G 53

Book of Oghams; Treatise on Prosody; Auraicept na nÉces.

17th cent. Paper. 20 × 15 cms. (pp. 1-42) 19.5 × 15 cms. (pp. 43-144). Pp. 144. The ms. consists of two parts, originally separate, and is the work of two scribes. There is no subscriptio but the second part (pp. 43-144) appears to be written by Cúcoicríche Ó Cléirigh. The hand in the first part (pp. 1-42) is unidentified but appears to be the hand of the 17th cent. scribe who wrote the short version of the Martyrology of Donegal in G 27 supra (cf. pp. 90-95 of latter ms. with pp. 6, 9-11, etc., of the present ms. for similar variations in style of handwriting). The two parts contain a scribal numbering: the first is paginated and the second is foliated. Fol. 1 of part two is missing. A modern pencilled pagination which covers both parts is adopted for the purpose of the present catalogue, the scribal foliation following in brackets in references to the second parts.

A piece has been neatly cut away from pp. 123-4 apparently by the scribe himself as there is no loss of text; not so with the pieces cut away from pp. 41-42 (for which see p. 29 infra) and p. 82 (see p. 50 infra). Between pp. 38-39 and pp. 42-43 a fragment of a conjoint leaf was apparently inserted at the time of binding (pp. 39-42 form a gathering in the binding) and on the fragment occurs part of a scriptural quotation. Marginal notes in an unidentified hand (not unlike O'Clery's) appear on pp. 37, 40 of the first part and another unidentified hand appears on pp. 103-104, 121 of O'Clery's ms. Arithmetical calculations in a later bad hand appear on p. 51. There are fragments of three fly-leaves at the beginning of the ms. In many places - particularly in the first part - the paper is badly stained. The ms. is bound in full leather. The relevant excerpt from the O'Reilly Sale Catalogue is pasted on the front cover. The ms. was no. 140 in O'Reilly's collection before it became Phillipps Ms. 10279.

Page

1 [Book of Oghams]. Beg. Caidhe log et aimsear et pearsa ┐ fath airic ind oguim. This copy corresponds more or less to that in BB facs. 308 B 44 and T.C.D. H. 3. 18., p. 26 (ed. Calder, Auraicept na nÉces, p. 272, Edinburgh, 1917. See also `Traigsruth Firchertne' in Anecdota Ir. Mss., iii, p. 43). Included here (not in the BB nor T.C.D. copy) is Briatharogum Moruind beos (p. 21, col. 2), a group of mnemonic verses in the ogham alphabet beg. Feochois folthchain bethi ban (8 qq.), followed (p. 22) by poem beg. Bethi toilgge tighe the (5 qq.) and (p. 22) poem beg. Bean ar tús bethi go mbloid (8 qq.).

23 Treatise on Irish Prosody. Headed here Leabhar Aisteadh. Beg. Cis lir bairdne dochuisin. Ni annsa. A sé dég. Corresponding to BB 296 B 15-298 A 10.

29 An Leabhar Ollamhan. Headed Incipit Leabhar Olldomhan. Beg. Is h (sic) hé augtaras filethechta na ngaedel. Corresponding to BB fasc. 203 A 5. The matter contained in this tract is similar to that in the BB version, but the sequence is not the same. The top portion of pp. 41-42 has been cut away, but the corresponding matter will be found in BB 202 A 48-B 1 (for p. 41) and 303 B 20-25 (for p. 42).

42 (2r) Acephalous (owing to loss of first folio). [An Leabhar Ollamhan]. Beg. here (in O'Clery's hand) do ronadh in tor acht is doel et reliqua ut dixit poeta (= YBL facs. 217 b 3). This version is similar to that in YBL facs. 217 a 1-219 a 22.

50 (5v) Auraicept na nÉces. Beg. [In]cipit eraicept na necces. edón eraicechd uair er cach toisech Aicechd dano .i. ichd aice ar is anaice bis an descipal ic on maigisdir. This copy corresponds closely to that in YBL facs. 219a23, ed. Calder, Auraicept na nÉces, p. 171, Edinburgh, 1917. Many of the additional words and phrases from B.M. Eg. 88 inserted by Calder in his edition are included in this copy. The scribe breakes off at top of p. 74 (17v) (= ed. p. 191, l.2903) and resumes at p. 77 (19r) (= ed. p. 194, l.3022) leaving almost three blank pages. In many places he omitted the Latin quotations but left sufficient space presumably to fill them in later (see pp. 66, 67, 70, 71, 79, etc.). Many of the initials of the first word of a chapter or section are also omitted by the scribe but space is left for ornamental capitals. The text breaks off imperfectly (p. 144) owing to the loss of the final leaf at a point corresponding to YBL 241 a 35 (Calder p. 256, l.5025). The lower portion of p. 82 has been cut away, but only one line of the text is missing corresponding to Calder p. 199, ll.3161-2.