Dix — An Earl// Dublin Almanack. 229 



some description of each quarter being given, and on the 7th page (sig. c 4) 

 we have rules of good husbandry for eacli month : following which is informa- 

 tion as to eclipses, a short view of astronomy " to give satisfaction to the 

 Vulgar," and " Ordinary Signes of faire Weather " and of rain and wind. 



On the second leaf, page 3, is the signature c 2, next c 3, and then c 4, 

 and the capital letter " A " appears on the right-hand lower corner of the 

 verso of c 7 (page 14). 



Interest in this Almanack is much enhanced by the fact of its having 

 been hitherto unknown, or at all events uncatalogued. It is not mentioned 

 by Evans in his well-known work on Irish Almanacks. 



Some three or four years ago I had the pleasure of submitting to the 

 Academy a detailed account of a still earlier Almanack, printed in Dublin 

 in 1G12, the earliest Almanack known to have been printed in Ireland, 

 consequently the present one comes second. 



The Christian name of the composer suggests that he was Irish, as the 

 name " Patrick " was not used in England at that time. It was used in 

 Scotland, however, and possibly he may have been a Scotchman. 'I'he only 

 printers in Dublin at that period were the Company of Stationers ; but I think 

 "printed for" means that it was printed at Dublin, and most probably by 

 William Bladen, their agent here, as he bought their Dublin business some 

 four years later. 



It is almost wonderful to think how a booklet like this could survive, 

 especially as it appears to have suffered in its time a considerable amount 

 of rough treatment; and though, perhaps, of little intrinsic value, yet it is 

 interesting, inasmuch as it shows the kind of Almanacks produced during 

 that period and the kind of information they provided. 



k.I.A; PEOC, VOL. XXXIII, SECT. d. L^^l 



