326 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



obelus and asterisk."' Whether the explanation is right or no — and the 

 original purpose of obeli and asterisks was certainly to preserve the genuine 

 text — the glossator not only indicates St. Columba's knowledge of the Psalms, 

 he implies that he was acquainted with the Galilean Psalter, to which these 

 marks belonged, and had some part in making it known in Ireland. And 

 indeed the words of the Amra itself sound like an obscure allusion to his 

 study of a version superior to that which was generally current. And since 

 neither text nor gloss can have been based on O'Donnell's Life, they may 

 be regarded, not only as confirming his story, but as showing that our Psalter 

 is the book to which it refers. Another gloss on the same poem seems also 

 to intimate that St. Columba used both the old and new versions : " He made 

 known the Psalms, returning to them after leaving them."- The last words 

 of this comment may be interpreted as indicating a temporary desertion of 

 one translation in favour of another. 



Finally, in the rubrics of the Cathach we have found evidence to connect 

 it with St. Columba's great foundation at lona.^ It appears that a manu- 

 script, descended from the Psalter from which they were copied, was brought 

 to Northumbria between 635 and 650 by Irish teachers, and was the source 

 from which eventually came the rubrics of the Codex Amiatinus and some 

 parts of Bede's Argumenta Psalmorum. If the Psalter is thus shown to have 

 had some connexion with lona, we are prepared to give due weight to any 

 indication that it was connected with Columba the founder of lona. Now, 

 we have already observed that the rubrics were apparently added, after the 

 completion of the text, by the original hand.' Thus their source (7) need 

 not be supposed to have been St. Finnian's book. They may have been 

 derived from another codex then or later in St. Columba's possession. Thus 

 the common ancestor of the rubrics of the Cathach and of the Codex 

 Amiatinus was possibly a manuscript in the library of the monastery of 

 Zona. 



But, whatever may be thought of the speculation in which I have just 

 now ventured to indulge, it is clear, I believe, that we have in the argument 

 which I have presented very good reason for accepting the conclusion that 

 the manuscript now in our liands is a genuine relic of St. Columba, and that 

 it was written by him on the eve of the battle of Cul Dremhiie. 



But one objection must be met. If this conclusion is correct, St. Finnian's 



'Lib. Hj-mn., ii, 07. The addition to this gloss ("Revue Celtique," xx, 253), 

 "or uuder titles and arguments," may refer to the peculiar rubi'ics of our manuscript. 

 See next paragraph. 



'' "Revue Celtique," xx, 255. 



3 Above, p. 287 ff. 



■* Above, p. 252. 



