194 Proceedings of the Royal Lrish Academy. 
the illusory and disappointing imcumbrance, rather than aid, of our 
present Dictionaries, we may reasonably expect that then we shall 
have numerous scholars in all the chief seats of letters eager in the 
exploration of things as new, at least, in literature as were the con- 
tributions of the cloisters at the revival of learning. Fragments of 
Continental song and tradition may still remain unpublished in ob- 
scure repositories; but all the solid literary documents of every country 
of Kurope have been for centuries collected, annotated, and put to the 
uses of philosophic thought, save only those of Ireland. What had 
been done for us in this direction, up to the time of our entering on 
our present Academic enterprise, was mainly the work of individuals. 
The name of Richard, second Duke of Buckingham, at whose expense 
O’Connor published his ‘‘ Rerum Hibernicarum Scriptores Veteres,”’ 
ought always to be regarded with affectionate gratitude by the Irish 
people. O’Donovan and Curry had added to it vast stores of exposi- 
tion, and many selected examples of new material; but this under- 
taking of the Academy is the first systematic and comprehensive 
exploration of the whole field. 
We cannot predict what may be the next surprise in Science. 
The Columbuses of physical philosophy are out on every sea, and may 
any day come in sight of new continents of knowledge; though it is 
denied to us to foresee in what arc of the horizon these may present 
themselves. We may, with more confidence, indulge an expectation 
of some results likely to follow from the Academy’s Irish contributions 
to the European library, when they shall be completed. Among the 
first of these, I imagine, will be an accession of critical material for 
the illustration of classical and medieval literature, drawing with it 
not impossibly supplemental additions to Du Cange. I fancy if anyone, 
moderately well read in what we possess already, were to take up a 
good digest of the manners and customs of the ancients—let us say the 
‘¢Geniales Dies’’ of Alexander ab Alexandro, one of the most agree- 
able companions of a thoughtful leisure—he would not fail to find 
many unexpected analogies and elucidations. The old Geography of 
the British Islands would also, I think, catch more than a passing 
beam from the new light. Perhaps, also, a nearer view of the obscure 
roots of old German and Scandinavian literature may be looked for in 
these insular offshoots from the common stem. To say that lost 
Classics may be recovered would be too sanguine a surmise ; but it is 
certain that one of the latest of Dr. Whitley Stokes’s versions of mat- 
ter put before him by the Academy shows either a use of now unknown 
sources or a singularly daring and not probable reliance on mere in- 
vention; and there seems reason to expect that the copious tracts on 
Alexander the Great contained in Leabhar Breac may be found to 
some extent of the same character. What light may be thrown on 
general Continental literature in later than medieval times may be 
judged of by the instructive example of Mr. Hennessy’s publication 
of the old tract from that volume, the Vision of Mace Conglindé. We 
all know the peculiar style which characterizes the school of Rabelais. 
