Minutes of Proceedings. 89 



Book of Leinster," points naturally to the source whence informa- 

 tion ought to have been available : — 



'' The want of a descriptive catalogue of the contents of so im- 

 portant a book as that of Leinster has long been felt, and to supply 

 this, I have now the honour to submit one in which I have endeavoured 

 to specify every piece to be found in the MS., noting in all instances 

 the page, column, and line where the composition commences, and 

 giving the title or first line of each piece." 



This Paper, it will be observed, was read before the Academy prior 

 to the acceptance by the Board of Trinity College of the proposal to 

 lithograph the Book of Leinster. 



The work, at the time of Dr. Atkinson's appointment, had ad- 

 vanced during the few months of Mr. Gilbert's supervision, and during 

 his prolonged absence, as far as page 192 of the fac-simile. 



Mr. Gilbert's state of health having permitted him to resume his 

 occupations, and the year during which he remained ineligible under 

 the by-law having expired, his name was replaced on the list of 

 eligibles for Council, and on his re-election as a member of Council on 

 the 16th March, 1878, Dr. Atkinson voluntarily resigned the Librarian- 

 ship in order that Mr. Gilbert might be, as he was, re-elected to that 

 office. Dr. Atkinson did not, however, regard himself as freed from 

 the duties imposed on him by the Resolution of 22nd April, 1876, and 

 continued to supervise and conduct the preparation of the Book of 

 Leinster for the press, as from the date of his appointment to that 

 duty, with the full concurrence of the Committee. 



Towards the end of last year, however, when the work of tran- 

 scription was nearly completed, and there remained the important 

 task of preparing the introduction, Mr, Gilbert, alleging that, as 

 Librarian, he was the proper person to discharge the duty of super- 

 vising the Book of Leinster, under the terms of the Resolution of 

 22nd April, 1876, demanded of Dr. Atkinson that he should withdraw 

 from the performance of that duty. There had been several Meetings 

 of the Committee during the year, at which Mr. Gilbert had been 

 present, in one of which an important matter bearing on the Book of 

 Leinster had been considered without any objection being made by 

 Mr. Gilbeit to the action of Dr. Atkinson in supervising the work. 



Upon learning from Mr. Gilbert for the first time that he con- 

 sidered himself wronged in the matter. Dr. Atkinson at once brought 

 this state of facts under the notice of Council at their next Meeting, 



