abundant employment to the scholarly members of the community. Others again worked at copying and multiplying books for the library, or for presentation outside; and to the industry of these scribes we owe the

Scribe writing the Book of Kildare. From an illuminated MS. of Giraldus Cambrensis, transcribed about A.D. 1200: now in British Museum. Photographed from reproduction in Gilbert's "Fac-Sim. Nat. MSS."

chief part of the ancient Irish lore, and other learning, that has been preserved to us. St. Columkille devoted every moment of his spare time to this work, writing in a little wooden hut that he had erected for his use at Iona; and it is recorded that he wrote with his own hand three hundred copies of the New Testament, which he

presented to the various churches he had founded. Some spent their time in ornamenting and illuminating books generally of a religious character, such as copies of portions of Scripture: and these men produced the wonderful penwork of the Book of Kells and other such manuscripts (page 13). Others were skilled metalworkers, and made crosiers, crosses, bells, brooches, and other articles, of which many are preserved to this day, that show the surpassing taste and skill of the artists. The cares of governing the household generally gave occupation enough to the abbot or head of the community; yet he is often found working in the fields,

Church and (imperfect) Round Tower of Dysert-Aengus near Croom in Limerick. From Mrs. Hall's "Ireland."

attending to the cattle, ploughing or digging, or taking his turn in bringing corn on his back to the mill and grinding it for next day's food. St. Brigit, accompanied

by a few of her nuns, often herded her sheep on the level sward round her nunnery in Kildare. With all this the inmates had of course their devotions to attend to; and in most monasteries had to rise at sound of bell in the middle of the night, all the year round, and go to the church to prayers. Thus they led a busy and laborious life, contented and cheerful in the consciousness that they were doing good and useful work.

CHAPTER XII.

PROGRESS OF LEARNING.

ANCIENT Ireland, Religion and Education went hand in hand, so that in tracing their history it is impossible to separate them. By far the greatest part of the education of the country was carried on by, or under the direction of, priests and monks, who always combined religious with secular teaching.

From the middle of the sixth century, schools rapidly arose all over the country, most of them in connexion with monasteries. Some had very large numbers of students; for instance we are told that there were 3000 under St. Finnen at Clonard; and some other schools, such as Bangor, had as many. A few of the students resided in the college, such as sons of kings and chiefs, and those who were literary foster children of the professors; but the most usual arrangement was that each student lived in a little hut of wood and sods, built by himself; or perhaps

two or more joined and built a more commodious house

for common use.

Whole streets of these little houses surrounded the monastery: the huts of the scholars

Ancient baptismal font of Clonard: 3 feet high: still preserved in the church there. From Wilde's "Boyne and Blackwater." Not a vestige of any old building remains on the site of this great monastery.

of St. Movi of Glasnevin, near Dublin, extended along the banks of the river Tolka near the present bridge. At stated times the students came forth in crowds to hear the lectures of the professors, which were often given in the open air.

In all the more important schools there were students from foreign lands. The majority were from Great Britain, from which they came in fleetloads, as Aldhelm, an English bishop of the year 705, expresses it. Numbers also came from the Continent, among whom were some princes: Aldfrid king of Northumbria, and Dagobert II. king of France, both, when in exile in

the seventh century, found an asylum and were educated in Ireland: and others of like rank might be named. We get some idea of the numbers of foreigners from the words of Aengus the Culdee, an Irish writer

a b c d e f g h i l m pora POSTOVER &

аведе Fshilmnop psr Tuv.

Two Irish alphabets: the upper one of the 7th century: the lower of the 11th. The three last characters of the first alphabet are Y, Z, and &c. (Two forms of s in each.) From Miss Stokes' "Christian Inscriptions," II. 135.

of the ninth century, who mentions by name many Romans, Gauls, Germans, Britons, and even Egyptians, all of whom died in Ireland. Venerable Bede, describing the ravages of the yellow plague in 664, says:- "This pestilence did no less harm in the island of Ireland. Many of the nobility and of the lower ranks of the English nation were there at that time: and some of them devoted themselves to a monastic life : others chose to apply themselves to study. The Scots willingly received them all, and took care to supply them with food, as also to furnish them with [manuscript] books to read, and their teaching, all gratis."