Robert Atkinson. 



of Sermathena — a list whicli exhibits him as discoursing with equal 

 authority on Old Eussian, Medieval French, and South Coptic Texts. 

 But some attempt must be made to estimate the extent and value 

 of those contributions to the study of Irish which occupied Atkinson 

 throughout the whole period of his association with the Academy, 

 and upon which his fame as a scholar must chiefly rest. 



For, wide as was the range of his linguistic studies and teaching, 

 it is with the Celtic languages that Atkinson's published work is 

 mainly occupied. These had long possessed a peculiar interest for 

 him, on account of their importance to comparative philology; but 

 what determined him to devote himself especially to this branch of 

 scholarship was the invitation which he received in 1876 from the 

 Council of the Academy to undertake the editorship of the Booh of 

 Leinster. The series of facsimile reproductions of Irish mss. had 

 been begun with the publication of the Leahhar na hUidhri in 1870. 

 In preparing that volume and the Leahhar Breac, the Council had 

 relied principally on the descriptions drawn up by O'Curry for the 

 Academy's Catalogue of Irish mss. But when it was determined to 

 publish the Book of Leinster, no such assistance was available. It 

 was necessary, therefore, to find an editor thoroughly conversant 

 with the ancient language ; and tlie Council determined to entrust 

 the task to Atkinson. Certain difficulties and delays retarded its 

 execution; but by the year 1880 he had completed his examination 

 of the MS., and his Introduction was ready for the press. This 

 Introduction is a model of scholarly analysis, and at once placed 

 its author among the acknowledged masters of the subject. It 

 contains a concise summary of the contents of each item, as well as 

 an elaborate study of the history of the ms., and an Index of first 

 lines. He also supervised the actual transcription of the whole ms. 

 made by that excellent scribe, Joseph O'Longan. 



At the request of the Council, Atkinson subsequently acted as 

 editor of the photographic reproductions of the Booh of Ballymote 

 and the Yellow Booh of Lecan, introducing each of these by a 

 description of the contents similar to that which he had made for 

 the Booh of Leinster. By the publication of these three great codices 

 a vast amount of material was brought within the reach of Celtic 

 scholars in all parts of the world ; and to this more than to any other 

 cause it is due that so great an advance has been made in the last 



[13] 



