170 



This poem was, therefore, probably intended to be pre- 

 fixed to the Pandect or Bibliotheca of St. Jerome, according 

 to a custom very prevalent in the middle ages, of prefixing (or 

 postfixing) to copies of the Bible, verses laudatory of the holy 

 Scriptures, or containing brief summaries of their contents. 



It is followed by the tract entitled " Sex astates mundi," 

 translated chiefly from Bede, of which we have copies in the 

 Leabhar Breac, and in other MSS. 



Then follows Dubhlitir O'Huathghaile's* poem on the 

 " Pantecte," on the branchings of the race of Adam, at fol. 44. 



This is foUowed by a poem by Mac Coisse of Boss, county 

 Cork, on the geography of the old world. 



[There are fine copies of these two poems preserved in the 

 ancient MS. known as the Book of Leinster, in the library of 

 Trinity College, Dublin.] 



These are followed, at fol. 46, by a poem on the kings of 

 Jerusalem (twenty in number). 



This is followed by a poem on the collecting, the arrange- 

 ment, the mode of singing, and the number of the singers of 

 the Psalms of David in the Temple. 



Then follows a poem on the Exodus. 



This is followed by an account of the chaining of Eochaidh, 

 the son of Enna Cinselach, King of Leinster (fifth century), 

 to the celebrated Hole-stone, near Tullow, in the county 

 Carlow.t 



Then follow a number of short and very ancient poems 

 and scraps of prose, on the men of Leinster, some of them con- 

 taining curious historical information. 



* In a copy of this poem transcribed into the Book of Lecan (fol. 36, b. 

 col. i. line 22), the author's name is given in the last quatrain as Donnchuach 

 Uu Fuathgaile, of Glenn Uishen, a celebrated church in Ossory. But here 

 the name of the author is made Dubhlitre, which was possibly not a name, 

 but an appellative of Donnchuadh, as it signifies the Black-lettered, and seems 

 to have denoted his high literary reputation or learning. If so, he was Abbot 

 of Glen Uishen, and flourished in the ninth century. 



f Book of Ballymoate, fol. 77, b. [Reign of Niall of the Nine Hostages.] 



