[ (5^ ] 



fiieaf, a nofegay ; dejlun, a collection, hiftory, romance j dc^nr, 

 a prime minifter, fenator, counfellor, i. e. the right hand of the 

 Jiiiic; a colledion, record, chronicle ; whence the Irifh deafaian^ a 

 repofitory, hiftory, record, chronicle. 



From the Arabic and Perfian ^1*^ menu, or men, benevolent, 

 benign, propitious, favourable, conferring a benefit, beneficence, 

 grace, favour, is derived the Irifh man^ a hand, fignifying; the 

 inflrument of beneficence ; fo, from t iod, the hand in Hebrew^, 

 the Irifh formed edani^ to handle; from carr^ good, (Arabic yU. 

 chara, bene habuit, bono bonifquc polluit) the Irifh formed caned, 

 a bofom friend, and the Arabians have o\.^ji^ kheir khauh, of 

 the fame import -, from y^ cher, bonus vir. bono bonifque 

 abundans*. 



If we trace the word fignifying a hand to the Egyptians, wc 

 ihall find the fame metaphorical fignifications ; as tot dod (Irifh 

 doid) a hand ; ijtot edod, to have in poflefrion j erdod, to have 

 wealth and power — in fine 



NosTRis manibus in rcrum natura, quafi alteram naturam 

 cfEcere conamur -f-. 



Before the invention of letters, thofe nations who ufcd 

 hieroglyphics or pidlurc writing, mufl have expreffcd thefe diffe- 

 rent metaphorical fignifications by different pofitioxis of the hand, 



* GOLIUS. 



f Cicero dt Nat. Deor, 1. ad, c. 6o. 



Of 



