transcription, however, is daily becoming more apparent. This statement
might have been considered a mere conjecture of his own, had not Mr.
O'Curry discovered the name of the author in a partially effaced
memorandum in the Book of Leinster, which he reads thus: "[Ernín, son
of] Duach [that is], son of the King of Connacht, an _Ollamh_, and a
prophet, and a professor in history, and a professor in wisdom: it was
he that collected the Genealogies and Histories of the men of Erinn in
one book, that is, the _Cin Droma Snechta_." Duach was the son of Brian,
son of the monarch _Eochaidh_, who died A.D. 305.

[10] _Besides._--O'Curry, page 16.

[11] _Sages._--M. Nigra, the Italian Ambassador at Paris, is at this
moment engaged in publishing continental MSS.

[12] _Vellum._--The use of vellum is an indication that the MSS. must be
of some antiquity. The word "paper" is derived from _papyrus_, the most
ancient material for writing, if we except the rocks used for runes, or
the wood for oghams. Papyrus, the pith of a reed, was used until the
discovery of parchment, about 190 B.C. A MS. of the _Antiquities of
Josephus_ on papyrus, was among the treasures seized by Buonaparte in
Italy.

[13] _Acquainted_.--O'Curry's _MS. Materials_, page 24.

[14] _Collection_.-A recent writer in the _Cornhill_ says that Lord
Ashburnham refuses access to this collection, now in his possession,
fearing that its contents may be depreciated so as to lessen its value
at a future sale. We should hope this statement can scarcely be
accurate. Unhappily, it is at least certain that access to the MSS. is