ional cross of Cong Abbey.
Beautiful this cross certainly is with its delicate intricacy of
ornamentation, its grace of proportion and its marvel of mere
workmanship, nor is there any doubt about its history. From the
inscriptions on it, which are corroborated by the annals of Innisfallen
and the book of Clonmacnoise, we learn that it was made for King Turlough
O'Connor by a native artist under the superintendence of Bishop O'Duffy,
its primary object being to enshrine a portion of the true cross that was
sent to the king in 1123. Brought to Cong some years afterwards,
probably by the archbishop, who died there in 1150, it was concealed at
the time of the Reformation, but at the beginning of the present century
was still in the possession of the last abbot, and at his death it was
purchased by Professor MacCullagh and presented by him to the museum of
the Royal Irish Academy. This wonderful work is alone well worth a visit
to Dublin, but not less lovely is the chalice of Ardagh, a two-handled
silver cup, absolutely classical in its perfect purity of form, and
decorated with gold and amber and crystal and with varieties of
_cloisonne_ and _champleve_ enamel. There is no mention of this cup, or
of the so-called Tara brooch, in ancient Irish history. All that we know
of them is that they were found accidentally, the former by a boy who was
digging potatoes near the old Rath of Ardagh, the latter by a poor child
who picked it up near the seashore. They both, however, belong probably
to the tenth century.

Of all these works, as well as of the bell shrines, book-covers,
sculptured crosses and illuminated designs in manuscripts, excellent
pictures are given in Miss Stokes's handbook. The extremely interesting
_Fiachal Phadrig_, or shrine of St. Patrick's tooth, might have been
figured and noted as an interesting example of the survival of ornament,
and one of the old miniatures of the scribe or Evangelist writing would
have given an additional interest to the chapter on Irish MSS. On the
whole, however, the book is wonderfully well illustrated, and the
ordinary art student will be able to get some useful suggestions from it.
Indeed, Miss Stokes, echoing the aspirations of many of the great Irish
archaeologists, looks forward to the revival of a native Irish school in
architecture, sculpture, metal-work and painting. Such an aspiration is,
of course, very laudable, but there is always a danger of these revivals
being