http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924026519334



PREFACE

TN the month of July 1910, the late Mr E. C. Quiggin of
-*- Cambridge, in the course of a tour through the Highlands,
spent a week-end at the Manse of Strathfillan. On that occasion
he spoke frequently of the Gaelic MS. of Statius in the Advo-
cates' Library, as being the last great MS. still unpublished. He
urged me to undertake the publication, and to make known my
intention forthwith. I acted upon his suggestion, and soon after
I proceeded to transcribe the MS. In the month of July the
following year Professor Mackinnon began to print a text and
translation of the MS. in the Celtic Review, No. 26, and continued
to issue further instalments till No. 38 was reached, June 1915,
the year of his death. Two more instalments were published
and then, at No. 40, the Celtic Review was discontinued. By
this time the ms. up to E. 40*35, line 3191, had been printed.
In the meantime, feeling that Professor Mackinnon's work on
Statius was not likely to hold the field permanently, I continued
working at the text as opportunity offered ; and soon after the
cessation of the Celtic Review a text and translation were com-
pleted by me and laid aside, the war rendering futile all hope
of immediate publication.
I have now the pleasure of expressing my deep gratitude to
the Carnegie Trust who have promised a liberal grant for the
production of the book, the generous intention on their part
being to secure the Editor against financial loss ; and a further
result being, as is hoped, to provide the student with a suitable
class-book on Middle Irish.
