rmant
refers you to Sir James Ware. I have not Ware's book, and cannot
therefore tell you how much of this story, is given by him, or whether
any. In my opinion there is nothing detailed by him at all bearing
on the subject. The latter part of this story rests, we are told, on
tradition.

"As I confess myself not at all versed in Irish antiquities, it may
appear somewhat presumptuous in me to venture an opinion respecting this
box and its contents, which is, I understand, opposed to that of our
spirited and intelligent antiquary, Sir Wm. Betham. I cannot persuade
myself that either the box or the contained MSS. were of such an age as
he claims for them. And, first, of the box:--

"At present the MSS. are contained in a wooden box; the wood is, I
believe, yew. It cannot be pronounced, I think, with any certainty,
whether the wooden box was originally part of the shrine of the precious
MSS. It is very rude in its construction, and has not a top or lid.
Indeed it appears to me to have been a coarse botched-up thing to
receive the MSS. after the original box, which was made of brass, had
fallen to pieces.

"The next thing that presents itself to us is the remnant of a brass
box, washed with Silver, and rudely ornamented with tracery. The two
ends and the front are all that remain of the brass box.

"You may then notice what was evidently an addition of later times,
the highly ornamented gilt-silver work, made fast on the remains of the
brass box, and the chased compartments, which seem to have formed the
top or lid of the box. But, as you have seen the whole, I need not
perhaps have troubled you with this description. I shall only direct
your attention to the two inscriptions. In the chasing you will see that
they are referred to their _supposed_ places.

"The upper inscription, when deciphered, is--

"'Johannes: O'Karbri: Comorbanus: S. Tignacii: Pmisit.' For S.
Tigcnaii I would conjecture St. Ignacii: P, I should conjecture to
be Presbyterus. On this I. should be very glad to have Sir William's
opinion. I cannot imagine, if P stands part of a compound with misit,
what it can mean. I would read and translate it thus--'John O'Carbery,
coadjutor, priest, of the order of St. Ignatius, sent it.'

"This inscription, is on a narrow slip of silver, and is presumed to
have formed part of the under edge of the upper part of the back of the
box. The lower inscription is--;

"'_Johannes O'Barrdan fabricavit._'

"This also