Page:Chronicles of the Picts, chronicles of the Scots, and other early memorials of Scottish history.djvu/33

 PEEFACE. XXV it. Third, a class of later MSS., with additions written on the margin. These MSS. are all more or less connected with Durham. Fourth, a class of MSS. in Avhich these marginal additions have been incorporated into the text ; and it is from one of these that the usual text of Nennius has been edited. And fifth, the Irish translations. The dates of the Christian era in Nennius are given in two forms ; either " a passione Christi," or " ab " incarnatione Christi," and sometimes both are given together, on the principle that the date from the Passion is thirty-three years prior to the real date. It was, however, a custom among early writers to use the date from the Passion as equi- valent to that from the Incarnation, on the idea that the Passion or sufferings of Christ really com- menced with his assumption of humanity in his incarnation ;^ and a closer examination of the dates in Nennius will show that he used it in this sense ; that his date from the Passion is equivalent to the true date ; and that the later date added from the Incarnation is an interpolation. Thus, in the Vati- can MS. the dates are thus given : "a passione " Christi peracti sunt anni Dcccc.xlvi. Ab incarna- " tione autem ejus sunt anni Dcccc.lxxvi. et v " annus Eadmundi regis Anglorum." The fifth year of King Edward, however, corresponds with " mini pro ejuadem incarnatione " interdum accipi, ex Charta ann. " 108.S, in Talmlar. Eccl. Caruot " supra observatum est in voce " minus" where he gives some other instances of it. d
 * Du Cange says, " Passio Do-