a plebeius in the island
of Raghery quarrelling with his wife.

The thoughtful student will find a more distinguished analogy with the
habits of later civilisation in the literature of these early churchmen.
The subject of the introduction of letters into Ireland, and the very
early literature of that country, is too large to be handled here. It is
certain that in Columba's era, the middle of the sixth century, books
were written and used in Ireland. The respect paid to a book in that age
was something beyond that of the most ardent book-hunter. Many of the
most exciting of the saintly miracles have for their end the
preservation of a book in fire or in water. The custody of the Book of
Armagh, containing St Patrick's canons, was a great hereditary office;
and the princely munificence which provided the book with a suitable
case or shrine in the tenth century is recorded in Irish history.
Besides their costly shrines already referred to, these books often had
for an outer covering a bag or satchel, in which the sacred deposit was
carried from place to place. The heart must be dead to all natural
sensations that does not sympathise with Dr Reeves in the following
triumphant announcement:--

"Of leather cases the cover of the Book of Armagh is the most
interesting example now remaining. It came, together with its
inestimable enclosure, into the writer's possession at the end of 1853,
and is now lying before him. It is formed of a single piece of strong
leather, 36 inches long and 12 broad, folded in such a way as to form a
six-sided case 12 inches long, 12-3/4 broad, and 2-3/4 thick, having a
flap which doubles over in front, and is furnished with a rude lock and
eight staples, admitted through perforations in the flap, for short iron
rods to enter and meet at the lock. The whole outer surface, which has
become perfectly black from age, is covered with figures and
interlacings of the Irish pattern in relief, which appear to have been
produced by subjecting the leather, in a damp state, before it was
folded, to pressure upon a block of the whole size, having a depressed
pattern, and allowing it to remain until the impression became
indelible."

A pleasing peculiarity in the personal habits of these recluses is their
frequent communion with birds and the gentler kind of beasts. Their
legendary histories speak of these animals as apt mediums of
vaticination and miraculous intervention; but we must be content, in the
pre