Finnian  was  in  truth  the  new  and  corrected  edition  of  the  old
Vulgate,  which  was  just  then  coming  into  universal  use.
This  fact  is  quite  enough  to  explain  St.  Columcille's  anxiety
to  get  a  copy,  as  well  as  St.  Finnian's  fear  that  his  own  trea-
sure might  be  lost  or  injured.
Tourists  visiting  Ireland  would  do  well  to  examine  this
venerable  memorial  of  our  ancient  Church,  as  well  as  the  other
relics  in  the  Royal  Irish  Academy.  The  casket  itself  con-
sists, of  a  brass  box  nine  and  a  half  inches  long,  eight  in
breadth,  and  two  in  thickness.  The  top,  however,  is  covered
with  a  silver  plate,  richly  gilt,  chased,  and  adorned  with
marvellously  wrought  figures  of  Columcille,  the  Crucifixion,
and  other  sacred  objects.  The  corners,  too,  were  set  in  pre-
cious stones — crystals,  pearls,  sapphires,  and  amethysts,  many
of  which,  as  might  be  expected,  have  been  lost.  The  whole
work  furnishes  a  striking  proof  of  the  skill  of  our  Celtic  fore-
fathers in  metallurgy  so  early  as  the  eleventh  century,  when
It  was  almost  lost  as  an  art  elsewhere.
St.  Finnian  composed  a  Rule  for  his  monks,  and  a  peni-
tential code,  which  latter  is  still  extant,  and  of  much  interest
to  antiquarians,  as  it.  is,,  perhaps,  the  earliest  expression  of
the  discipline  of  the  primitive  Irish  Church  on  this  important
subject.  These  penitential  canons  are  fifty-three  in  number,
and  several  of  them  are  rather  rigorous,  at  least  according  to
our  relaxed  modern  notions.  In  those  days  men  were  more
in  earnest  in  the  work  of  saving  their  souls,  and  punished
with  voluntary  severity  any  grave  neglect  of  this  great  duty.
A  penance  of  seven  years  was  imposed  for  perjury,  with  the


254  THl'l  SCHOOL  OF  MOVILI/E.
additional  penalty  of  setting  free  a  bondsman  or  bondswoman.
