Leabhar Imuinn Volume 1; The Book of Hymns of the Ancient Church of Ireland (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1855 Excerpt: ...Colgan's work is full of typographical blunders of the most careless de scription. He evidently meant to say that the Life by St. Ultan and the Hymn were to be found in the same volume. But this statement is not xnade in the Preface of the ancient scholiast. Note A. Additions made to the Hymn. 63 prehendit miracula S. BrigidtB uno libro. Ordo alphabetical in eo serratur, et ad imitationem rithmi Noecarii compositut at. Quatuor sunt in eo capitula et quatuor lines in sinoulit copitulii, et sedecim tyllaba in qualibet lined.1 This agrees with the Preface of the Dublin MS., except as to the number of capitula of which the Hymn is said to consist. The Dublin copy gives two opinions on this point; one is that the Hymn had but three capitula, namely, the three which begin with the letters X, Y, and Z. The other opinion is, that the Hymn had originally a capitulum for every letter of the alphabet, but that of these only four now remain, viz. that beginning Audile virginis laudes, which was the first, and the three beginning with X, Y, and Z, which were the last, all the intervening capitula being lost. Colgan's Liber Hymnorum. however, states that the Hymn has four capitula, without noticing any other opinion, and without intimating that it was originally longer, or that any of it was omitted or lost. Both Prefaces agree in excluding the lines beginning Brigida aancta sedulo. which are therefore no part of the Hymn, but are of the nature of an antiphon to be said after the Hymn. It must be evident to the critical reader that the stanza Audite is a subsequent addition, and that the three preceding stanzas are in fact the Hymn, as stated in the Preface to the Dublin copy. The verses Audite, &c, do not obey the laws of the metre either as to assonances or number ...