280 



Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



NOTES 01^ THE TEXT. 



Title. — Although the titles Confessio and Epidola are here applied 

 to these two little works respectively, in accordance with established 

 usage, yet it is probable that they were originally known as Lilri Sancti 

 Patricii Episcopi, the title we find in A. This is supported by the 

 colophon of the Confession in CEsEi, Explicit liher Incipit liher ii, 

 and by the Vitae, which refer to them as Zibri, or Ziber Epistolarum 

 (so Yitae iii. 11 ; iv. 1 ; Trip. pp. 10, 18), or Zibri ov Ziber Episcopi (so 

 Yitae ii. 4, 11 ; iii. 4). The special name Confessio found in the titles 

 of Ziber i. in CE3E4 is one of the many indications of the affinity of 

 those three mss. It is possible that the scribe of B, in using the term 

 ZFita Beati Patricii, was influenced by Yita iv. 16, in which § 16 of this 

 edition is cited as in libro quem de uita et comiersatione sua ipse com- 

 posuit. 



P. 235, 1. 2. — Patricius. — According to Muirchu (B), cap. 1, he 

 was also named Sochet : " Patricius qui et Sochet uocabatur." So the 

 Hymn of St. Eiacc, " Sucat his name [it] was said." This was " his 

 name from his parents" (Yit. Trip., p. 17). A note on St. Eiacc's 

 Hymn, quoted Vit, Trip.., p. 413, explains Sucat as, Pens belli^ uel 

 Fortis belli. Tirechan assigns him four names : ' ' Inueni iiii nomina 

 in libro scripta Patricio apud XJltanum episcopum Conch uburnensium : 

 Sanctus Magonus, qui est clarus, Succetus qui est . . . Patricius . . . 

 Cothirthiacus quia seruiuit uii [iu] domibus magorum. Et empsit 

 ilium unus ex eis cui nomen erat Miliuc maccu-Boin magus, et 

 seruiuit illi uii annis." The Tripartite Life (p. 17) adds to this that 

 Patrick received the name Magonius from Saint Germanus, and that 

 of "Patricius, that i^, pater ciuimi, from Pope Celestine." So too 

 the Preface to the Hymn of St. Sechnall. It is possible that the 

 name Patricius is indicative of curialis rank. 



P. 235, 1. 2. — Peccator is a self-depreciatory epithet of Patricius. 

 Cf. "Patricius peccator indoctus scilicet," Conf. 62, Ep. 1. Compare 

 Bionysius Exiguus. 



P. 235, 1. 2.—Rusticissimus.—Qi. §§ 11, 12, 46. 



P. 235, 1. 3. — Contemptibilis sum. — In A the words apud plurimos 

 close a paragraph which is followed by a space, such as is that between 

 the last words of the Confession and the appended note. This is a 

 strong argument in favour of tlie reading contemptibilis sum. On the 

 other hand, the superlative is most in accordance with Patrick's hyper- 



