Lawlor — The Cathach of St. Columba. 407 



to Part I of the " National MSS. of Ireland," the most important item being 

 " an ancient tradition " according to which " Columba gave a copy of the 

 New Testament \&ic, not " Gospels "], in his own handwriting, to each of 

 the churches which he founded in Ireland. A compiler of his native district, 

 in the early part of the sixteenth century, stated that some of these were 

 then extant in rich shrines, piously venerated as sacred relics." Obviously 

 the whole tradition may have arisen out of the Book of Durrow alone. Still, 

 it is never wise to be too sceptical towards tradition, if it is really ancient.' 

 Assuming the truth of this one, we may note tliat, if the original of our MS. 

 passed in this way from lona to Durrow, it was certainly not written as a 

 present for Durrow. The phrase scrij^si mihimct, " I wrote (or ' have written ') 

 it for my own use," is sufficient proof. 



Dr. Lawlor tells me that the true arrangement of the leaves makes the 

 original order of contents : 



I. Gospels. 



Breves Causae of St. Luke and St. John. 

 The two subscriptions. 

 II. Breves Causae and Argumentuni of St. Matthew. 

 Breves Causae of St. Mark. 

 Argumenta of Mark, Luke, and John. 



And he points out that this suggests that the original contained I, while II 

 was an addition from some other ms. 



It would be interesting to know whether &cripsi in the colophon means 

 " I wrote " (some years ago), or " I have (just) written." In the latter 

 case, the original subscription would certainly occupy the proper place of 

 a subscription, the conclusion of the MS. Let us hope that Dr. Lawlor will 

 submit the Durrow Book to the same minute analysis as the Cathach has 

 now received from him, and settle all our doubts. 



'Dr. Lawlor refers me to p. 95 of "Annals of Clonmacnoise," translated into 

 English in 1627 by Counsellor Mageoghegan, ed. D. Murphy, Dublin, 1890, 



