.
