From the Original of the Four Masters, from the earliest Historic
Period to the Conclusion in 1616; consisting of the Irish Text from the
Original MSS., and an English Translation, with copious Explanatory
Notes, an Index of Names, and an Index of Places, by JOHN O'DONOVAN,
Esq., LL.D., Barrister at Law; Professor of the Celtic Language,
Queen's College, Belfast.
_Extract from the_ DUBLIN REVIEW.
"We can but hope, within the limited space at our disposal, to render a
scanty and imperfect measure of justice to a work of such vast extent
and varied erudition.... We would beg the reader, if he be disposed to
doubt our opinion, to examine almost every single page out of the four
thousand of which the work consists, in order that he may learn the
true nature and extent of Mr. O'Donovan's editorial labours. Let him
see the numberless minute verbal criticisms; the elaborate
topographical annotations with which each page is loaded; the
historical, genealogical, and biographical notices; the lucid and
ingenious illustrations, drawn from the ancient laws, customs,
traditions and institutions of Ireland; the parallelisms and
discrepancies of the narrative with that of other annalists, both
native and foreign; the countless authorities which are examined and
adjusted; the errors which are corrected; the omissions and
deficiencies supplied; in a word, the curious and various learning
which is everywhere displayed. Let him remember the mines from which
all those treasures have been drawn are, for the most part, unexplored;
that the materials thus laudably applied to the illustration of the
text are in great part manuscripts which Ussher and Ware, even Waddy
and Colgen, not to speak of Lynch and Lanigan, had never seen, or left
unexamined; many of them in a language which is to a great extent
obsolete."
A Prospectus of the Work will be forwarded gratis to any application made
to the Publishers.
Dublin: HODGES & SMITH, Grafton Street, Booksellers to the University.
London: LONGMAN & Co.; and SIMPKIN, MARSHALL, & Co.
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