280 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 
in other ancient Irish writings? I never believed in this theory, and 
now I am in a position to show how this -os came to be used as the 
termination of Ogam genitives. It is true that in medieval Irish 
texts we find instances showing that pedantic scribes gave the ter- 
mination -os to names which were Latin, and ought to end in -vs, 
such as Postomios, or Beallinos for Belinus, or Hmbros = Ambros = 
Ambrosius, or to names which were purely fictitious, such as Rochi- 
murchos, Ordinos, Judemos, and the sons of Adam (!) Gismos and Ges- 
mos. Nay, more, lam willing to admit that I have met with instances 
in manuscripts in which Celtic proper names in the nominative have 
been made to end in -os, such as resyisor. But these will not be 
found, as I believe, to support the theory which I am disputing. 
‘“‘T hold fast to my original view, stated thirty-five years ago, that 
the Ogam was an invention of the early monkish period. Irish 
proper names occurring in Ogam inscriptions were frequently dis- 
guised by giving them the Greek termination -os; and this was done 
by persons who did not know how to inflect Greek proper names, or 
who were in the habit of using them without inflection. But I may be 
asked, Were there any such persons? I answer, Yes. In Coptic, 
Greek proper names ending in -os, were invariably used without being 
declined, and the same rule was observed in the case of loan words 
of other kinds borrowed from the Greek. For instance, oravpos, 
a cross, is never declined. Any person who wishes to satisfy himself 
as to the truth of what I say can readily test it by taking up a Coptic 
prayer-book, or a portion of the Coptic New Testament, containing 
Greek proper names. And the same thing is to be observed with 
reference to the use of Greek names in Arabic, Syriac, and Aramaic. 
‘‘ But what have we to say to Coptic usages, linguistic or of any. 
other kind? <A great deal. In times of persecution Egyptian monks 
fled to Ireland, bringing with them their speech, their art, their 
ecclesiastical usages. In the Litany of Aungus mention is made of 
seven Egyptian monks buried in one place. Doubtless there were 
many more who came to this country. I hope to be able to show 
that they have left not a few traces of their influence. In Upper 
Egypt I have recognized several forms of cross which we regard as 
Trish and ancient Irish, and some of these are identical with crosses 
found on Ogam monuments. Take, as an instance, the very peculiar 
cross which appears on one of the Og am monuments near Dingle 
The cross in a circle , either with or without pellets in the quad: 
rants, is to be seen in fe ruins of early Christian ehurches all along 
the Nile from Assouan to Cairo. 
‘‘ Here I must stop for the present, but I shall have more to say 
by-and-by about the final -os, and the resemblance between ancient 
Egyptian and ancient Irish crosses. 
‘‘Believe me to be, my dear Sir Samuel, 
“Very faithfully yours, 
‘©, Lrrericr. 
‘(Sir Samvrt FEreuson.”’ 
