G 15

Lucerna Fidelium

18th cent. Paper. 15.3 × 10 cms. Pp. 362. Scribe: Semus Ó Fhearghail (Seamus Lom ui Fhearghail Bháin, p. 168), 1703 see scribal entries on pp. 2, 168, 220, 248; the scribe's signature appears twice in the entry on p. 168). Ó Fearghail, a native of Longford, was working in Dublin in the early 18th cent. and was an intimate of the Ó Neachtains (see Tadhg Ó Neachtain's poem on Irish Scholars in Dublin c. 1728, ed. T. F. O'Rahilly, Gadelica 1, p. 160). The scribal pagination, 9-364, begins at p. 15 of the modern pagination; pp. 13-16 and pp. 127-134 of the scribe's numbering are missing from the ms.; pp. 18-20, 26-30, 34, 35 are also numbered 17-19, 25-29, 33, 34 respectively by him; pp. 142, 206, 216, 114, 115 of the scribe's numbering should read 142, 207, 217, 214, 215 respectively. After p. 237 the scribe mistakenly wrote 239, 240, etc. and after p. 349 he mistakenly wrote 360, 361, etc. The errors in the pagination have not, however, interfered with the continuity of the text. A modern pencilled pagination has been used for page references in the present catalogue, the scribal pagination being given in brackets following. The ms. is bound in calf with the title Lucerna Fidelium gilt-lettered on the spine. Phillipps Ms. 3545 is written in the middle of the inside of the front cover, and the figures 118 (?) I, 1/11/6 are written in pencil on the top. The binder inserted two blank leaves after the front cover and two before the back cover. On the first of the blank leaves is stamped the crest of Sir Thomas Phillipps (Sir T. P. Middle Hill). The number 3545 is written underneath the crest.

The ms. was once in the possession of Mu[i]ris Ó Bruin whose signature appears at the foot of p. 117; (see also entry under p. 361). Three notes in English in three different unidentified hands appear on pp. 16, 128, 346; two of the notes (pp. 16, 346) refer to a Garritt Dillon while the third note (p. 128) refers to a Mr. John Cottrell. Two lines of verse on p. 6 and the phrase man of y^e moon at the foot of p. 331 appear to be in yet another different unidentified hand. Among the few jottings in the ms. are the words 2 sheetts (p. 60), ad huc 2 sheetts (p. 102) and phenup (?) (p. 249).

Page

1 Blank

2 Scribal notes in English and Irish: Thus I begin to subscribe the 20th day of September Anno Domine 1703. Ag so arna sgriobhadh an fichughadh lá do mhí September an bhliaghain d'aois an tighearna míle seacht ccéd ┐ a tri.

3 Froinsias Ó Maolmhuaidh. Lóchrann na gCreidmheach. Except for six leaves (i.e. scribal pp. 13-16, 127-134) which are missing from the ms. this is a full transcript of the printed edition (Lucerna Fidelium, F. O'Molloy, Rome, 1676). Title-page, Preface in Irish, Dedication, Preface in Latin, Nihil Obstat, Imprimatur, Introduction (ends imperfectly), pp. 19-343; Table of Contents, pp. 347-352. At the end of Part I of the text (p. 168) the following scribal entries occur: Ag so arna sgriobhadh go grinn re Semus Lom ui Fhearghail Bháin gach neach eisdeas no leighfeas ann guidheadh re mh'anam chum rí na ngras. Ag so ar na sgriobhadh re Semus Ó Fearghal. An bhliaghain d'aois an tighearna 1703. October y^e 7^th. The four following items (on pp. 6, 16, 128, 346 infra) were inserted by later unidentified hands on blank pages in the text:

6 The following two lines of verse:

A Southarlannach bochd craiteach tinn

Agus Niosgaid air a hoinn.

16 The following note in English: December y^e 21st 1742. Garritt Dillon Note of hand for five pound two shilling and seven pence. I have paid to the day above mentioned £0 13 s. 6d. (Cf. entry under p. 356 infra).

128 (126) The following note in English: Mr. John Cottrell Bill for washing his Linnin March y^e tenth shirts stocks handkerchiefs Down as stocks stocking 2 pair shirts stocks 0 16=32. The handwriting is similar to that of the note on p. 346. The words year and quarter are written underneath this note.

346 (364) The following note in English: March y^e 31st 1741 G. Dillon entered volentory on board y^e Victory man of war. Mr. Thomas Whitney first Captain he went on board April y^e 6th 1741 att Portsmouth. Cf. p. 128 supra.

344 (362) Poem headed Soruid o Dhithreabhach Ruama go Clar Coinn beg. A leabhráin riogha on Roimh, 11 qq. extracted from ed. O'Molloy, Rome 1676, pp. 389-91.

353 Devotional verse beg. A bhaothuibh nach ttuigeann go fóill/an creideamh ata coir na an dligheadh/do gheabhaidh san sioghluim anéineacht/eolas chum De san tshlighidh. 10 stt. Authorship not given (possibly the work of the scribe himself?).

356 [Feardorcha mac Cormais I Dhálaigh. Aoir Dhochtuir Whaley] (imperfect) beg. * de (recte créad) an sprocht no tocht ... This unidentified hand, which is similar to that of note on p. 16, is rude; a mixture of English and Irish script; the spelling is largely phonetic.

360 Blank except for scribblings.

361 Poem beg. A Athir na glóre fore ┐ fragar mo dhuth. 8stt. An appeal for the return of James II to the throne. The name of `Séamus' is cryptically referred to in this poem as 4 ar * ... 7 Laidin ar luch, etc. The poem is in the hand of Mu[i]ris Ó Bruin (whose signature appears at the foot of p. 117) and he may possibly have been the author.