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Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, 



of Ware and Denis, their editorial ideals were not those of modern 

 scholars. 



The Latin Writings of St. Patrick were five times printed during 

 the nineteenth century. In every case, they were treated as a fragment 

 of a large design ; and naturally their interests, so to speak, suffered. 

 They are so very short, that it was not thought worth while to bestow 

 on them the exact and critical treatment which their importance 

 demands. A glance at the Bibliography will prove the truth of this 

 statement. 



The present edition is the first in which an attempt has been made 

 to construct a text of the Lihri Sancti Patricii on a definite critical 

 principle fi'om all the known mss. Finality is by no means here pre- 

 tended to ; the discovery in some Continental library of a ms. of the 

 type of the text in the Book of Armagh would certainly necessi- 

 tate a revision of those portions where that ms. is not available ; but 

 it is hoped that the conclusions arrived at in the Introduction as to 

 the relative value of the other mss. will so far commend themselves 

 to scholars as to minimise the importance of the discovery of a ms. 

 akin to that of Arras. 



The absolutely new matter in this edition is the evidence of the 

 Rouen ms., the existence of which was made known to me by the 

 Eev. Hippolyte Delehaye, s.j., shortly after its discovery in 1903. 

 For this kindness I desire here to express to him my sincere thanks. 

 The student will also find liere the true readings of the extant portions 

 of the Arras ms. used in the Bollandist edition of 1668 ; and the com- 

 plete evidence of A, as presented in the first really accurate transcript — 

 that prepared by Dr. Gwynn for his forthcoming edition of the Book of 

 Armagh. It is also hoped that the presentation of the readings of 

 the other three mss. will be found satisfactory. 



My obligations to others are manifold ; but my chief debt of 

 gratitude is due to the Rev. John Gwynn, d.d., d.c.l., Regius Professor 

 of Divinity in the University of Dublin, who permitted me to use 

 the final proof-sheets of his edition of the Book of Armagh, and 

 has also carefully read the proofs of this edition; and in every 

 difficulty has most generously given me the benefit of his wide 

 erudition and sound critical judgment. The suggestions which I 

 have acknowledged in the notes give a very inadequate idea of the 

 extent to which I am indebted to his wise counsels. 



My thanks are also due to the Very Rev. J. H. Bernard, d.d., 

 Dean of St. Patrick's Cathedral, and Archbishop King's Lecturer in 

 Divinity in the University of Dublin, at whose suggestion this edition 



