Ferguson — On the Ceremonial Turn, called " Desiul." 357 



Ba he an dia in crow crwaich co niwad cia. in luchtain 



ereid as each cuan a flaithis buan nochws bia. 



Do cheand mbuad marbdais a clanw tosach 



truad. coniwad nguil agus ngair a fuil dadail in crom cruach. 



Blicht is ith uad rochui«dgidis for rith. tar cend 



trin a sotha slain fa mor angraiw isangrith. 



Is dosi« roslechtaidis gseidil gloi«. is diadrad ilar necht 



ita magslec/;t arinmoig. 



Tame tigerwmas triath temra thall. aidchi samna lin asloig ro 



bai damna broiw don banw. 



Laised ole bnailsed basabruidsed corp. acai re demon rws. 



Dajra fersad frasa faena folc. 



Marba fir slnaigna banba combri mbil. 



im Tigemmas do glan tuaith dacLrad chruim chraaich nim«<s cin. 



Uair adgen sed ceathroiwe gasideal ger. fear amb 



eathaid truag insas nidechaid can bas na bel. 



Im chrom chruaich and roslechtaidis na sluaig. 



fiadus fuc fo melaib mairb lenaid a aiwni do» moigthuaid. 



Xasreathaib tria idail cloch focheathair. fri 



saebad faserb in slog dealb inchruiwj dor do deachaid. 



O bae iflaith erenioiw ah- dfear in raith. adrad 



ro bai for na clacha co tiacht padraic macha maith. 



Ord do;« chrhim rogob obaithis co bunw. no dictdr can gallacht 



nganw intairracht robai anw sunw. s.u.n.d. Lib. Lectin, p. 500 a. 



It will be observed that the obscurity arises in great measure from 

 the divisions of the lines of the manuscript not tallying with the 

 divisions of the lines of the rhythm, and from these latter, although 

 indicated by points in some instances, not being so in all. 



Welsh tradition also furnishes us with an example of the rotatory 

 form of idol- worship on the Continent, in the 6th century. In the 

 Life of Saint Sampson (Lib. Land. p. 21) one of the incidents turns 

 on the resuscitation of a youth who had fallen from his horse, and 

 broken his neck, whilst riding round an idol amongst other worshippers 

 " profano ritu bacchantes," at a place called Tricurrum, in Brittany: — 



" Puer quidam equo insidens, et circa idolum currens, ad terrain corruit, frac- 

 toque collo mortuus jacuit." 



"We now perceive that it was, in part at least, by riding his horse 

 in a round that Marcellus paid his seeming act of adoration ; but it 

 does not yet appear whether it was a round by the right hand or by 

 the left. Here Plutarch will again assist us. It is now from his 

 Camillus I cite the account of an incident (related also by Livy, v., 

 c. 21) which occurred while Camillus was making an impassioned 

 appeal to the Gods : — 



" While he spoke, and, as is the custom of Roman worshippers in offering 

 prayer, turned himself round right-hand-wise, he slipped and fell." 



[TavTo. elirtbv, KaOdirep iffrl 'Pu/xaiois e9os, inev^afievoLS Kal irpo(TKWr](xaaiv, 

 €7ri 8e|ia i^eXirreiv, iffcpaKi) TrepicrrpecpS/j.fyos.'] 



The action of Camillus in the utterance of his prayer may explain 

 that of the Irish druid Cathbad, who, we are told in the Book of 

 Fenagh, used to utter his vaticinations, "desiul" right-hand- wise,. 



3B 2 



