Uses of the Round Towers of Ireland, fyc. 361 



corumque intentum, ac usum noverat, atque ab Anachoretis, Orientalium more viventibus, et cam- 

 panas, aliasque res Sacras, Libros et Thesauros custodientibus, habitabantur ; utpote a petra con- 

 struct! ab imo ad summum, quia Ecclesia?, aliaque sedificia Hibernica, cum e ligno constructa essent, 

 facillime et frequentissime comburebantur. Ante Campanilium usum invectum, construct! fuere 

 turres isti, referents Gratiano Lucio, pag. 133. Postea tamen usus inolevit, ut campanis in eorum 

 culmine appensis, campanilium vices gererent." 



But, if there be any who may still doubt that the Irish cloictheachs were 

 stone structures, and distinct buildings from the churches, they must be con- 

 vinced of the fact by the following very curious passage, which occurs in a 

 vellum manuscript in the Library of Trinity College, Dublin, H. 3, 17, p. 653. 

 This passage is, unfortunately, but a fragment of a Commentary on a Brehon 

 Law, relative to the payment of artificers for the erection of the three chief 

 buildings, which are usually found grouped together in ecclesiastical establish- 

 ments, namely, the duirtheach, daimhliag, and cloictheach, and hence it should 

 be premised that, as well from the want of the original law, which it was 

 intended to elucidate, as from the technical character of the rules laid 

 down, it is by no means easy to arrive at a clear understanding of its entire 

 meaning. But this is a matter of little consequence to the present inquiry, as 

 the passage will clearly show, what is essential to my purpose, that the belfry 

 was a distinct building, constructed of stone ; and that there was a law regu- 

 lating not only the price of its construction, but determining its height, as pro- 

 portioned to the daimhliag, or stone church : 



" lTlapa oupcac .u. epoigio n-oec, no ip luja map, .1. cuic cpaijjio .p. in a pac, 7 .pc. epaigio 

 in a leeec, ip pamaipc ap cac cpaijjeo cnppna oe, no ap cac epaijeo co lee ap pur ; cona 

 euije dine pin; j mapa epuioe plmneo, ip bo ap cac cpoijeo eappna oe, no ap cue epoijeo gu lee 

 ap puc. TTlapa mo e ma .u. cpoijjio .p. pamaipc ap oa cpian epoijio rappna oe, no ap epoijeo 

 ap uc: co na cujp ame pin. mapa euije plmneo, bo ap DO cpian cpoijio cappna oe, no ap 

 cpoijeo ap uc. 



" toj na n-Dupeac DO pep olijio pin; ocup a cpian oo elaouin, 7 cpian oo aobup, 7 a cpian 

 oo aobup, 7 a cpian DO biuo, 7 oo ppiecnam, 7 DO gobmb ; 7 fo'n comae pe pecap a lep 

 jabeino aichpejcap pin ooib, 7 lee in cpm DO joibnib anaenup, .1. pepeo ; in .ui. aili a porno 

 ap oo icep biao 7 ppiegnam, aili .p. ceccap 6e ; 7 oa paib peann na pecap a lep jjobano, 

 ippoino ap DO annpioe icep biao 7 ppichjnatn. mapa jnnnpaio 05 a pecap a lep cip 7 ac 

 na pecap jobano, cpian o'elaoann, 7 cpian DO eip, 7 cpian o'aobup, 7 DO biuo, 7 DO ppiejnam; 

 a lee pioe o'aobup anaenup, .ui. ; in .ui. aili DO biuo 7 DO ppich^nam, .1. aili .pe. oo ceccap oe. 



" In oamliaj : mapa euge plinneo puil aip, comlog e 7 in oupcac ip cucpuma pip. lT)apa 

 euije ame pil aip, in e-amm painne gubup in cloc in a cpann, jupub e in e-amm painne 

 VOL. XX. 3 A 



