386 



which he translates, "The sacred stone of hosts of mighty men in the 

 place of slaughter." 



The same objection also lies against this rendering in a much 

 greater degree, as to produce it, the original characters are changed, 

 transposed, and subdivided, in an extraordinary manner. Another 

 Irish scholar, now resident in New York, has published a reading as 

 follows : — 



u So cu ceinb-moni ; So cu re," 



i. e. " The priest of holy cnub (or cneph) the priest of the sun." It 

 is quite evident that a foregone conclusion in each of these cases sug- 

 gested, in a great degree, the translation ; and, consequently, we find 

 that the original letters have been made to minister to these views. 



In reference to such arbitrary modes of dealing with ancient in- 

 scriptions, I would here repeat that sound canon of criticism, recom- 

 mended by the late Mr. John Windele in a similar case : — " I confess 

 I dislike arbitrary dealing with the letters, where we find a group of 

 scores well defined, and so unconnected with any others at either 

 sides — so isolated as to warrant the conviction that it has been care- 

 fully and well expressed ; or, where its direction, whether vertical or 

 oblique, is expressed with similar care, I am disposed to be very 

 jealous of any intermeddling with it, and am disposed to protest 

 against any arbitrary forcing or dislocation" (" Proc. R. I. A.," vol. vii., 

 p. 105). Dr. Rowan expresses some doubt as to the value of the six- 

 teenth group of dots; he writes — "The sixteenth group is cut where 

 a natural inequality in the stone renders it doubtful whether the points 

 are to be read as two vowels or one" {Ibid.), 



This point I paid particular attention to ; the dots are equidistant, 

 and there is no doubt that the group composes one letter, U. Mr. 

 "Windele, who, I believe, never attempted a rendering of this inscrip- 

 tion, recognized it as an TJ. I now respectfully offer, for the considera- 

 tion of the Academy, my reading of it : — 



" So cu Cueaff Moni so cu Ri ;" 



literally rendered : — 



u This is the warrior Cueaf my grief, this is the warrior king." 



So, pron. this here, this is (O'Reilly and O'Brien). 

 Cu, sm. a champion, a hero, a warrior (Ibid.). 

 Cueaff, a proper name, of the same family as Cuan, Cucaech, Cucaille, 

 Cuisin. 



Monty an Oghamic form of " Monuar," an interjection — My 

 grief! alas ! woe is the day ! (O'Reilly). The rest is obvious. 



In this rendering, it will be observed, that I have not in anywise 

 interfered with the integrity of the original. I have not altered or 

 transferred a single score ; taking the inscription simply as it stands, 

 it naturally divides itself into the Gaedhelic words I have given. 



