Catalogue of Irish Manuscripts in King's Inns
LS 13
Classical Adaptations.
15th cent. Vellum. Two volumes originally one manuscript (see below), now bound separately and trimmed to slightly different sizes: 12,27 × 20 cms (ff. 4,9 (half-leaves), 15,28, smaller than others); 13, 28 × 21 cms (ff. 17, 23-4, smaller). Ff. 45 and 25, each volume having separate modern pencilled foliation; originally contained 75 leaves (see 12, f. 43 v, lower margin); leaves missing after 12, f. 37, and 13, ff. 3, 22, 25. Scribe: Moílechlainn (Malachias) Ó Cianáin (12, ff. 38 b m, 45 c i, 45 d i; 13, f. 5 v, lower margin). Manuscript begun autumn 1491 (see 12, f. 38 c i; the Seaán Ó Raghailligh mentioned died in November 1491 : AU) and completed the following summer, 1492 (12, f. 38 b m). (The date 1493 in 12, f. 45 c i, probably refers to the text in f. 45 d, which may have been added later, as the date 1492 occurs again in 13, f. 17 r, upper margin.) At least part of the manuscript was written in the house of Mac Giolla Ruaidh [of Ballymackilroy, Co. Fermanagh?]; cf. 13, f. 17 r, upper margin.
A former owner was Maurice O'Gorman, who gives the following description in his catalogue of 22 December 1761 (RIA 23 H 23 (a), p. 3): '7 The Destruction of Troy in vellum containing 70 leaves in a large folio, wrote by Malachias Ó Kianan anno Dom: 1493. The expedition of Iason for the Golden fleece in the beginning of ye. book.---with 9 leaves of paper manuscript where the Destruction of Troy was deficient . . .'. The manuscript is also listed in O'Gorman's catalogue of 3 October 1772 (NLI G 664, f. 2 r, no. 15). RIA 23 L 33, pp. 58-68, supplies in part the defects in this manuscript (due to loss of folios noted above) from the Book of Ballymote (see RIA Cat., 335). These leaves, assuming that two have been lost, are probably the paper leaves mentioned by O'Gorman. O'Gorman's note shows that the missing folios were lost before his time and that the division of the manuscript into two volumes did not originate with him. The manuscript was later at least temporarily in the possession of Edward O'Reilly, who made a transcript of the colophon in 12, f. 38 b m (BM Eg. 152, f. 32; Cat. i, 65).
Double columns except in 12, ff. 4, 9 (half-leaves); about 35 lines to column; ruling mainly by dry point; spaces left for ornamental initials in 12; capitals and some words dabbed with red, blue (12, ff. 4 v, 5 r, 30 v-32 r) and yellow (12, ff. 9, 25 v, 26 r; 13, ff. 5 v, 6 r), but no colouring in 12, ff. 24 v-30 r, 32 v-45 v, and 13, ff. 15-25 v. Text legible throughout, but there has been some re-inking. 12, ff. 18, 31, 36, 44, each made from two strips of vellum joined horizontally. Some damage in 12, ff. 17, 33, 37. Both volumes bound in halfleather and boards with marbling (of two slightly different designs) on outside covers; spinal covers now in a state of decay. Numbers '12' and '13' labelled on outside front covers. The following occurs in pencil on a piece of paper pasted inside front cover of ms 12: 'accounts of /Battles / (Curious) / Togail Troy / Merugud Uilix / Finghal cloinne tantail'. Words 'A: 44 folios' in 12, f. 1 r, lower margin, and 'b=25 folios' [followed by 'pages', cancelled] in 13, f. 1 r, lower margin.
MS 12 briefly described by M. E. Byrne, RC 44 (1927) 14-15, and R. T. Meyer, Merugud Uilix maic Leirtis (MMIS XVII, 1958) xi-xii.
The words 'Fair fair do laim don marbhan' occur in 12, f. 23 r, lower margin, and variations on this sentence are to be found in the same hand in the lower margins of other leaves: '(cuir) do lamh ar in marban (mbec)' (12, ff. 39 r, 44 r; 13, f. 12 r); 'cuir do lamh ar in marban mbec mara fuighbhir é' (13, f. 5 r); 'Fair do lamh don marban' (13, f. 21 v).
Other marginalia: 12: (a) 3 r i. 'A Mhaolmhuire dhuib is mor in breitemnus sin adimigh ort ene (?) .i. do chuid [. . .] .i. asgribhenn' (?). Foll, by 'Lonan Colman Cronan gunacl--- ngil ngrainaigh'. (b) 5 v i. A sith an dobhrain daoiligh. 1 q. (incomplete), (c) 7 v, upper margin. 'Fechain glesa ann so Domnall Mac Cassirlyd.' (d) 8 v i. Bo béres buar oriduib (?). l½ qq. (e) 11 r, upper margin (in red ink). 'Anno Domini cccc° xxx° ii° Patricius uenit in Iberniam.' (f) 16 v i. Na lean na lean, andoman cé. 1 q. Foll, by 'Misi Gilla Michíl'. (g) 17 r, upper margin. 'Sir (?) Torna.' (h) 17 r i. Uch atruaigh . afethal maith nadéna úaill. 1 q. (i) 18 r, right margin. 'Promad peind and so.' (j) 20 r, right margin. 'Amen dico uobis.' (k) 21 r i. Uch alámh ón uch alámh. 1 q. (re-inked). (1) 22 v i. 'Tadhg Ó Dubhda do sgribh.' (m) 25 v, left margin. 'Darby [. . .].' (n) 33 v, upper margin. Tegusg odmatair fein. 1 q. (A few words cut out at end.) (o) 34 r, upper margin. An tollam iaras gac ni. 1 q. (Repeated in lower margin.) Foll, by Dligh a tTemraigh nattrebh oturgabhal greine go (fuinedh). ½ q. (p) 35 r i. 'A Margc foir orum fen.' (q) 36 b i. 'Dar do láimh pfein a Eilis albanac ní maith lem nách raibhe Ecubha na mnaoi agum ónach mairionn Aicil.' (r) 37 v i. 'uii. catha lx ar c. cohoidhche natogla.' (s) 38 b i. 'Ag so leabhar Bhríain óig mhic Bríain Ui Maoil Conuire.' 'Ta ansud seel ingnathach anaithnidh' (in scribe's hand; cf. text on following page). (Foll, by other writing, erased?) (t) 38 v i. 'A De cotuga tu trocaire damh pfein ⁊ leter math IHS. trocaire ⁊ firnnde bidh siad [. . .].' (u) 39 r i. 'Aniugh an lá ria bh[. . .]t ⁊ is fliuch hé misi ngrial [=Irial] do chuir sin sis.' (v) 39 v-40 v, lower margins. Fochuidmed anduine trúaigh (?). 3 qq. (w) 41 r i. Senoir salmac sen adail. 1 q. (x) 42 v-43 r, lower margins. 'Anla ar feil Micíl anné do cúaidh mé féin [. . .] ⁊ do thainig (?) me ganafagail do sibal (?) me antoilén siar ⁊ aniar' (much rubbed), (y) 43 v i (continued up right margin). 'Ata be nim nagcuin ndec gceim lesg mall ag feruil no ag struile mac streile mic strail . gabh do bug agud mic leigind thall naden rún ar sút agus (?) leghse ahainm.' (z) 43 v i (originally in blue ink; partially re-inked). 'Cuig duilleoga x is 3 iiit (ata) ionnam.'
13: (a) 1 v, upper margin. 'Aíne césta aniú ⁊ is fliuch hí ⁊ a Loc an Chuiridh moloc ⁊ co foiridh deus orum.' (b) 3 v i. An rannan dogníadsan. 1 q. (c) 5 v i (re-inked). 'Fuil meoir Maoilechlainn I Cianain so'; cf. C. Plummer, Proc. British Academy 12 (1926) 12 n. 10. (d) 7 v-8 r, lower margins (partially re-inked). 'Dar momhionn(ai)bh go ffios dom fpéin ní nár do Enías ni (?) do roíne degóir fhollasaigh a nDiotuin .⁊ dámadh duine oile doberadh in nemcion út ar Díotuin to tuitfe [. . .] nó ní bíad cumus a anma [. . .].' (e) 15 r i. 'An duine f aliter ole do denum . . . .' (f) 15 v, right margin. 'Commortus andso re Moir' (?). (g) 15 v i. 'Tri hitche gac drochmná ar an domhan. . . . Misi Conchabhar buídhe.' (h) 16 v, upper margin. 'Lafeil(e?) San Sem aniu ⁊ cufoiridh se orum coisi minarbur [=misi Conchubur] ⁊ a nGlenn Gall aiti atu.' (i) 17 r, upper margin. 'Ta feil San Froinseis aniubh ⁊ atigh Mic Gilla Ruaid ata [re-inked] anno domini m.°cccc.° xc.ii.' (j) 17 v, upper margin. 'Don truime dho chlecht san cheis . do cheis do (?) tech uirre ar ais' (½ q. ?). (k) 18 v i. 'Patruicc Ua [. . . ?]'; cf. p. xii n. 38 above. (1) 20 r i. Cipher, (m) 21 r i. Luathghabál do níd na cléir (?). 1 q.
13
1 a 1. [The Irish Aeneid.] Heading 'In Die [sic] nomine amen' (re-inked) in upper margin. Beg. O thairnic tra dona Grecaib slat ocus innredh ⁊ dithlaithriugad righcatrach na Frigia .i. na Troi. Text missing due to loss of leaves between ff. 3 and 4 [corresponding to ed. G. Calder, Imtheachta AEniasa (ITS VI, 1907) lines 299-507] and ff. 22 and 23 [corresponding to Calder, lines 2502-2697]. Breaks off incomplete at f. 25 d i with Bai Tuirin ocathach amuinntire antansin occuinncidh chloidimh [=Calder, line 3137].