156 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



opened. " The holy ones and the holy angels in the swift wide flame, as 

 regards every fair cause they are free as fish in the sea." 



Canto CLix (11. 8201-8225).— Seventh day. Saturday. The world 

 trembles. There is lightning (?). The streams dry up. The mountains will 

 be overthrown, and will be shattered to pieces. Some obscure incident 

 occurs, perhaps an earthquake, as a result of which " there will be no 

 habitations among the living and the dead." 



Canto CLX (11. 8226-8280).— Eighth day. Sunday. The Archangel calls 

 to the race of men, who arise in the following order: — (1) The Apostles. 

 (2) The Prophets. (;5) The Confessors. (4) The Martyrs. (5) The hosts 

 of Holy Ones. (6) Virgins, Penitents, and infants after baptism. (7) The 

 rest of mankind. The seven heavens will be bowed [folded up (?)], and will 

 be aflame from East to "West. Christ will appear with His bloody cross at 

 His back. 



Canto CLXi (11. 8281-8302).— Eightli day (continued). Sunday, afUr the 

 Eesurrection. The devils come out of Hell, and fill the whole world. The 

 idols fall. The foundations of the world are moved. 



Canto CLXii (11. 8303-8392).— Ninth day. Monday of Doom, i.e., the 

 Judgment Day. The angels give battle to the devils, and defeat them. 

 Judgment is passed. The righteous go to Heaven, the sinners to Hell. 



In Anglo-Saxon literature there is a seven-sign list which closely 

 resembles in subject tlie above cantos of S, as I shall term it for convenience 

 sake. This is to be found in one of the Blickling Homilies^ (hereafter termed 

 B), a series of religious writings, the unique MS. of which was written in 

 the year 971. I shall now give this briefly, and shall put in italics the 

 portions that correspond to passages in S. It will be noticed that the order 

 of events is not identical in both, and where a difference occurs I shall 

 indicate the position of the corresponding portion in S by putting S 1, S 2, etc., 

 as the case may be, after the sentence in italics. 



First day. — At inid-day, a great lamentation of all creatures (S 2, S 5), and 

 men shall hear a great noise in Heaven as of om army heing gathered together. 

 Then shall ascend a bloody cloud from the north, and cover all this heaven, and 

 after the cloud shall come lightniiig and thunder all day. And in the evening 

 there shall he a bloody rain (also in S 4). 



Second day.— There shall be heard in Heaven a sound of the arraying of 

 armies. Earth shall be moved out of its -place (S 8). Hea\en shall be open at 

 its eastern quarter. At evening a great host shall come from the open end, 

 and obscure the heaven. A bloody, fiery rain shall fall (S 1, S 4). I'he heaven 



' B. Morris, BlicUing Homilies (E.E.T.S.), pp. v, 90. 



