This statement might have been considered a mere conjecture of his own, had not Mr.
O'Curry discovered the name of the author in a partially effaced memorandum in the Book of Leinster, which he reads thus: "[Ernin, son of] Duach [that is], son of the King of Connacht, an _Ollamh_, and a prophet, and a professor in history, and a professor in wisdom: it was he that collected the Genealogies and Histories of the men of Erinn in one book, that is, the _Cin Droma Snechta_." Duach was the son of Brian, son of the monarch _Eochaidh_, who died A.D.

305.
[10] _Besides._--O'Curry, page 16.
[11] _Sages._--M.

Nigra, the Italian Ambassador at Paris, is at this moment engaged in publishing continental MSS.
[12] _Vellum._--The use of vellum is an indication that the MSS.

must be of some antiquity.

The word "paper" is derived from _papyrus_, the most ancient material for writing, if we except the rocks used for runes, or the wood for oghams.