464 
a drawing by Dr. Smith, and also a fac simile of the (enlarged) 
figure given in Mr. Beauford’s plate : 
Mr. Graves concluded by apologising for having occupied 
the time of the Academy in the discussion of matters of so little 
intrinsic importance ; but pleaded the necessity of breaking 
down the remnant of authority which still gives to the asser- 
tions of Vallancey and his adherents the power of leading 
students in Irish history and antiquities astray. 
Practices like those now commented on once brought con- 
tempt upon Irish archeology ; and philologists for a long while 
shrank from entering upon the rich field of inquiry which the 
study of the Celtic language and literature presents, through 
fear of sharing in the ill repute of former labourers. But these 
feelings are now happily dying away ; and it is to be hoped 
that the Academy, encouraging such pursuits, when carried on 
in a scientific spirit, and vigilantly checking all attempts to 
mislead, will have the satisfaction of seeing permanently estab- 
lished amongst its members a sound and numerous school of 
antiquaries and scholars, really conversant with the language 
and antiquities of this country, and therefore able successfull y 
to prosecute that work of illustrating its history, which a few, 
in recent times, have so well begun. 
