70 



Mr. Petrie on the History/ and Antiquities of Tara Hill. 



Caojaipe, Cope, t)dipe oup, 

 Paopaicc, 6enen, Caipneac coip, 

 T?op, t)uBrach, F^PS^F 5° F^^> 

 Naoi pailje pein Seanchuip inoip. 



Laogaire, Core, Daire the stern, 

 Patrick, Benen, Cairneach the just, 

 Ross, Dubhthach, Fergus with goodness, 

 The nine props these of the Seanchus Mor. 



As, however, it is not from the original Irish of the Four Masters, but from 

 Colgan's translation of it, that subsequent Irish writers have formed their con- 

 clusions as to the nature of this work, it should be stated that Colgan renders 

 the words Seanchuy^ and penechup GpenD, Hibernice Antiquitates et Sancti- 

 ones Legales : but, although this honest writer rendered these words accurately 

 according to the sense in which they were understood in his time, it will be 

 presently shewn that the accuracy of his translation may be very open to doubt. 

 That the truth of this record of the Four Masters should have been unquestioned 

 by modern writers will excite no surprise, when it is considered how customary it 

 was with them to copy from one another without inquiry, or, as it is expressed by 

 Toland, — who was, notwithstanding, himself the greatest of sinners in this way, — 

 eternally to serve up the same dishes at every meal. But it could not escape 

 the critical honesty of Dr. Lanigan that this statement is quite Inconsistent with 

 the true history of the times. This able writer thus speaks of the Seanchus 

 Mor, which he says was foolishly ascribed to St. Patrick by some of the anti- 

 quaries : — " They tell us it was compiled In the year 439, and that St. Patrick 

 was assisted In this mighty undertaking by two holy bishops, one of whom was 

 Benlgnus, three kings, and three antiquaries, who, according to this notable 

 history, formed the famous Committee of Nine, appointed for this purpose by 

 the senate, called the Fes of Temor or Tarah. So then St. Patrick and other 

 ecclesiastics would have been members of the national assembly of Ireland, and 

 that at a time when the far greatest part of the persons entitled to sit in it were 

 Pagans. Would king Leogalre, who was never a Christian, have allowed a 

 place In that meeting to a foreigner, or, what would be still more strange, recog- 

 nized his authority ? And how could Benlgnus have been a bishop in 439, or 

 even a senator, and chosen on a committee ? In that year St. Patrick was better 

 employed, preaching in Connaught, than In attending senates. The mixture of 

 ecclesiastics with laymen in the states-general of nations was quite unknown In 

 St. Patrick's days. What has become of the Seanchas More is uncertain." — 

 Eccl. Hist. vol. i. p. 371. 



