G 88

Transcript of Stockholm Manuscript

19th cent. Paper. 22 × 20.5 cms. 20 ff. This is a transcript of a 16th cent. manuscript in the Royal Library at Stockholm. There is a facsimile copy in RIA 23 O 2 and it is described in the RIA Catalogue, p. 2938. The original has been described by Stern, Die irische Handschrift in Stockholm, ZCP i 115-18. For a description of a photographic reproduction of the manuscript see Flower, BM Cat. ii 323. As the contents have been described in these places they are not listed here. A complete transcript by an unidentified scribe occupies ff. 11-19 recto of the present manuscript, a part transcript in the hand of Sir William Betham is on ff. 5, 7, 8 recto. The pagination on lower margins recto is by (?) Phillipps, the foliation on upper margins recto is modern.

Bound in boards with `Irish MS. Betham MSS' on spine; `Irish Poems (Ancient)', `13264 Ph', `Phillipps MS 13264' and `99' (no. in Betham collection) on p. 1. The following (written by Betham) is on p. 2: `Copy of an ancient Irish Manuscript discovered in the Royal Library at Stockholm by George Stephens Esq. Corresponding Member of the Literary Society of Finland and Member of the Council of the Soceity for ancient Swedish Literature.//This was made from a Facsimile Copy of the Herr Blackstadius of Stockholm a first Rate Artist and transmitted to be by Mr. Stephens to be presented in his name to the Royal Irish Academy with a letter dated 16 Jan. 1844.//Signed George Stephens.//

Mr. Stephens compared the facsimile with the original M.S. and certified its accuracy this is a correct copy from that.//W.B.//I have never seen other copies of these poems'.