[36] The following, among others, are still on the Continent: Gospels of Willibrord (Bibl. Nat. Lat. 9389, 739), Gospel of St. John (Cod. 60 St. Gall c. 750-800); Book of Fragments (No. 1395, St. Gall, c. 750-800); The Golden Gospels (Royal library, Stockholm, 871); Gospels of St. Arnoul, Metz (Nuremberg Museum, 7th c.).—Cp. Maclean, 207-8; Hyde, 267.
[37] Adamnan, 365n.
[38] Hyde, 220; Stokes (M.), 10, “Connachtach, an Abbot of Iona who died in 802, is called in the Irish annals ‘a scribe most choice.’ ”—Trenholme, Iona, 32.
[39] Tech-screptra; domus scripturarum.
[40] Leabhar coimedach. Adamnan, 359, note m.
[41] Joyce, i. 483.
[42] At vero hoc audiens Colcius tempus et horam in tabula describens.—Adamnan, 66. Columba is said to have blessed one hundred pólaires or tablets (Leabhar Breac, fo. 16-60; Stokes (M.), 51). The boy Benen, who followed Patrick, bore tablets on his back (folaire, corrupt for pólaire).—Stokes (W.), T. L., 47. Patrick gave to Fiacc a case containing a tablet. Ib. 344. An example of a waxed tablet, with a case for it, is in the Museum of the Royal Irish Academy. The case is a wooden cover, divided into hollowed-out compartments for holding the styles. This specimen dates from the thirteenth or fourteenth century. Slates and pencils were also in use for temporary purposes.—Joyce, i. 483.
[43] See Thompson, 236, where Irish calligraphy is fully dealt with; Camb. Lit., i. 13.
[44] Trans. R. I. Acad., vol. xviii. 1838.
[45] Stokes (W.), T. L., 75. The terms used for satchels are sacculi (Lat.), and tiag, or tiag liubhair or teig liubair (Ir.). There has been some confusion between pólaire and tiag, the former being regarded as a leather case for a single book, the latter a satchel for several books. This distinction is made in connection with the ancient Irish life of Columba, which is therefore made to read that the saint used to make cases and satchels for books (pólaire ocus tiaga), v. Adamnan, 115. Cf. Petrie, Round Towers, 336-7. But the late Dr. Whitley Stokes makes pólaire or pōlire, or the corruption folaire, derive from pugillares = writing tablets.—Stokes (W.), T. L., cliii. and 655. This interpretation of the word gives us the much more likely reading that Columba made tablets, and satchels for books.