[ '3 ] 



of a tree, the one long line being confidered as the fiem ; of this 

 there are many forms, all of which however depend upon the 

 fame fcale of decyphering, and of this fpecies is the Mount-Callan 

 infcription. 



The fecond fpecies of the Ogam is called Ogam Coll, or the 

 Ogam of C's ; and the third is called Ogam Confain, or the Ogam 

 of Confonants. Thofe two laft were only temporary in their 

 ufe, and their obfcurity confifted in making ufe of C's in the one, 

 and certain different confonants in the other, inftead of the 

 vowels, diphthongs and triphthongs of the language : but the firft, 

 that is, the Ogam of Branches, was the moft permanent ftandard 

 of this occult fyftem, and probably by much the moft antient. 

 This word is fpelt Ogam or Ogham, and is derived of Oc, Ogh, 

 or Ogha, a circle ; becaufe its fundamental rules are given on 

 five circles drawn at certain intervals within each other, of which 

 the following is a diagram taken from the book of Ballymote. pig. j. 



And as the lines of which it is compofed evidently refer to 

 an alphabet already exifting, by this word (Ogam) in our language 

 is underftood an obfcure charader or an occult manner of 

 writing. 



These circumftances are fufEcient to prove that we had letters 

 independent of the Oaiam ; for it is after confiderable advances in 

 the cultivation of literature that thofe occult fyftems are con- 

 trived, in order to ferve fome private end which requires con- 

 cealment. 



When 



