The Book of Trinity College Dublin 1591-1891

by Ireland) Trinity College (Dublin

In Celtic literature we are tolerably rich. Part of our collection came to us, as already mentioned, by gift from Sir John Sebright, who had purchased the books at Edward Lhuyd’s sale. Amongst these is the Book of Leinster, a large folio of about the twelfth century, of very varied contents—historical, romantic, genealogical, and hagiological. The entire text has been published in lithographed fac-simile at the joint expense of Trinity College and the Royal Irish Academy, with a preface by Professor R. Atkinson. When this MS. was presented to our Library, eleven leaves were missing. These were found, however, and identified by Dr. Todd, in the Monastery of St. Isidore in Rome, whither they had gone from the Irish College in Louvain. They are now deposited in the Franciscan Monastery in Dublin.

The history of the Book of Lecain or Leacan, another important Irish MS., forms a curious counterpart to that of the Book of Leinster. The former was included in Ussher’s collection, and was in our Library in 1688 when the catalogue was compiled. It is there recorded, however, that nine leaves were wanting. It is stated by Nicolson (Irish Historical Library, p. 39), on the authority of Dr. Raymond, that the book was lodged in Paris by Sir John Fitzgerald in the time of James II. If so, this must have been very soon after the catalogue was compiled. In 1787, through the Abbé Kearney of Paris, it was sent to the Royal Irish Academy, then recently founded, and in their Library it is now preserved. The nine missing folios were found by O’Curry in one of the Sebright volumes (H. 2, 17). Although the original Book of Lecain has thus passed from us, we possess a beautiful copy (on vellum) written by Eugene O’Curry in the old Irish hand. It is worth noting that the professional scribe still exists in Ireland, and writes a hand undistinguishable from that of his predecessors many centuries ago.

In connection with the history of these two volumes, it is not inappropriate to mention that of another important volume, the Book of Ballymote. This was formerly in Trinity College Library, but was lent in 1720 to Dr. Raymond, and for a time disappeared. In 1769 it turned up at Drogheda, and being purchased by Chevalier O’Gorman, was by him presented to the Royal Irish Academy in 1785. We possess a paper copy of a portion of it, including one folio which is now missing from the original volume.

Here is preserved the MS. already mentioned from which Jebb published Roger Bacon’s Opus Majus, also the two MSS. from which Howard published the Chronicle of Florence of Worcester; the original MS., as prepared for press, of Spottiswoode’s History of the Church of Scotland; the original draft of Berkeley’s Principles of Human Knowledge; also the originals of Sir Thomas Roe’s Correspondence (Ambassador to the Ottoman Porte, 1621-8, published London, 1740).

Of MSS. bearing on Irish history we have a fair collection. First may be mentioned a volume of Letters of Queen Elisabeth on Public Affairs in Ireland, 1565 to 1570, each letter having her sign-manual. There is also a volume of Correspondence of Sir Arthur Chichester, Lord Deputy, with the English Government, 1612-1614; the thirty-two volumes already mentioned of the Depositions relative to the Rising of 1641; thirteen volumes of the Correspondence of Geo. Clarke, Secretary of War, 1690-1694; as many of Archbishop King’s Correspondence, 1696-1729; Irish Treasury Accounts, 1714-1719; and twelve volumes of Major Sirr’s papers, letters, etc., chiefly connected with the Rebellion in 1798. We have also Dr. R. R. Madden’s large collection of papers relating to the United Irishmen.

There are several important volumes of Waldensian literature, which have been catalogued and described by Todd in his Books of the Vaudois. With Wyclif literature also we are well supplied, and we have one of the two known copies of the first complete English Prose Psalter, recently published by Dr. Karl Bülbring for the Early English Text Society. We have two MSS. of Piers Plowman, five of Rolle’s Pricke of Conscience, and several hymns by Rolle (published by Todd in the British Magazine, vol. ix.). Dr. Ingram, a few years ago, identified the earliest English translation of the De Imitatione, disguised under the title the book occasionally bore—Musica Ecclesiastica.

Nor must I omit to mention the Life of St. Alban in Norman-French, probably in the handwriting of Matthew Paris, the text of which has been published, with glossary, etc., by Professor Atkinson. The original MS. is adorned with pictures on nearly every page.

Illustrative of French history we possess statistical accounts of the French provinces and cities of about the year 1698, filling thirty-two volumes; also a collection, in twenty-five volumes, of Memoirs (some called “Secret”) of the Foreign and the Financial Affairs of France in the Reign of Louis XV. These formed part of the Fagel Library. The same library contains a large collection of maps, printed and MS., some of great rarity. Copies of two or three of these have lately been made for the Colonial Office, as of value with respect to a question of the boundary of British Guiana.