Page:Chronicles of the Picts, chronicles of the Scots, and other early memorials of Scottish history.djvu/44

 xxxvl PEEFACE. hand, are the words Maehmiru cecinit ; there is an older copy of this poem in the book of Leinster, a MS. of 1160 ; Maelmuru, the author, is said to have died ia the year 884 ; but whether the poem be as old as that date, it certainly contains the oldest form of the tradition of the Picts havrug obtained Irish wives ; and being attached in the " Book of Lecain" to the Irish Nennius, as much of the poem is here inserted under letter r as has any bearing on the early legendary history of Scotland. The tract in- serted under letter G is found in the Irish version of Nennius, contained in the " Book of Ballimote" alone, and immediately precedes the account of the reign of Vortigern and the arrival of the Saxons, as contained in the text of Nennius. Dr. Todd's translations of these pieces have been adopted with some modifications. The Duan 6. The Duan Albanach. — The " Duan Albanach" was first printed, but very incorrectly, by Pinkerton, who received his copy from Charles O'Connor of Belnagare, but whence he derived it is not stated. A more correct copy M^as printed by his son. Dr. O'Connor, in his " Rerum Hibernicarum Scrip tores " veteres," and his text was adopted in the " Collec- " tanea de rebus Albanicis." In the Irish Nennius published by the Irish Archaeological Society, a still better text was printed from a MS. compiled by Dudly M'Firbis, one of a celebrated race of Irish Sennachies, in the year 1650. No older version is now known to exist ; but it is quoted by Colgan in