Page:Chronicles of the Picts, chronicles of the Scots, and other early memorials of Scottish history.djvu/36

 xxviii PEEFACE. him. The chronology of this chronicle is indicated by the repetition of the word annus for each suc- cessive year, whether blank or otherwise, and every tenth year is marked by a number. Although the last event recorded corresponds with the year 956, the word annus is repeated till the last recur- rence of it corresponds with the year 977, in which year the chronicle in its original form was no doubt written. Mr. DufFus Hardy, in his Introduction to the " Monumenta," observes that " the era on " which its chronology rests would concur with " the year 444 of the Incarnation, though no pro- " bable reason can be assigned for this particular " period having been selected for its commence- " ment." He also states that the earher portion appears to have been taken from an Irish chronicle. The present Editor is of the same opinion ; but the following entry from the " Annals of Ulster " may explain why the era of the MS. was 444 : " Anno " Domini cccc.xliiii Ardmacha fundata est." It was the era of the foundation of Amiagh, and the Irish chronicle, on which it Avas based, may have been connected with Armagh. The Welsh genealogies, extracts of those parts of which con- nected with Scotland are printed under letter D, are as plainly connected with the " genealogia " as the chronicle is. In the " genealogia " it is stated, in connexion with the reign of Hussa, " Contra ilium quatuor regis, Urbgen, et Eiderchen " et GuaUauc et Morcant dimicarunt ;" and in the