184 



These MSS. underwent a second dispersion, by public auction, on 

 the death of the Duke of Chandos ; when Dr. Milles, Dean of Exeter 

 (whose uncle had considerable property in Ireland), purchased a large 

 portion, and deposited them in the British Museum, where they are 

 now known as the " Clarendon Collection." Dr. Eawlinson bought 

 others, and bequeathed them to St. John's College, Oxford, whence 

 they were subsequently transferred to the Bodleian Library; and 

 some part fell into the hands of Lord Newport, Lord Chancellor of 

 Ireland, and the remainder were widely scattered, and no trace re- 

 mained of them. 



A Catalogue of Ware's MSS. was published in Dublin, in 1648, of 

 which, I believe, there is but one copy known to exist, and that is in 

 the Bodleian Library ; but, as it was published before "Ware's acquaint- 

 ance with Mc Eirbis, it of course contains little information regarding 

 the productions of the latter. 



As Lord Clarendon's property, a Catalogue of the MSS. appears at 

 the end of the " Catal. Codd. MSS. Angli et Hib., Oxon, 1697 ;" and 

 the Duke of Chandos' Sale Catalogue, 1746, affords a reasonably accu- 

 rate description of the collection. 



Having premised thus much as to the fate of the Tracts under con- 

 sideration from the date of their purchase by Lord Clarendon until 

 they were deposited in the Bodleian Library, I now invite the atten- 

 tion of the Academy to the Tracts themselves. 



No. I. — The Eiest Teact, 



to which is prefixed an Invocation of Jesus, Mary, Patrick, Co- 

 lumcille, Bridget, and the Holy Trinity, is entitled, 



" The Authors of Erin, with an Account of their Authorship, and 

 their Paternity, are arranged here by Dubhaltagh son of Giolla-Josa 

 THop Mac Eirbisigh of Leacan, in Tir Erachrach of the Moy. 1656." 



No. II — The Second Teact, 



to which the same Invocations are prefixed, is entitled, 



" An Aid to Bemembrance, here, regarding certain Bishops of 

 Erinn, who are not now reckoned as having filld Bishops Sees, Tho' 

 they were so accounted, in their own Sees and Times. Understand 

 Beader the Sees are mentioned first, and the Bishops afterwards. 



" lam Dubhaltach Mac Eirbisigh who arranges this 17th March, 

 Anno Christi, 1665 or 1666." 



Although, strangely enough, the name of Duald Mc Eirbis is not 

 even mentioned in O'Beilly's "Account of Irish Writers," it was 

 known that he had compiled " A Treatise on Authors." And the late 

 lamented John O'Donovan and Eugene 0' Curry, when deploring the 

 loss of this Tract, only echoed the sentiments which our venerated 

 Academician, Dr. Petrie, had on more than one occasion given ex- 

 pression to. Mac Eirbis himself, in the preface to his great genealo- 



