ANTIQUITIES. 



Akt. I. Remarks on the Book of Mac Firbis, an Irish Manuscript lately 

 transcribed for the Academy. By George Petrie, Esq., R.H.A., M.R.I.A. 



Read 27th February, 1837. 



JVLORE than a year since I had the honor of suggesting to the Council of the 

 Academy the importance of obtaining from its proprietor, Lord Roden, a loan 

 of an Irish manuscript of great celebrity, in order that a transcript of it might 

 be made for our library ; and this suggestion having been acted on, the manuscript 

 was placed in our hands for this purpose by that distinguished nobleman, through 

 the friendly medium of the Dean of Saint Patrick's. As the Council afterwards 

 did me the honor to entrust to me the care of having this transcript made, I feel 

 it my duty now, on its completion, to submit it to the Academy for their 

 inspection, and to make a few remarks on its nature and contents, in order that 

 the Academy may be enabled to judge not only of its value and importance as a 

 historical record, as well as of the pains which have been taken by the persons em- 

 ployed to render it as perfect as possible, but also, that the Academy may feel satisfied 

 that the funds which have been applied to this purpose have not been injudiciously 

 expended. Another object which I propose to myself in offering these observa- 

 tions is, to obtain the sanction of the Academy for prefixing to the volume, 

 previously to its being bound, a short record of the circumstances under which 

 it was made; and, as the transcript has received the addition of much important 

 co-relative matter, not included in the original manuscript, that a notice may be 

 added of the sources from which such additional matter has been obtained, and 

 how it is distinguished in this transcript. 



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