Dix — A Dublin Almanack of 1612. 329 



British Sovereigiis, a list of all the Lords-Deputy and Lords-Lieutenant from 

 the year 1501' to 1604 ; then a tahle and some general notes, showing the 

 movable feasts for the year 1612 ; and next comes the Calendar. The first 

 Calendar he called "our Common Kallender," beginning at the 1st January, 

 the date of the: Circumcision of Christ. Then beside that he places the new 

 "Kallender," which makes the date of the Feast of the Circumcision the 11th 

 of January ; and then follows what Fanner calls " the true Kallender," which 

 makes the Feast of Circumcision fall on the 14th January. On the opposite 

 page are particulars of the signs of the Zodiac, Sun rising, &c., and this is 

 continued through the whole year. 



Following the Almanack, which is in calendar form, comes the Prognostica- 

 tion, which is similar to those well known in later Almanacks, and with advice 

 for health, &e., and it covers seven and a half pages. 



Lastly, there is a list of the various ways to travel from Dublin to the 

 principal cities in Ireland, given (as Farmer states) for the use of those 

 " which doe daily repair hither as strangers to inhabit," referring to the new 

 plantation. The distances between each town are given : for example, Dublin 

 to Bray, 10 miles ; Bray to Newcastle, 8 miles, &c. 



Then comes a list of the principal fairs held each month throughout Ireland, 

 and on the verso of the last page there is an epilogue or conclusion which 

 Farmer addresses to the readers, avowing the object for which he had 

 published this prognostieal pamphlet and the promise that if it was encouraged 

 he would proceed further for the benefit of the public. 



It is now exactly .300 years since the Almanack was printed in Dublin. 

 It is rather interesting that it should be brought back to the place of its birth 

 after that lapse of time. 



Farmer, it should be mentioned, wrote the Chronicle of Chichester's 

 " Government of Ireland," 1612-15, which appears in Lodge's " Desiderata 

 Curiosa Hiberniea," published in Dublin, 1772, two vols, The Chronicle 

 occupies 172 pp. of Vol. I. 



Another thing of some interest is that a few weeks ago, thanks to my 

 friend, Mr. James Buckley, lately Chairman of the Irish Texts Society, I 

 learnt the date of the death of John Franc ton, which I had never been able 

 to trace before. Mr. Buckley was searching in the British Museum, as is his 

 wont, when he came across an extract, in contemporary handwriting 

 apparently, from one of the books of Funeral Entries now in Dublin 

 Castle. Looking through this he found mention of the date of the death of 

 John Francton, and he informed me of the fact. I communicated with the 

 Office of Arms here, and was shown the original book of Funeral Entries, and 

 obtained an extract from it with a copy of Francton's coat-of-arms, and I 



