OxtpEN—On the Geography of Ros Ailithir. 229 
its metrical form was well adapted. There seems to be reason to believe 
that the author was acquainted with Greek. This may be inferred 
from his knowledge of Josephus and one or two Greek derivations 
which we find.” It is possible that these may have been taken from 
some medieval compilation; but until this is proved it is fair to 
assume that they are from a Greek source. That Greek was studied 
in Ireland in that age is generally acknowledged; a well-known 
instance being that of John Scotus Erigena, who acquired sufficient 
knowledge of it to translate the pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite, 
and another work. 
On the whole, the geography gives reason to believe that the 
education in the school of Ros Ailithir was by no means to be 
despised, and when it is remembered that it was composed a hundred 
years before the battle of Hastings, and two hundred before the 
Anglo-Norman conquest, and in the darkest of all the Christian 
centuries in European history, it must be allowed to be very credit- 
able to Ireland. 
P.S.—I am indebted to several kind friends for assistance in these 
observations and in the notes—assistance the value of which they will 
best understand who write in the country, and at a distance from 
libraries: I should especially mention Mr. W. M. Hennessy, whose 
attainments as a scholar and linguist, especially in the department of 
Celtic literature, are well known. He has been very kind in allowing 
me to consult him about difficulties in the translation, and in many 
other ways has given me valuable help, for which I feel truly ob- 
liged. I have also to thank Professor Rhys, of Oxford, for a com- 
parison of the copy in the Bodleian Library (Rawlinson, B. 502, fol. 45) 
with that of the Book of Leinster, and the various readings he has been 
kind enough to send me are those with the letter R affixed; those 
followed by L are from the Book of Leinster. 
In Rawlinson the Irish is more archaic in form, and the names are 
nearer to the Latin; the metre also has been more carefully attended 
to ; but on the other hand the writer appears to have been unacquainted 
with Greek, and to have attempted conjectural emendations (see xxxtv. 
and tyz., and notes). On the whole, the Book of Leinster appears to 
have the better text. 
27 See p. 239, note y, and the words Agep, verse XXXIV., ArBa, Verse XXXY., and 
aoBeoros, verse LVII. 
R. I, A. PROC., VOL. Il., SER, II.— POL. LIT. AND ANTIQ. 2 D 
