Nor the sreod, nor a destiny on the earthly world3, It should have been noticed in the introductory remarks prefixed to this poem, that the occasion upon which it was composed is said. and there are preserved in the Library of Trinity College, Dublin, H, 3, 17, a curious notice of the mode of interpreting the warblings of the wren and the croakings of the raven. Opean is thus derived in Cormac's Glossary: 'drean, .1. drai én, .1. én do ni fáistine. Drean, i. e. a druidbird, i. e. a bird which makes a prediction' [prophecy]. This derivation is illustrated by a passage in the Life of St. Moling, preserved in a MS. in Marsh's Library, 3, 1, 4, fol. 70, in which the following reference is made to the wren. "Quodam die legens sanctus pontifex Molyng sedendo in quodam loco cum suo ministro, venit ad eum illa avis quæ dicitur magus avium, eo quòd aliquibus præbet augurium; et ipsa est minima, et habebat illa muscam vivam et ululantem in rostro suo." 36 Nor the sreod nor a destiny.—Na sreoo na rén. The word rén and reom is used in MSS. to denote fate, destiny, chance; and it is stated in Cormac's Glossary that it was a word used by the Druids for destiny. the to 37 On the earthly world.-Fop biż-ċe. biż-ce is very frequently used in the best Irish poems and prose tracts to denote this present world. It seems to be compounded of bit, life, existence, and ce, Greek earth, but Irish glossographers are not agreed upon its derivation. In the Galic translation of Psalm lxxxix. 11, xc. 2, Cruinnece is used to denote the globe of the earth; but this seems a compound formed by the translator himself. bi ce is the compound always used by the ancient Irish. 38 Cenannus, now translated Headfort, is the old and present Irish name of Kells, in the county of East Meath, where St. Columbkille erected a monastery in the sixth century. 39 Moen-generally called Maen Choluim Chille, now Moone, in the county of Kildare, about seven miles east of Athy. St. Columbkille is also the patron of this place, and there are still the remains of his ancient cross, which was elaborately sculptured, but the church has been modernized. to have been the following: immediately after the decision of the King of Ireland, which was given against Columbkille's right to the transcript he had made of St. Finnen's Psalter, the saint having protested against the king's judgment, retired into the monastery of S. Boetius (now Monasterboice) "ubi ab amicis præmonitus est" (says O'Donnell, Vit. S. Columbæ, ap. Colgan, Trias Th. p. 409) "in monte Bregh [now Sliabh Brey], per quem sequenti die iter facturus erat, insidias ei a Rege Diermitio et suis parari, ne qua illi ad suos cognatos via pateret. Quare ut postera dies illuxit, propositum iter prosecuturus, solus et sejunctus a sociis, quos aliam viam carpere jussit, montem conscendit, ac quemadmodum et socii, divinis canticis intentus secure ac æmulis invisus percurrit." The same event is more fully related in an Irish Life of St. Columbkille, in the collection of Messrs. Hodges and Smith, in which the present poem is expressly quoted as having been composed by him on this occasion: As annsin a dubairt Colam Cille, raċad-sa i g-ceann mo braiżreaċ, eòon, Cinel Conaill agus Eożain, agus do Béar car duit-si a n-eiruic na opoć breite rugais oram fá ceann an leabair, agus a n-dioġuil mic riġ Connace do marbad ar mo comairce. Op ní Leór liom Dia do deanam inniżże opt ann, gan mé féin do deanaṁ dioġaltair ort 'san t-saoġal sa. As ann sin a dubairt rig Eireann náċ lániaỏ neac o'fearaib Eireann Colam Cille do ¿ioòlacad as an m-baile, agus naċ mó laṁad aon duine aca dul i g-car leis 'na ajaió féin. "Then Columbkille said, I will go unto my brethren the Kinel Connell and Kinel Owen, and I will give thee battle in return for the iniquitous judgment thou gavest against me in the case of the book, and in revenge for killing the son of the King of Connaught while under my protection. For I deem it not sufficient that God shall take vengeance on thee (hereafter) unless I myself take vengeance on thee in this life. Then the King of Ireland commanded that not one of the men of Ireland should convey Columbkille out of the palace, or join him in opposition to himself. "Columbkille, however, left the palace without the King of Ireland's consent, and such was the providence of God over ar léir do čáċ, é, agus naċ b-facavap ag imżeact as an lażair ina b-piaonaise é, agus do cuaid go baoid an oidċe sin, agus a dubradar muinntir an Baile ris dul ar a coiméad ap Sliab Breaż ar na máraċ, oir a dúbradap m-beit muinntir an rí roime do cum a jabala. Do ċuir an riġ cuideacza d'a muinntir ar an t-sligid. Ro einig Colam Cille go moć ar na maraċ, agus do cuir a muinntir i slige ar leiż is in t-sliab, agus do ġab féin eólus eile na aonar. Conad ann do rinne an laoid. go "M'aonarán dam 'san t-sliab a rig Grian rob soruide séd him that he was not visible to the household, and that no one saw him depart from the place or out of their presence, and he went that night to St. Boetius; and the people of the place said unto him to go for safety upon Sliabh Breagh on the following day, for they said that the king's people would be before him to intercept and capture him. The King did place a company of his people on the way. Columbkille arose early the next morning, and directed his people to go by a separate course over the mountain, while he followed another path alone. It was on that occasion he made the poem, "Alone I am on the mountain, O royal sun of prosperous way, ART. II. De Concilio Hibernie per magnates totius illius Insule. J Usticiarius hic de communi consilio domini Regis in hac terra ad pacem firmius stabiliendam ordinavit et statuit generale parliamentum hic ad hunc diem. Et mandatum fuit Archiepiscopis, Episcopis, Abbatibus et Prioribus quorum presencia videtur ad hoc esse necessaria, nec non et Comitibus, Baronibus et aliis optimatibus terre hujus; videlicet unicuique eorum per se, quod essent hic ad hunc diem et cetera. Et nichilominus preceptum fuit vicecomitibus Dublin, Loueth, Kyldarie, Waterfford, Typerary, Cork, Lymeryk, Kerrie, Connacie, et Roskoman, necnon et senescallis libertatum Mydye, Weyseford, Weyseford, Katherlagh, Kylkenny et Ultonie, quod unusquisque eorum per se, videlicet vicecomes in pleno comitatu suo, et senescallus in plena curia sua libertatis sue, per assensum comitatus sui seu libertatis eligi faceret duos de probioribus et discrecioribus militibus de singulis comitatibus et libertatibus, quod hic nunc interessent plenam potestatem habentes de tota communitate comitatus et libertatis et cetera ad faciendum et recipiendum et cetera-et quod quilibet vicecomes et senescallus fuissent hic in propriis personis et cetera. Et Thomas Mydensis, Nicholaus Leglinensis, et ceteri episcopi, et Ricardus de Burgo comes Ultonye modo venit, et similiter Ricardus Taff vicecomes Dublinye, Willelmus de Hacche vicecomes Loueth et ceteri, Walterus Trouman senescallus de Trym et ceteri similiter veniunt et brevia sua retornata, et Walterus de la Haye et Eustacius le Poer electi per communitatem libertatis Kylkenny, Jeorgius de Rupe electus per communitatem comitatus Lymeryk et ceteri venerunt. Et Nicholaus Ardmacadensis archiepiscopus et ceteri absenciam suam excusantes miserunt hic procuratores seu attornatos suos; videlicet predictus archiepiscopus N. et N. et ceteri, set Willelmus archiepiscopus Tuamensis et ceteri non venerunt. Et similiter Hugo de Leis unus electorum per comitatum de Lymeryk et ceteri non venerunt. Ideo ipsi in misericordia. Et in presencia predictorum episcoporum Mydensis, Leglinensis, et Comitum et Baronum et aliorum optimatum hic comparencium de communi consilio domini Regis in hac terra facte fuerunt quedam provisiones et unanimiter ab omnibus iis concordate et concesse salvo jure domini Regis et cetera. In primis quia visum est quod comitatus Dublin nimis est confusus, et partes ejus nimis ab invicem remote et disperse, utpote Ultonia et Mydia et postmodum Lagenya cum valle Dublin et cetera; per quod minus competenter deservitur domino regi in preceptis suis, et curie sue, nec non et populus suus minus sufficienter regitur sive gubernatur. Concordatum est quod de cetero sit quidam vicecomes in Ultonya Ultonya tam de Croceys Ultonye, quam ad faciendas execuciones in libertate Ultonye, cum defectus inveniatur in senescallo predicte libertatis; et quod vicecomes Dublin a modo se non intromittat in Ultonya. Concordatum est eciam quod Mydya sit unus comitatus per se, tam videlicet terra libertatis de Trym quam terra Teobaldy de Verdon, et omnes terre Crocearum infra precinctum Mydye existentes; et quod de cetero sit ibi certus vicecomes, et comitatum suum teneat apud Kenles quolibet die Jovis post comitatum Dublin, et ipse execuciones faciet in predicta libertate de Trym cum defectus inveniatur et cetera. Et predictus Teobaldus de Verdon pro se et Almarico de Sancto Amando tenente suo et eorum heredibus concessit, quod ipsi de cetero facient sectam ad predictum comitatum Mydie, per sic quod absolvantur a sectis quas debent ad comitatum Dublin; et eis conceditur. Comitatus eciam Kyldarie, qui quondam fuit libertas intendens comitatui Dublin, sit de cetero comitatus per se, una cum terris Croceis et aliis terris participum dominici Lagenie infra precinctum ejusdem contentis, a jurisdiccione vicecomitis Dublin totaliter absolutus. Et sit ibi vicecomes sicut nunc est et cetera. Item quia quidam magnates et alii qui quasdam terras habent in marchiis prope Hybernicos et alias terras in terra pacis, manent et morantur in maneriis suis in terra pacis, terris suis in marchiis relictis vastis et incultis et sine custodia; et felones Hybernici per medium hujusmodi terrarum vastarum in marchiis suis transeuntes, libere pertranseunt ad perpetranda roberias, homicidia, et alia mala super Anglicos, et per eas redeunt sine arestacione, clamore vel impedimento; per quod quam plures marchie vel omnino destruuntur, aut pro majori parte ruinose sunt, Anglici inhabitantes et felonibus obediunt vel quasi in exilium effugantur. Concordatum est quod tenentes hujusmodi cujuscumque fuerint auctoritatis seu condicionis apponant et habeant wardas in terris suis in marchia juxta quantitatem terrarum illarum, ne malefactores pertranseant per terras illas impunes vel non persecuti, IRISH ARCH. SOC. MISCELL. VOL. I. Ꭰ |