es to be represented in translations. Thus we have
Irish versions, amongst others of the _Gesta Romanorum_, the _Historia
Brittonum_, the Wars of Charlemagne, the History of the Lombards, Sir
John Maundeville's Travels (trans. by Fingin O'Mahony in 1475), the Book
of Ser Marco Polo (abridged), Guy Earl of Warwick, Bevis of Southampton,
the Quest of the Holy Grail, Octavian, the chronicle of Turpin, Barlaam
and Josaphat, and the story of Fierabras. The Arthurian cycle is
developed in independent fashion in the Adventures of the Eagle Boy and
the Adventures of the Crop-eared Dog. For translation literature see M.
Nettlau, _Revue celtique_, x. pp. 184, 460-461.

Philology.

Hand in hand with the interest of the medieval Irish scholars in the
history of their island goes the cultivation of the native tongue. Owing
to the profound changes produced by the working of the Irish laws of
accent and initial mutation, it is doubtful if any other language lends
itself so well to wild etymological speculation. By the beginning of the
Middle Irish period a good part of the cumbrous Old Irish verb-system
had become obsolete, and texts which were at all faithfully copied had
to be plentifully supplied with glosses. Moreover, if, as is probable,
all the historical and legal lore was in verse, a large part of it must
have been unintelligible except to those who knew the _berla fene_. But
even before this Cormac mac Cuillenain, the bishop-king of Cashel (d.
903), had compiled a glossary of archaic words which are accompanied by
explanations, etymologies, and illustrative passages containing an
amount of invaluable information concerning folk-lore and legendary
history. This glossary has come down to us in various recensions all
considerably later in date than the original work (the oldest copy is in
LB.). Later collections of archaic words are O'Mulconry's Glossary (13th
century), the Lecan Glossary (15th century), which draws principally
from the glosses in the _Liber Hymnorum_, O'Davoren's Glossary (16th
century), drawn principally from the Brehon Laws, a 16th century list of
Latin and Irish names of plants employed in medicine, and O'Clery's
Glossary (published at Louvain, 1643). BB. contains a curious tract on
Ogamic writing. An Irish treatise on grammar, called _Uraicept na
n-eces_, the Poet's Primer, traditionally ascribed to Cennfaelad and
others, is contained in BB. and YBL. It appears to be a kind of medley
of Donatus and the