f Perrow—The Last Will and Testament in Literature. 697 
The Middle Irish Booh of Leinster , compiled about 1150 
A. D., contains the Audacht Morainn meic mom, do Feradach 
Find T'echtnach. 1 This is a will sent by the dying Morainn, 
the son of the usurper Caipre Cend-Chait, to Ferdach who, at 
the head of a body of troops, had come back from exile in Scot¬ 
land to reclaim his kingdom of Ireland. It is a combination 
of moral and political advice. The writer urges the king “to 
perform all moral and kingly duties, to love all truth, to do all 
good, and to rule righteously and firmly, for the truthful deal¬ 
ing of a prince brings all blessings on his people.'’ 
Fordun in his Scotichronicon 2 , written about 1360, quotes a 
L'atin rime which he calls King Robert's Testament. In this 
Robert Bruce is supposed to advise the Scots to pursue a policy 
of guerilla warfare. 
Grasse gives the following description of a book which is no 
doubt a testament giving advice as to the rule of a religious 
order: “Sensuyt la confirmation et approbation de la pre¬ 
miere regie de madame Saincte Clere, vierge. Avecques le 
Testament; Constitutions: Estatus: 7 Declarations de la dicte 
“Regie, etc.” 3 4 
The Political Testament had a great vogue in France during 
the seventeenth century. It became a favorite form for express¬ 
ing political theories. It was usually attached to the name of 
some eminent statesman and often passed for his work. Such 
a work is the Testament du Cardinal RichelieuA This work 
makes an octavo volume of four hundred and seventy-four pages. 
In the prefatory letter to the king the author tells us why he 
calls his work a Testament: “Cette Piece verra le jour sous 
le titre de Mon Testament Politique parce qu’elle est faite pour 
servir apres ma mort a la Police et a la conduite de votre Roy- 
1 Fac Similes of the Book of Leinster , ed. Robt. Atkinson, Dublin, 
1880 p 293 
2 Edited by Walter Goodall, Edinburgh, 1759, II, 232. 
3 J. G. T. Grasse, Tresor de Livres Hares et Pregieux, Dresde, 1859, 
s. v. Clere. 
4 Amsterdam, 1788. Written according to Voltaire, (Oeuvres Com¬ 
pletes, p. 1879, XIX, 31) about 1645 by l’abbe de Bourzeis. See also 
Gustave Brunet, Dictionnaire des Ouvrages Anonyw.es, Paris, 1889, 
p. 249. 
