xiv Proceedings of Boy al Society of Bclinburgh. 
To Mr Skene is due the credit of bringing together the very valuable 
collection of Gaelic MSS. now deposited for preservation and 
reference in the Advocates’ Library, Edinburgh. The Faculty of 
Advocates themselves possessed four such MSS. When a com- 
mittee of the Highland Society of Scotland (now the Highland and 
Agricultural) undertook to conduct an inquiry into the authenticity 
of Ossian’s Poems, Gaelic MSS. were sent by the Highland Society 
of London and others, with the view to aid the committee in their 
labours. The late Major M‘Lachlan of Kilbride was the possessor 
of a considerable number of such MSS. ; these had disappeared, but 
were eventually found in Glasgow. Through Mr Skene’s represen- 
tations the Highland Society and the custodier of the Kilbride 
MSS. agreed to deposit their collections in the Advocates’ Library. 
A few others were added, and a general catalogue of the whole was 
prepared by Mr Skene.^ One of these Gaelic MSS. consists of a 
large collection of verse made by James MacGregor, Dean of Lis- 
more, in the early part of the sixteenth century (Adv. Lib. Coll., 
xxxvii.). The late Dr MDauchlan of Edinburgh transcribed, trans- 
lated, and annotated large extracts from this manuscript, which 
were published under the title of The Booh of the Dean of Lismore 
by Edmonston & Douglas, of this city, in 1862. To this volume 
Mr Skene contributed valuable notes, and an elaborate introduction 
on the history of Gaelic, and especially Ossianic, literature. In 1868 
appeared the Four Ancient Boohs of Wales in two large volumes, 
published by the same Edinburgh firm. The second volume con- 
tains copious extracts from the poems in the Black Book of 
Carmarthen, the Book of Aneurin, the Book of Taliessin, and the 
Bed Book of Hergest, with notes, appendices, and index. The first 
volume gives a translation of the Welsh poems into English by the 
Kev. D. Silvan Evans and the Kev. Robert Williams, with an 
elaborate introduction by Mr Skene, embracing chapters on the 
Races of Britain, the Celtic Dialects, the Pictish Language, the 
Celtic Topography of Scotland, as well as on the Ethnology and the 
early Literature and History of Wales. 
Mr Skene’s contributions to the history proper of Early Scotland 
^ In course of time, Skene became himself the possessor of several Celtic 
MSS., which he bequeathed to the Advocates’ Library collection, but unfortu- 
nately those of most value seem to have disappeared. 
