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decipher them, or to speculate concerning their age. For the 
conduct of this inquiry I found abundant materials in the 
Grammatica Celtica of Professor Zeuss. In his introduction 
he has described the MS. minutely ; in the body of his work 
he has quoted a vast number of the glosses; and in an Ap- 
pendix he has exhibited a considerable portion of the text of 
the MS., together with all the interlinear glosses pertaining to 
it. He has, moreover, given the readings of the simpler 
Oghams, and to some extent discussed the question relative to 
the date ofthe MS. On this lattter point, however, he has not 
arrived at definite conclusions. He seems rather to incline to 
the notion, that the MS. was written by an Irish scribe on the 
Continent; and he does not dispute the dictum of Haenel, who 
refers it to the eighth century. 
‘¢ Before I proceed to read and translate the Oghams 
themselves, I must state that they form a part of the general 
body of the glosses; they were written at the same time, by 
the same person, and with the same objects. The glosso- 
grapher, as was usual with Irish scribes, made occasional me- 
moranda in the margin, noting how his work progressed, and 
occasionally referring to circumstances which occurred as he 
was actually writing. A few of these relate to the nature of 
the text, as, Sude qui legat difficilis est ista pagina. Many 
are ejaculations, or prayers for a blessing on the scribe’s 
work, as Fave Brigita; Sancta Brigita adjuva scriptorem 
istius artis (the Ars Grammatica of Priscian); In nomine 
Almi Patricii; In nomine Sancti Diormitii. The saints in- 
voked in this way are only Irish ones. Occasionally the scribe 
complains of his writing materials. Thus, Ip sann membpum 
(the vellum is scanty); Ip tana an oub (the ink is thin); or 
complains of his health, as, uch mo chliab a noib ingen (alas, 
my chest, O holy Virgin!). But the following memoranda 
are important as they furnish means to determine the date 
of the MS. 
“1, A glossatp. 157: Hucusque Calvus Patricii depinatt, 
