179 
to us on the authority of MSS. of later, but still very early 
times — we have evidence, not only manuscript, but monu- 
mental, that the order of this system of writing was the same 
in all. This order I have already given (in a communication 
which I had the honour of presenting to this Society in 1855), 
on the authority of a MS. of Northumbrian origin, and of the 
8th centurj", which I now place first in the accompanying 
comparative table (PI. I.) of the old futhorcs of our own fore- 
fathers, and of other Teutonic races. We call the system 
futhorc, as we call those of Greece and Italy aJphahct and 
ahecedarium, on account of the sequence of its first characters, 
a sequence which at once establishes its distinct nature, and 
indicates a distinct origin. 
(«.) A MS. at Vienna, Salisb. 140. From the orthography 
of the names of the runes I have inferred, on a former occa- 
sion, that this MS. is of the 8th century, and of Northumbrian 
origin. I have since learned that W. Grimm regarded it as 
a transcript from one brought to Germany by a brother of 
Alcuine, Arno Bishop of Salzburg. He went from North- 
umbria in the latter half of the 8th century. This MS. gives 
twenty-eight characters, but differs from every other in the 
relative position of yr and ear. 
(b.) A MS. at S. Gallon, No. 878, of the 9th century. It is 
called " Anguliscum," to distinguish it from an alphabet 
which precedes it (and which I shall notice in the sequel), 
and from the Scandinavian futhorc, which is there called 
" Abecidarium Nord." It gives twenty-nine characters, in 
what I regard as the correct order, but the 15th, as here 
represented, is indistinguishable from the 29th. Neither the 
names nor the powers of the characters are given. 
(c.) MS. Cotton : Otho, B. 10. In this the names and 
powers of the characters are supplied, but a later hand has 
introduced corrections, and those incorrectly. Thus the 20th 
character is man, and every authority except MS. Domitian 
