86 TRANSACTIONS OF THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE. [VoL. V. 



The hosts seraphic sang on high 



In strains of song refined : 

 And we will show God's peace, good will 



And love to all mankind." 



In Roish my row flaunys er ny chroo, or Before the Heavens were 

 created, these verses occur : 



" Before the light of moon or sun, 



Or star or bright revolving ray, 

 Or yet the heavenly powers begun 



To mete exact 'twixt night and day ; 

 What was there then ? What was there then 

 Before horizon was or time ?" 



The first two stanzas in Carval Yonah or Jonah's Carvel, are these : 



"The Lord's word came to Jonah : 



To Nineveh go thou down, 

 And cry against the wickedness 



That is wrought in that great town. 

 And straight rose Jonah early, 



To Joppa's city he came, 

 And thereon found a good ship faring 



To Tarshish of world-wide fame.'" 



As Manksmen have an honourable place in the general renaissance of 

 Celtic learning, the publication of the Manx Carols must tend materially 

 to increase the affection of every patriotic Manksman for his native 

 language and for the traditions of his native island. Though some of the 

 'Carols were evidently composed by men who had little or no knowledge 

 whatever of letters ; and, though the sentiments that pervade the Carols 

 are often simple enough, it must be remembered that the carols represent 

 the best and purest language that was spoken at the time of their com- 

 position ; insomuch that the Manx scholar of to-day turns naturally 

 enough to those Carols for the best specimens of his native language as it 

 was spoken some two hundred years ago by Manksmen who knew no 

 other tongue than CJiengey-ny-M ayrey , the mother tongue. As neither 

 Irish Gaelic nor Scottish Gaelic has any form of literature that can be 

 regarded as similar to the Manx Carols, it may naturally be expected that 

 the study of those Carols will afford amusement as well as instruction to 

 Celts everywhere. 



Some one has not inaptly remarked that the Isle of Man is " a king- 

 dom within a kingdom ". Apart altogether from the political vicissitudes 

 which have passed over Man ; apart from the marvellous tenacity with 

 which Manksmen have adhered to their independence and peculiar con- 

 stitution, though they had to bear the sway of many rulers ; it has to be 



