Ferguson — On Evidences corroborating Biliteral Key. 181 



XXVII. — On the Collateral Evidences corroborating the 

 Biliteral Key to the South British Ogham Alphabet. By 

 Samuel Ferguson, LL. D., Q. C, Vice-President. 



[Read December 8, 1873.] 



On the last night of meeting I referred to six examples of biliteral in- 

 scriptions in South Britain, in Roman and Ogham characters, from 

 which I deduced the powers of the several letters in that school of 

 Ogham writing. There are two others which I was prepared to have 

 laid before the Academy, but I abstained from doing so, seeing that the 

 time then at our disposal would probably be better occupied. These I 

 ask leave to refer to now, not only as additional vouchers for the letters 

 e, n, o, r and t, but as suggestive of some collateral considerations 

 which may not be without interest for the Academy. 



The former of these exists at the church of Clydai, about eight miles 

 north of Fishguard, in Pembrokeshire. Clydai was also the original 

 site of the Duft(a)ceos stone (of which I exhibited a cast on the 

 last evening). The top of the pillar has been cut down to form a 

 seat for a sun-dial, and the upper portion of the Ogham text (which 

 formerly commenced on one side, ran round the head, and down the 

 opposite side) is consequently lost. The beginning and ending Ettern 



(c)tor, correspond with the Latin epigraph Eterni fili victor. The 



double consonant of the Ogham is observable here as in the Llanfechan 

 example, where the Trenacatus of the Latin text is represented by the 

 Oghamic Trenecatt. These differences have been noticed and relied on 

 as arguments for the earlier existence of the Ogham, the suggestion 

 being that some Roman having discovered the key, took this mode of 

 supplying a lapidary gloss ; but I feel equal difficulty in accepting this 

 as I do in admitting the other theory, that in some cases a further 

 element was subsequently introduced by the superaddition of the 

 Christian symbols. Where sculptured objects are found together on 

 such a monument, the prima facie presumption is that they were 

 executed simultaneously; and the rule of evidence, " Stabitur prce- 

 sumptione donee probitur in contrarium,''' although it be inelegant 

 Latin, embodies the experience of mankind in every inquiry after truth ; 

 and nothing in the way of proof, or even, I think, of probability, has as 

 yet been advanced in support of either suggestion. 



Observing on the Turpill inscription, I noticed its seemingly un- 

 grammatical structure, of which another example will be noticed below 

 in the Cilgerarn "biliteral." The Clydai inscription also invites a like 

 observation. Victor in both texts seems to be treated as indeclinable. Mr. 

 Brash, who has accurately read what remains of the legend, conceives that, 

 if complete, it would present an Oghamic f as the equivalent of the Latin 

 v. In this I have reason to believe his conjecture is likety to be con- 



R. T. A. PUOC. — SEE. II., VOL. II., POL. LIT. AND ANTIQ. 2 D 



