Westropp — Early Italian Maps of Ireland from 1300—1600. 373 



barbarism, confessedly, " without competent authoiity."' To him Britain 

 was triangular, one side parallel to Celtica, while Ireland lay parallel to 

 its northern face." The Eomans in Britain tell us little more. Agricola, 

 after meeting the first recorded malcontent Irishman, an expelled " petty 

 king," contemplated its invasion,' and (if Juvenal's burning lines are not 

 mere rhetoric) the Eomans moved their arms on to the shores of Juverna.' 

 Finds of Roman coins and statuettes are not uncommon in Ireland ; still I 

 think there is not a ti-ace of recorded mercantile communication in the first 

 century between the two races, though their outposts were in sight of each 

 other. 



Things seem different immediately after the close of the century. Tacitus 

 says of Ireland, "melius aditus portusque per commercia et negotiatores 

 cogniti." It is doubtful whether the comparison be with the ports of 

 Britain, or between those of the eastern or western coasts of Ireland, or 

 with the customs. Some, indeed, read the passage, "a Britannia difierunt, 

 nee in melius," commencing a new sentence with " Aditus." But the fact 

 is unshaken that commerce and trading ships had got in touch with our 

 island by that time. A generation later Ptolemy, after a.d. 144,^ gives us 

 the position of fifteen river-mouths, five promontories,'' nine " islands," and 

 several towns — perhaps great forts like Emania (?Eegia) and Dunrigh 

 (? Dunum). The great harbour of the Foyle is shown by him, though even 

 the portolans omit it, and the Lagan' (Logia, Logan), the Bann (Argita, 

 cf. Moyarget, Co. Antrim), perhaps Carlingford (? Ouenderios), the Boyne 

 ^^Bououinda), the " Oboka," the Slaney (Modonnos), the Barrow (Birgos, 

 Berbha), Cork Harbour (Dabrona, Sabrona, Sabhrann), lernos and the Dour 

 (perhaps Kenmare and Tralee), the Shannon (Senos), the Ausoba (perhaps 

 Oirbsen (Gal way Eiver), the Libnios (Clew Bay or one of the Mayo havens), 



' Even still the inhabitants of the mainland fell unfounded stories to the discredit of islanders. I 

 have heard evil tales of Inisltea, from people in the Mullet, of Aran in the Co. Clare, and of 

 Blasket in Co. Kerry ; and O'Donovan over seventy j^ears ago heard of the paganism and wrecking 

 proclivities of the people of Torry from the inhabitants of TirconneU, which on the first item were 

 altogether false, the second being unproven. 



^ Julius Caesar (e.g. 55-45) was better informed ; he knew that Hibernia lay to the west of 

 Britain, with Mona and other islands between them, but the Britons gave him little information. 



^ "Agrippa," c. 24. Pomponius Mela, a Spaniard, about a.d. 43, heard that Ivernia could not 

 ripen corn, but had such rich pasturage that if cattle were not checked they ate till they burst. 



* " Arma quidem ultra litora luvemae promovimus," Sat. 2, v. 159. 



* His work, often dated a.d. 120, has observations down to the later year. Two helpful Iris 

 papers should be read, one by Mr. G. H. Orpen, Journal Roy. Soc. Antt. Ir,, xxiv, and one 

 Mr. J. Mac Neill, New Ireland Eeview, xzvi (1906-7), p. 6. 



° He includes, as all know, " Edros " (Ben Edar) or Howth among the islands, but it may have 

 been actually an island before the sea heaped up the low sandy neck behind it. 

 ' Or perhaps Belfast Lough, Loch Laoigh (" stagnum vituli " in Adamnan). 



