Lawlor — The Cathach of St. Columba. 327 



book was a Psalter.' What, then, are we to make of the tradition, older by 

 far than O'Donnell's Life of Columba, tliat it was an euangelium ?" 



It may be observed, first, that the word " Gosjjel" was on some occasions 

 used with considerable latitude. The volume known as " The Gospel of 

 St. Martin of Tours "' is called in the story of its invention by St. Columba 

 a '■ liber Missalis."' A book written by St. Gildas is called both " missalis 

 liber" and "euangelium Gildae" in the same sentence of the Life of 

 St. Cadoc.^ And in glosses quoted on a previous page" it is suggested that 

 " law" and " gospel " are convertible terms, or that the entire New Testament 

 might be called the Gospel. These examples ai'e sufficient to show that the 

 word " Gospel" might be used of a non-biblical ecclesiastical book, and pro- 

 bably of any book of the Scriptures. If so, there is no reason why a Psalter 

 should not be so called. The " Gospel" of the Black Book of Molaga may 

 be merely the equivalent of O'Donnell's " book." 



But there is more to be said. In the later Lives of the Irish Saints 

 mention is very frequently made of their biblical books — the books that they 

 read and the books that they wrote. They are almost always called Gospels. 

 We read of Gospels transcribed by saints' or other scribes." Saints are 

 described as engaged in the study of Gospel-books f they possessed Gospels 

 which for that reason were later held in reverence.'" And Gospels are 

 occasionally mentioned in other connexions." When we turn to other 



' Possibly a portion of the Old Testament, including the Psalter. 



2 It is curious that very little attention has been paid to this difficulty, even by those 

 who are disposed to reject O'Donnell's story as a fable. Thus Skene (p. 81), as though 

 quoting from O'Donnell, .says, without any note of doubt, that the book was " a copy of 

 the Book of Psalms." Similarly Montalembert, " Les Moines d'Occident," iii, 12.5 ; 

 O'Curry, "Manuscript Materials," p. 328 ; Stokes, "Ireland and the Celtic Church," 

 1907, p. 107 ; Hyde, "Literary History of Ireland," p. 175. 



■■' Stokes, p. 175 ; Annals of Ulster, s. aa. 1166, 1182. 



■* Reeves, p. 325. 



'' Rees, " Lives of Cambro-British Saints," p. 66. " p. 316. 



" Martin (Stokes, p. 208), Daig (Vita, 6 : Cod. Sal., 894), Adamnan (Vita Geraldi, 15 : 

 Plumnier, ii, 115), Canice (Vita, 41 : ib. i, 167, note). 



» Vita Albei, 33 (Plummer, i, 59) ; Vita Cronani, 9 {ib., ii, 24) ; Vita Lasriani. 11 

 (ib., 133). 



" Abban (Vita, 36 : Plummer, i, 24), Brendan of Birr and Canice (Vita Aedi, 2 : ih. 35), 

 Canice (Vita, 18, 29 : *. 159, 163). 



w Martin (Stokes, p. 175), Senan (*., 208), Ciaran (*., 275; Vita, 27: Plummer, i, 

 211), Cronan (Vita, 26: Plummer, ii, 30), Enna (Vita, 19, 23: ib., 68, 71), Lasrean 

 (Vita, 22 : ih., 136),Declan (Life in Irish Texts Society, xvi, 53 ; Vita, 26: Plummer, ii, 

 51), Flannan (Acta, 34 : Cod. Sal., 679), Coirbre (Vita Eugenii, 12 : *., 920), MacNessa 

 (Vita, 15: *., 930). 



" Every pupil of St. Pinnian of Clonard received a crozier, or a Gospel, or some other 

 sign, as a parting gift (Stokes, p. 226). See also Vita Colmani, 29 (Plummer, i, 270) for a 

 Gospel at Clonmacnoise, 



