593 



Betham has put together upon this subject, Irom Giolla 

 Keavin, an Irish poet, who Hved about a. d. 1072, in a poem 

 called Reim re Riogh, or the Race of Kings — from the An- 

 nals of the Four Masters — and from the Book of Ballymote ; 

 from all which it would appear that the Irish poets and 

 annalists were well acquainted, not only with the existence 

 of this Tower, but with many of the ancient bardic traditions 

 assigned to it : such as its being built as a watch-tower by 

 Breogin, the son of Braha, who is also said to be the founder 

 of the city of Brigantia, &c. &c. 



" In the Spanish manuscript it is recorded that a stone 

 bearing the following inscription was found built into the 

 wall of an old house in the town of Corunna. 



LVPVS CONSTRVXIT EMV 

 LANS MIR AC VIA MEMPHIS 

 GRADIBVS STRAVIT YLAM. 

 LVSTRANS CACVMINE NAVES, 



O- ■?■■ ■•■ XD E)VDV 



" The writer of the manuscript thinks that the dilapidation 

 of the Hercules commenced in the middle ages, when it was 

 converted into a castle or fortress belonging to the Arch- 

 bishop of Santiago ; that the stones and material of the 

 outer staircase were at this time removed, and that some 

 trace of them may still be found in the fortifications of the 

 old town. 



"The result of the commission to which allusion was made 

 at the commencement of this notice, was, that the Spanish 

 Government determined to leave, the ancient Pharos in ex- 



