The writer, Ferdomnach, who subscribed his name at the ends of certain portions, in the form Pro Ferdomnacho ores,' four times in different stages of his work, is thus noticed in the Annals of Ulster, at the year 845: "Ferdomnach, sapiens et scriba optimus Airdd Machae" [dormivit]; thus rendered into Irish by the Four Masters, at the year 844: "Feapdoṁnach, eagnaid & seribnið togaide Asda Macha, décc "3 Never was there a truer or more modest encomium. To us it appears faint praise when we examine his handiwork, though it be but a solitary example of his skill, which, no doubt, was exercised in many such performances that have disappeared. The Academy is so fortunate as to possess, in its printed Proceedings, the substance of a most able Paper on the date of this manuscript, which was read at the Stated Meeting, November 30th, 1846, being the result of a very careful examination which was undertaken by the Rev. Charles Graves, now Lord Bishop of Limerick. Soon after the manuscript was deposited in the Academy by the then owner, at the instance of our fellow Academician, Arthur R. Nugent, of Portaferry, Esq., who became a Member in January, 1846; and, at a general meeting of the Academy that year, the President announced that the Rev. Francis Brownlow had deposited this ancient MS. in their Museum, with the understanding that it should be taken due care of, and returned to the owner on demand. This well-timed loan soon brought forth the richest fruit; and the Rev. Charles Graves, with that critical acumen, and that exactness of judgment, which have always characterized his investigations, produced one of the most elegant and recondite demonstrations which the Academy, or any learned society, has on record. His conclusions Of these subscriptions two are now utterly indiscernible, partly by erasure and partly by the iniquitous use of tincture of galls. Of the two that are discernible, one is perfectly legible to good sight, namely, that on fol. 214 a a. The other, at fol. 220 a b, is capable of identification. * Ed. Hennessy, p. 350. Vol. i., p. 470 (ed. O'Don.). Ten ecclesiastics of this name, which signifies Vir-Dominicus, are recorded in the Annals of the Four Masters, all eminent as abbots, bishops, scribes, or teachers, between the years 726 and 1110. Vol. iii., pp. 316-324. • He was present also when I received the MS. at the hands of his cousin, Mr. William Brownlow, Nov. 4, 1853. 6 Proceedings, vol. iii., p. 259. There was a supplementary communication on the subject of this MS. made by him on the 11th of January, 1847. See Proceedings, vol. iii., p. 356. are that the name of the writer was Ferdomnach, and that he finished the Gospel according to St. Matthew on the 21st of September, 807.1 Here, then, you have before you the writing of a choice Irish scribe, 1084 years old, and for the most part as legible as if written yesterday. So much for the time; now for the place. Armagh, beyond question, and within the rath which enclosed the apex of Drum-sailech, as it was called when clothed with osiers; or RathDairi, when St. Patrick first visited it; or, as in the prehistoric period, Ardmacha, which is of older date than two thousand years, and has, in the slightly modified form of Armagh, maintained precedence of its other titles. The exact spot was either within the precincts of the existing cathedral, or, what is more likely, in the very ancient abbey of St. Peter and St. Paul, which, in the twelfth century, was St. Malachi O'Morgair's abode, and occupied the space opposite the Public Library, on which the houses of Mrs. Robinson, Mr. Allen, the Parochial House, and the Rectory, with their appurtenances, now stand, within the bounds of two acres.2 The received date of St. Patrick's death is 492,3 that is, about three centuries before the book was written. Now, there is in an early part of the volume a composition commonly known as St. Patrick's Confession. It occupies the three folios numbered 22 a to end of 24 b. At the end of it is a very interesting colophon, in these words: Huc usque uolumen quod patricius manu conscripsit sua. Septimadecima martii die translatus est Patricius ad caelos. In the course of it are some obscure passages, opposite to which the scribe has noted in the margin, incertus liber hic, evidently referring to certain defects in his exemplar, which he declares to have been the Saint's autograph, probably caused by injuries which the document before him had sustained in the lapse of time. There was, therefore, no attempt upon the copyist's part to antedate his own writing, or even to suggest the idea that his copy was an original. But after his generation had 1 Fol. 52b, where the scribe writes in small uncial Greek letters :EXHAIKIT· AEYANTYEAIQM · KATA · MATTHYM· ΣKPIITYM· ATKYE INITYM · IN PHPIA · MATTHI. 2 See on this subject Reeves' Ancient Churches of Armagh, p. 28 (Lusk, 1860) 3 Anno Domini ccccxci. "Dicunt Scoiti hic Patricium archiepiscopum defunctum"-An. Ult. (p. 30). 4 This note occurs twice, beside which there are eight places, opposite which is set in the margin the Zeta of inquiry. passed away, and the real history of the work had been forgotten, the notion certainly existed, and was encouraged, that the book itself was written by St. Patrick's own hand; and thus it came to be generally known as the Canon Phadraig, or "Patrick's Testament." At first it was naturally regarded in the Church of Armagh, for whose use it was prepared, merely as a recent, yet beautiful, transcript of early documents; but in process of time, when the period of discrimination was past, and the public mind was ready to receive an exaggerated story of its antiquity and authority, it was passed off as the Saint's autograph, especially with the seeming aid of the colophon which has been just mentioned; and then, with a view to silence adverse testimony, it was resolved to obliterate the signatures of the actual scribe by erasion, which was all but successful, so that only two of the four appeals-Pro Ferdomnacho ores-can be, on close inspection, recognized. In every case it was plainly the object of some interested person to increase veneration at the cost of historic verity. And, no doubt, the book did rise so much in estimation, that in 937, as we are informed by the Four Masters-“Canoin Phadraig was covered by Donnchadh, son of Flann, king of Ireland."2 Possibly there may be reference to the remarkable leather satchel which accompanies the book still, and which bears the marks of great antiquity. But I am satisfied that this is not the object intended, as its dimensions are not adapted to the shape of the book, and it is not a cumhdach in the true sense of the word. In the year 1004 it was in such high esteem at Armagh, that it was employed as the fittest receptacle for the record of King Brian Boru's donation to the See. He was the first sovereign of Ireland who was not of the stock of the North, and, at the age of seventy-six, became king in 1002. In the year 1004 he made a royal progress through Ireland, receiving the submission of the people as he went along, and having arrived at Armagh, he remained in that town for a week, during the 1 1 Among the many uses of the word Canon, the Irish occasionally employed it in the sense "Testament." Thus, in the Life of St. Cainnech of the Cod. Salmanticensis (first printed by the late Marquis of Ormonde), cap. iv. (p. 4)—“ Post hoc cum S. Kannechus apud istum magistrum utramque canonem legisset et ecclesiasticas regulas didicisset," &c. Also printed in the Marquis of Bute's magnificent Actt. Sanctor. Hiberniæ, cap. 6, col. 364. 1 An., 917 (vol. i., p. 638, ed. O'Don.). The expression is: Canon Pattnaice do cuṁdać lá Donnchab mac Floinn, pí Ereann.-Donnchadh, son of Flann Sinna, son of Maelsechlann, adopted the patronymic O'Maelsechlainn. course of which he presented twenty ounces weight of gold as an offering, on St. Patrick's altar. On this occasion it probably was that he formally ratified to the Church of Armagh its ancient privileges, as expressed in the brief entry which appears in our MS., on the verso of folio 16, and in a hand which, though evidently ancient, is much later and less elegant than that in which the substance of the volume is written. It is in these words: Sanctus Patrius iens ad calum mandavit totum fructum laboris sui tam babtismi tam causarum quam elemoisinarum deferendum esse apostolicæ urbi quæ scotice nominatur ardd macha. Sic reperi in bebliothics scotorum ego scripsi id est caluus perennis in conspectu Briain imperatoris scotorum et quod scripsi finituit pro omnibus regibus maceria-"St. Patrick, when going to heaven, decreed that the entire fruit of his labour, as well of baptism and causes, as of alms, should be rendered to the apostolic city, which in the Scotic tongue is called Arddmacha. Thus I found it in the records of the Scots. This I have written, namely, Calvus Perennis, in the presence of Brian, supreme ruler of the Scots, and what I have written he decreed for all the kings of Maceria." 3 In this curious record, which confirmed to Armagh the ecclesiastical supremacy of Ireland, there is a total absence of the legal formalities which afterwards came in with the Anglo-Norman 1 An. Ult., 1004 (p. 514); An. F. Mast., 1004 (vol. i., p. 752). 2 Calvus = mael, "bald," and rutain, "everlasting." See Dr. Atkinson's Three Shafts, Vocabulary, p. 438; and his Glossary to the Homilies from the Leabhar Breac, p. 889, where there are abundant references. In the Book of Armagh we have Calvus, a man's name, for Mael (fols. 11 b a, 12 b a), and Totus Calvus, for Totmael (fol. 13 b b); so also, "huc usque Calvus Patricii (for MaelPatraic) depinxit,” in the St. Gall Priscian, upper marg., p. 157. 3 Bebliothicis. The primary import of ßßλ100ýêŋ and bibliotheca is, a depository for books; and (2) the books so deposited; (3) a collection of books put together in a volume; hence St. Jerome's bibliotheca as equivalent to Biblia sacra. In this limitation the Irish would style the Book of Ballymote or the Book of Lecan a bibliotheca. We also find the term used to denote the case of a single volume; but here it seems to have a general acceptation of libraries or their contents. Alcuin says: "Nomine Pandecten proprio vocitare memento Opp., tom. ii., pt. i. p. 203 (ed. 1777). On the word, see Reeves' Adamnan, pp. 359, 360; his Memoir of Armagh Library, p. 5, and above all the Benedictine Du Cange, in voce. settlement; and it is quite in keeping with the style of the Celtic memoranda which are preserved in a few ancient Irish MSS. elsewhere.1 Calvus Perennis is the literal equivalent for the Irish name, Maelsuthain.' The individual who wrote this was the anmchara ("soul friend "), or Confessor, of the King, and, as was natural, accompanied him in his expeditions. His death is recorded at the year 1031; thus entered by the Four Masters in their Annals: "Maelsuthain, anmchara of Brian, son of Kennedy, departed life."3 The name was of repute in Kerry; and we accordingly find it in the Annals of Inisfallen at 992 and 1014; also in the Four Masters at 1009 and 1014. In like manner, Maceria is the Latin equivalent for Caiseal (Cashel), of which the sovereigns of Leth Mogha were high kings, on this occasion represented by Brian in his own name and that of his successors. Maceria, in the sense of "a stone wall," is still preserved in the Campagna, in the form masseria, denoting a fortified farm-house. Archbishop Ussher has printed this document in his Discourse of the Religion Anciently Professed by the Irish, but omitting the last clause, possibly through doubt regarding finituit and maceria. Sir William Betham was more adventurous in his translation :-" And what I wrote he confirmed for all kings, with his seal of wax," as if in the original the last word was forma ceriæ; 1 As the Book of Kells in Meath, the Book of Mac Durnan in Canterbury, the Book of Chad in Lichfield, the Book of Llandaff in Wales, and the Book of Deer in Scotland. 2 This is a rare name; however, we find it in Annal. Ult., 1009—Maelrutain Ua Cepbaill (where see Hennessy's note, p. 522), upon which the F. Mast. enlarge at An. 1009, vol. ii., p. 760). The An. Inisf., at 992, which tallies with 1009 of the F. Mast., have: Maelfatain hua Cerbail ardsui na hErend quieuit in Christo in Achud dec; where there are probably two errors of O'Conor, one for Maelsutain, and the other for Achaddeo, or Aghadoe (Rer. Hib. SS., tom. ii., pt. 2, p. 52). O'Curry has confounded this lord with our ecclesiastic of later date; but he has added another notice of the name in what follows. (MS. Materials, pp. 76-79.) 3 Vol. ii., p. 822 (ed. O'Don.). The corresponding entry in the An. Inisf. is at their year 1014-Maelsuthain sruith senoir herend quieuit in Christo (Rer. Hib. SS., ii., pt. 2, p. 61). Carreal, cognate to Castellum and its derivative Castle. Lhuyd gives Caiseal for murus. Caplen is a later form. On the identification of Caisel for Maceria, see O'Curry's Lectures on MS. Mat., p. 654. 5 Chap. vii., p. 75 (Lond., 1631); Wks., vol. iv., p. 318. In both, the word deferendum is read deserendum. 6 Irish Antiquarian Researches, p. 394. |