Page:Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy vol XXXIII.djvu/553

Rh some description of each quarter being given, and on the 7th page (sig. c 4) we have rules of good husbandry for each month: following which is information as to eclipses, a short view of astronomy "to give satisfaction to the Vulgar," and "Ordinary Signes of faire Weather" and of rain and wind.

On the second leaf, page 3, is the signature c 2, next c 3, and then c 4, and the capital letter "A" appears on the right-hand lower corner of the verso of c 7 (page 14).

Interest in this Almanack is much enhanced by the fact of its having been hitherto unknown, or at all events uncatalogued. It is not mentioned by Evans in his well-known work on Irish Almanacks.

Some three or four years ago I had the pleasure of submitting to the Academy a detailed account of a still earlier Almanack, printed in Dublin in 1612, the earliest Almanack known to have been printed in Ireland, consequently the present one comes second.

The Christian name of the composer suggests that he was Irish, as the name "Patrick" was not used in England at that time. It was used in Scotland, however, and possibly he may have been a Scotchman. The only printers in Dublin at that period were the Company of Stationers; but I think "printed for" means that it was printed at Dublin, and most probably by William Bladen, their agent here, as he bought their Dublin business some four years later.

It is almost wonderful to think how a booklet like this could survive, especially as it appears to have suffered in its time a considerable amount of rough treatment; and though, perhaps, of little intrinsic value, yet it is interesting, inasmuch as it shows the kind of Almanacks produced during that period and the kind of information they provided. R.I.A; PROC, VOL. XXXIII, SECT. C.