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face, of which he has given a Latin translation, probably abridged; and the copy of the Hymn in the Leabhar Breac has also one, never before published, which will be found, with an English translation and some explanatory remarks, in the Additional Notes.

The ornamented letter A, with which the Hymn in the MS. begins, was originally a very beautiful and elaborate specimen of ancient calligraphy, running down the whole margin of the page. It has suffered, however, very much by age and rough usage, and is in many places quite obliterated; this circumstance, together with its inconvenient length, has rendered it impossible to procure a satisfactory fac-simile of it, and therefore a letter, in a similar style. of art, from the Book of Kells, has been substituted for it. All the other ornamented letters in the following pages are, however, exact representations of the illuminations of the Liber Hymnorum, from drawings by Dr. Aquilla Smith. In the original they are coloured with yellow, blue, and green.

Some further remarks on the following Hymn, which are deemed necessary for its illustration, will be found in the Additional Notes.

INCIPIT MNUS SANCti patricII

episcopi SCOTORUM.

udite omnes amantes deum sancta merita uiri in christo beati patricii episcopi

quomodo bonum ob actum simulatur angelis perfectamque propter uitam aequatur apostolis

beata

christi custodit mandata in omnibus

cuius opera refulgent clara inter homines

sanctumque cuius sequuntur exemplum mirificum

unde et in celis patrem magnificant dominum

GLOSS. H.-I. Sancta merita.-.i. sancta opera. 2. Patricii.—.i. patris civium. Episcopi.-.i. superspeculator interpretatur. 3. Bonum ob actum.-.i. caritatis et predicationis vel ieiunii et orationis. Angelis.-.i. sanctis, ut dicitur [erunt sicut] an [geli]. 5. Custodit.-.i. Patricius. Omnibus.—.i. operibus. 6. Refulgent.-.i. ut dicitur in euangelio sic luceat [lux vestra coram hominibus. ...] 7. Cujus.-.i. Patricii. Sequuntur.-.i. homines. Exemplum.-.i. ut dicitur exemplum dedi vobis ut quemadmodum [ego feci vobis ita et vos] faciatis. 8. In celis.—.i. in ecclesiis. Magnificant.-.i. bonis operibus. . . . interioris... GLOSS. B.-2. Patricii.-.i. qui sedet ad latus regis, vel pater civium; patricius nomen graid la romanu [nomen gradus apud Romanos] qui patricium regit. 3. Bonum.-Propter. Simulatur.—Similio, .i. cosmailigim .1. diamlaigim [I compare, assimilate]. 4. Apostolis.-Apostolus .i. missus interpretatur. 5. Custodit.-.i. Patricius. Mandata.-.i. evangelii. Omnibus.-.i. operibus. 6. Clara.-.i. ingna [wondrous]. Inter homines.—.i. fiɑ dainib [before men]. 7. Sequuntur.—.i. homines. Exemplum.-Ut dicitur, sic luceat lux vestra coram hominibus ut videant opera bona vestra, et glorificent patrem vestrum qui in celis est. 8. Magnificant-.i. magnum facientes homines, in nomine Domini.

1. Deum.-Dominum, C., which would be inconsistent with the rhythm, unless we read it Domnum, as a dissyllable.

2. Patricii.-Patrici, M.

3. Simulatur.—Similatur, W. M. V. There is a gloss over this word in H.,

C

onstans in dei timore et fide immobilis

super quem edificatur ut petrus ecclesia

cuiusque apostolatum a deo sortitus est

In cuius portae aduersus INFERNI NON PREUALENT

ominus illum elegit ut doceret barbaras
INUS

nationes ut piscaret per doctrinae retia

10

ut de seculo credentes traheret ad gratiam
dominumque sequerentur sedem ad aetheriam

15

GLOSS. H.-9. Constans.—.i. est vel fuit. 16. Sequerentur.—.i. doctrina.

GLOSS. B.-9. Constans.—.i. fuit. Fide.-.i. Trinitatis, ut dicit Paulus, fratres stabiles estote, et rl. 10. Quem.-.i. Petrum. Petrus.-Ut dicitur, tu es Petrus, et super hanc petram edificabo ecclesiam meam. Petrus agnoscens interpretatur, quicunque ergo in regnum celeste intrare desiderat, agnoscat Deum per fidem, ut Petrus. 13. Illum.—.i. Patricium. Barbaras.-.i. alienas interpretantur, quia sint alieni a Romana lingua. 14. Piscaret.—.i. pisco, secundum veteres; piscor, piscaris, est hodie. 15. Gratiam.—.i. ad fidem, vel celestium. 16. Ad atheriam.-.i. ad celestem sedem.

which, however, is so obliterated, as to be now illegible.

5. Beata.-Beati, V.

8. Magnificant.-Magnificat Deum, C.: Magnificant Deum, V. Magnificant is probably the true reading, if there be an allusion to Matt. v. 16, where the older Latin versions appear to have read magnificent for glorificent, and the passage is so quoted by many of the Fathers [see Sabatier, in loc.] "He [Patrick] keeps the blessed commands of Christ in all things. His good works shine illustrious amongst men. They [men] follow his holy and wonderful example, and thus magnify as their Lord the Father who is in heaven." The gloss over magnificant in H. was a long one, running down the margin, but it is now so effaced that the three words above given are all that are now legible.

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electa

P

christi talenta uendit euangelica

quae hibernas inter gentes cum usuris exigit

Nauigi huius laboris tum operae pretium
cum christo regni celestis possessurus gaudium

idelis dei minister insignisque nuntius

apostolicum exemplum formamque praebet bonis

qui tam uerbis quam et factis plebi praedicat dei

ut quem dictis non conuertit actu prouocet bono

20

GLOSS. B.-17. Talenta.-.i. mandata. 19. Navigii.-.1. In impuma sa na heclair [viz. of the navigation of the Church]. 20. Cum Christo.-Sicut dominus ait in evangelio, ubi corpus fuerit illic congregabuntur aquile, ac si diceret aperte, ubi fuerit Christus secundum carnem, ibi erunt justi, et sic cum ipse [leg. ipso] erunt in celo semper. 22. Prabet bonis.—.1. precept & forcetul (by precept and teaching]. 24. Dictis.-.1. o precept [by precept]. Provocet.-.i. ad fidem. Bono.-.i. suo.

the rhythm. The allusion is evidently to Matt. iv. 19; Mark, i. 17: "The Lord hath chosen him to teach barbarous nations; to fish with the nets of doctrine, so as to draw from the world unto grace those who shall follow the Lord, &c."

15. Ut.-Et, M.

16. Dominumque.-Dominum qui, M. This reading is an evident improvement to the sense.

18. Hibernas.-Euernas, B.; Ibernas, V. Usuris.-Usura, W.

19. Navigi.—Navigiis, M.; Navigi, B. On this word B. has the following marginal note: Ire in muis in bith frecnaipc. Isi in noei in eclair. Ise in luamaire forcetlaid dos beis do pust bethad. Ise in port bethad uita perpetua.

"The sea is the present world. The ship is the Church. The pilot is the preacher, who brings her to the port of life. The port is the life that is perpetual."

The construction of vv. 19, 20, is very difficult and obscure; tum seems used for et. It is probable that there is some corruption in this stanza, which the MSS. do not enable us to correct. Tum.-Dominum, C. This reading makes no sense, and is inconsistent with the rhythm; the copyist seems to have mistaken cum for dnm.

20. Possessurus.—Possedit, C. V. The allusion in this distich is evidently to the parable of the talents: "He sells [or trades with] the chosen talents of Christ mentioned in the Gospel, which he exacts with usury [spiritual usury] amongst the Irish clans; and, as the reward of this voyage, as well as of his work or labour, he will hereafter possess, with Christ, the joy of the kingdom of heaven."

22. Apostolicum.-Apostolium, V. Præbet bonis.-C. omits præbet; V. omits bonis. 23. Et.-Omit, W. V. Plebi.-Omit, C. Dei.-Dominum, W. V.

loriam habet cum christo honorem IN seculo

cum christo human

qui ab omnibus ut dei ueneratur angelus

quem deus misit ut paulum ad gentes apostolum

ut hominibus ducatum praeberet regno dei

humilis

umilis dei ob metum spiritu et corpore

25

super quem bonum ob actum requiescit dominus

30

cuiusque iusta in carne christi portat stigmata
In cuius sola sustentans gloriatur in cruce

27. Ut

.....

GLOSS. H.-25. Habet.-.i. Patricius. Seculo.-.i. hoc. 26. Omnibus.-.i. hominibus. Paulum.-.i. sicut Paulus misus est ad gentes, ita Patricius ad gentes Scotorum misus est. 29. Humilis.— .i. fuit. Ob metum.-.i. præ timore. 31. Cujusque.—.i. Christi. Stigmata.-.1. na minna, .i. virtutem sic... ... onis et Paulus, Christi porto stigmata et vulnera domini nostri sicque compono 32. Sustentans.—.1. ar foloing. GLOSS. B.-25. Seculo.-.i. hoc. 27. Quem Deus.-.i. sicut Deus misit Paulum ad gentes, ita Patricium Scotis. 29. Ob metum.—.i. præ timore. 31. Cujusque.-.i. Patricii, vel Christi. 32. In cruce.— .1. hi croich na focaide [in the cross of contempt].

24. Actu.-Fructu, M.

26. Omnibus.-Hominibus, B.

27. Ut.-Omit, B.

28. Hominibus. Omnibus, V. Ducatum.-B. has the following note on this word: 1. a uerbo duco, duxi, dux, Ducis, & is ideo co ndene duco, ducas, ducatus ar ngabail chesta. Ducatur dan ainm tren fordeilb rangabar for .in. diull, & ise sin fil sund. "From the verb duco, ducis, comes dux, ducis, and in like manner duco, ducas, produces ducatus, in a passive signification. Ducatus, therefore, is a noun substantive, after the form which is found in the fourth declension; and this is the word that occurs here." Du Cange (Glossar. Ducatus, 5) shows that the word has been used in the sense of safe conduct, guidance, which is evidently its meaning in the text.

30. Requiescit.-Requiescet, B.

31. Justa.--Juxta, C.; sua, W. The allusion here is to Gal. vi. 17. If we refer cujusque to Christ, as the gloss suggests, there is an apparent tautology, and the preposition in is needlessly repeated in ver. 32. The meaning seems to be, that Patrick, "in his righteous flesh, bears the marks of Christ, and whilst bearing his own cross, glories only in the cross of Christ." The gloss in H. is but partly legible.

32. Sustentans.-Sustentante, C.V. Sustendans, B. The gloss in H. is ap poloing, enduring, sustaining. It will be understood that where the gloss is in Irish, without being followed by any English translation, the Irish is a literal translation of the Latin. In cruce.-Cruce, C.V. Here in is necessary to the metre. If the

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