G 162

Ossianic

18th(?) cent. Paper. 14.5 × 9 cms. [i-ii] + 158 (numbered in pencil) + 10 (endpapers and wrappers) pp., with earlier pagination 9-178, showing 8 pages missing at the beginning. It is not now possible to ascertain how many are missing at the end. Pages 153-8 are of different paper and although written by the same scribe would appear to be a fragment of another compilation. The name Parolane Ua Cro(in ...) on p. 121 outer margin (vertical) may perhaps be that of the scribe. A later scribe wrote additional quatrains on pp. 143, 146, 149- 52. Arithmetical calculations occur on the endpapers.

Bound in red half-russian by Bretherton 1848 with marbled end-papers, `Ossian's Poems' in gold and `22322' labelled on spine; `MSS 593' (repeated), `Poems ascribed to Ossian' and `Old No. 9/166 pages except 3.4.5.6.7.8 which were blank pages' on p.[ii]. Listed under `St. George MSS' in Phillipps's Catalogus.

Page

1 Acephalous. An fear feinidh do bheith faoi ghlas = line 2 of quatrain beg. A Phádraig is truagh an scéal from `Agallamh Oisín agus Phádraig' (see ed. An Seabhac, Laoithe na Féinne (1941), p. 5, q. 53). 292 full quatrains + * q. + ½ q. Contains (p. 45) Oisin is binne linn do ghlór (`Seilg Shléibhe na mBan bhFionn') and (p. 47) Oidín is binne guth is ghlór (`Cath Chnuic an Áir').

61 `Teacht Mheirgidh na lann nglas aig diogailt Tailc mhic Treoin air an bFeinn.' Nior bhfada duinne mair sin. 308 qq., some defective. Contains (p. 107) A Mheirgidh crúaidh na lann ngéarr (`Laoi Mná Mheargaigh').

126 `Aig so tuarasgbhail ar marbhag don Fheinn air Chnoc an Áir.' Innis dúin a Oisín gan sgath. 14 qq. + * q. + ½ q.

129 `Tuarasgbháil ca mheid laoch lánchalma et cú fheargach fiornimhneac bhi a seilg Locha Lein.' (p. 130) Innis dam annois más leat is cuímhinn. 28 qq., some defective, + ½ q. + ½ q.

136 `Seilg Locha Léin go foirlionta sonn.' Innis dúin anois cath seilg Locha Lein. ½ + 86½ qq. Contains (p. 143) Lá da raibh Fionn na bhflaith (`Seilg Shléibhe Cuilinn'). Breaks off (p. 152) at a point corresponding to Laoithe na Féinne, p. 79, q. 71½.

153 Inis dúin a Oisín na néacht. 29½ qq. from `Seilg Locha Léin.' Cf. p. 136 above. Last page (p. 158) very faded. Remainder of manuscript (endpapers etc.) blank. See introductory remarks above.