Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 35.djvu/88

MacFirbis for orchestra. 5. Pianoforte Sonatas in E flat and A, 1842. 6. Trio in E minor, for piano and strings, 1843. 7. Anthems, church services, and several hundreds of songs, ballads, glees (Shakespeare's songs for four voices, 860-4); six convivial glees for three voices, 1836; part songs to words by Charles Kingsley, 1865.

Macfarren's chief contributions to the literature of music are: 1. 'Rudiments of Harmony, with Progressive Exercises,' London, 1860; 16th ed. 1887. 2. 'Six Lectures on Harmony, delivered at the Royal Institution,' London, 8vo, 1867; 2nd ed. 1877; 3rd ed. 1882. 3. 'On the Structure of a Sonata.' London, 1871. 4. 'Eighty Musical Sentences,' written in 1867, but first published in 1875. 5. 'Counterpoint, a Practical Course of Study,' London, 4to, 1879; 3rd ed. 1881; another in 1885. 6. 'Musical History briefly narrated and technically discussed,' originally published under the heading 'Music' in the 'Encyclopædia Britannica,' 9th ed., but reissued in book form with the addition of 'A Roll of the Names of Musicians, and the Times and places of their Births and Deaths,' Edinburgh, 1885. 7. 'Addresses and Lectures,' London, 1888, with portrait. He also prepared biographical notices of musicians for the 'Imperial Dict. of Biog.;' analyses of works by the great composers; analytical programmes for the Philharmonic Society, 1868-80; and for the Sacred Harmonic Society, the Birmingham Festivals, &c. The following portraits of Macfarren exist: 1. Life-size kitcat, by Mrs. Goodman, in the possession of Mr. W. C. Macfarren. 2. Life-size three-quarter length by Cyrus Johnson, in the possession of the artist; this was exhibited at the Grosvenor Gallery in 1887, and at the Victorian Exhibition 1892. 3. A bas-relief plaque by Mrs. Henry Holmes, in the possession of the Royal Academy of Music.

 MACFIRBIS, DUALD (1585–1670), Irish historian, wrote his name in Irish Dubhaltach MacFirbhisigh, and in English letters Dudley Ferbisie {Clarendon MS. 68, fol. 59 b). It was latinised Firbissius by O'Flaherty (Ogygia, p. 219), from which Charles O'Conor (Ogygia Vindicata, p. ix) constructed the form under which he is now generally known in English books (, Lectures, i. 120; Hennessy, Chronicum Scotorum, p. i). His family were the hereditary historians of O'Dubhda, and the inauguration of that chief was performed by MacFirbis raising 'a wand above his head and pronouncing his name. The chief members of the family, known as hereditary historians, are: Gilla Isa Mor MacFirbis (d. 1279), Sean MacDonchadh MacFirbis (d. 1362), Amhlaibh MacFirbis (d. 1362), Fearbiseach MacFirbis (d. 1379), and Donnchadh MacFirbis (d. 1376). Other members of his family of historical note are: Domhnach MacFirbis, who wrote at Lackan, co. Sligo, in 1390 'Leabhar buidh Lecain' (now H. 2, 16, library of Trinity College, Dublin), a collection of historical and ecclesiastical pieces in prose and verse, an account of the contents of which is given in O'Curry's ' Lectures on the MS. Materials of Irish History,' p. 191; and Giolla Iosa Mor MacFirbhisigh, who wrote at Lackan in 1416 'Leabhar Lecain,' a manuscript of six hundred pages, of small folio size, containing a great variety of history and genealogy, now in the library of the Royal Irish Academy.

Duald was the eldest of the four sons of Giolla Iosa Mor MacFirbhisigh, the third son of Dubhaltach, who wrote a 'Leabhar Gabhala,' and was born in 1585 in the newly built castle of Lackan. His father was a scholar of some distinction, and sent him to study literature, history, and Brehon law under the famous legal family of MacAedh again in Ormond, co. Tipperary. Besides Irish learning he acquired Latin, English, and some Greek. When his education was finished he returned to Tireragh, co. Sligo, and lived there till the death of his father, the final dispossession of O'Dubhda and ruin of the Irish interest in that district in 1643, when he migrated to Galway. He there Became acquainted with Roderic O'Flaherty [q. v.] and Dr. John Lynch [q. v.], both of whom speak gratefully of receiving instruction in Irish history from him. He copied three fragments of Irish annals (571–910) for Dr. Lynch in 1643 from a vellum manuscript of Giolla na naemh MacAedhagain — printed in the volume of the Irish Archaeological Society for 1860. His transcript was edited by John O'Donovan. For five years he was engaged on a great treatise on Irish genealogy, which he finished in 1650, and called 'Craobha coibhneasa asas geuga geneluigh gacha gabhala dar ghabh Ere' ('The Branches of 