328 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



printing of this Almanaeke in hope it will be accepted of : It falleth out to 

 be much bigger than the common Kalendar, by reason of many necessarie 

 notes in it for this Kingdome worthy of remembrance, much more than hath 

 beene hitherto ever printed. And although I have not printed it with led 

 letters altogether yet have I set a diver'sitie of Characters that you might 

 know the dales of note from other dales. The reason partly was that printing 

 so small a number of them it would not countervaile the charges, neither 

 could I have it readie in due time printed. But if this now be accepted of, I 

 shall hereafter be the more willinger to be at greater charges." 



The Almanack is not paged, but signature A 2 contains an address from 

 Farmer to " the Honourable State and Whole Body of the Commonwealth of 

 this Kingdome of Ireland." 



The year 1612 was a bissextile year, as Farmer points out. He refers to 

 his having already calculated other Almanacks with two-fold Calendars, and 

 then mentions one, which was printed in London in 1587, wherein he was the 

 " only first man that ever invented to couple the new reformed Gregorian 

 Kallendar," &c., " together with our old and usual Kallendar." This allegation 

 is very important, as it seems to dispose for ever of the allegation that 

 Farmer's Almanack of 1587 was printed in Dublin, as alleged. Only two or 

 three copies of this very early Calendar of 1587 are extant, one in tlie British 

 Museum, and another, that I know of, in a private collection in England, but, 

 from such information as I procured years ago about it, I was always doubtful 

 if it were printed in Dublin, particularly as I am strongly inclined to beHeve 

 that there was no printer in Dublin in that year (1587). 



In this epistle in his Almanack Farmer continues to explain the nature of 

 the three Calendars, and contends that the third Calendar, apparently 

 compiled by himself, is the most true and accui'ate of the three. 



The next three leaves contain " a brief computation of times and memor- 

 able things done in this Kingdome of Ireland " since the first inhabitation 

 thereof. This " computation " is certainly worthy of careful examination. 

 It gives some events happening in Dublin which may be confirmatory 

 of other sources of information. I might mention here that Farmer 

 makes no allusion to the introduction of printing into Ireland ; but 

 he does state that in 1601 the New Testament was printed in the Irish 

 tongue at the charges of Sir Wm. Usher, Knt., by John Francton, then 

 the King's Printer. This statement, if correct, differs from the year which 

 is given in the title-page of the New Testament in Irish, which is usually 

 1602. The final note in this computation is one referring to the translation 

 of the Book of Common Prayer into the Irish tongue, and that it was caused 

 to be printed and distributed through the kingdom. Then follows a list of 



