ANCIENT IRISH HARP.

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chromatically; these amount to about six thousand specimens. To these Mr. Graydon's collection of volcanic products has been added, having been purchased by the college. This portion contains fifteen hundred articles; and the whole collection of minerals amounts to more than nine thousand specimens.

There is also a large collection of the dresses, implements of war, and others for domestic purposes, used by the South Sea Islanders; the greater part of which were collected by Lieutenant Patten, R.N., whilst he was circumnavigating with Captain Cooke. Dr. Conwell, of the East India Company's service, also presented to the museum a collection of East India corals, and various other subjects of Natural History. A collection of stuffed birds has also been accumulating for some time, and at present it amounts to more than 250: they are chiefly presents from amateur ornithologists.

The museum also contains several curious coins, and many Irish antiquities. These, though not numerous, are valuable and interesting. Amongst the ancient relics of art, are some well deserving attention. The chief of these is, certainly, a handsomely formed Irish harp of ancient days. It is traditionally stated to be the harp of Brien Boroimhe, monarch of Ireland, whose army gave a total overthrow to the Danish forces, or Ostmen, on Good Friday, in the year 1014, at Clontarf, near Dublin; this king being slain at the close of the battle.

Opinions are divided as to the fact of this instrument being of so early a date, some antiquaries asserting that the workmanship of the silver ornaments upon it afford proof that it is of a later era: the question, however, is likely to remain undecided until some better evidence shall be brought forward at either side. This harp is 32 inches high at the

a The following is an account of its pilgrimage, as extracted briefly from General Vallaney's "Collectanea.' It appears that Donagh, the son and successor of Brian Boroimhe, being dethroned by his subjects, A.D. 1064, for his crimes, fled to Rome, to obtain expiation of his

298

CURIOUS RELICS OF ANTIQUITY.

sounding board, which is of oak, the arms are of red sally. There are still a good many silver ornaments about it; amongst these is the armorial bearing of "the O'Brien" Chief, this is on the front arm, or staff. The instrument has keys and string-holes for twentyeight strings, but the foot-board or pedestal on which the sounding board rested has been broken off. After almost countless adventures, it was presented to this college by the Right Hon. William Conyngham, in 1782.

Other curious relics of antiquity are, the "Charter Horn," or drinking cup of the O'Kavanaghs, Princes of Leinster, and the silver case in which St. Moling's copy of the gospels was kept; these were presented to the college by the late Mr. Kavanagh of Burros in Ossory. Here are two handsome brazen vases, one found in county Donegal, the other near Gray Abbey, county Down; also an instrument very similar to the Etruscan Crotala. Six of these were found about sixty years ago, at Slane, county Meath. A fibula of large size and handsome appearance, found near Cashel. There are likewise several croziers, spearsins, and carried with him the solid golden crown and the other regalia, and this harp, which he laid at the feet of the Pope, Alexander II. The wily Italian took them as a demonstration of a full submission of the kingdom of Ireland to the see of Rome, and under this very absurd pretence, Adrian IV., surnamed Brakspeare, an Englishman, in his bull for transferring Ireland to Henry II., alleged this circumstance as one of the principal titles by which he claimed the sovereignty of Ireland. These regalia remained in the Vatican until Clement X. sent the Harp, but not the Golden Crown, to Henry VIII. with the celebrated cartoons of Raffaelle, and the title of "Defender of the Faith." This circumstance of the pope bestowing what he had no right to, "the sovereignty of Ireland," upon the king of England, who was then one of his vassals, proves any thing but a claim to gratitude from the Irish people towards the Roman pontiffs. To be in any degree consistent, the "Repealers" should repudiate all subjection to the Popes of Rome, as these were the real usurpers who first degraded Ireland from its national independence.

a The Red Hand, palewise, supported by lions. This harp is said to be much too small for the class of instruments" that once through Tara's Halls the soul of music shed." It is supposed to have been one of those which were used by the ecclesiastics at the cathedral services, processions, &c.

NATURAL HISTORY, ETC.

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heads, hatchets, and other weapons, consecrated bells, &c., &c.

Of the fossil remains, the most interesting certainly are the skulls, and some other parts of the skeletons, and the branching antlers of a species of deer, which must at some remote period have been rather numerous in Ireland; but they have become extinct so long since, that these remains are all we have to prove their former existence. These horns are still occasionally found in the turf bogs, (peat mosses,) and even in meadow land, mostly of the alluvial formation; they generally lie at a depth of from six or seven to fifteen feet below the present surface, and are most commonly in good preservation. Their length is from four to five feet and upwards along their main branch, but their extent across is from six to eight or ten feet, and we believe there is one at Castle Dillon, the seat of the Molyneux family, in the north of Ireland, which is twelve feet across from outside to outside of the palms at their broadest part, and the weight of these last mentioned is above fifty pounds, others weigh thirty or forty pounds.

The present improved state of this interesting repository is attributed, very justly, to the judicious appointment of Dr. Stokes to the office of its curator: the choice could scarcely have been better, as the event has fully proved. It was also fortunate that Dr. Stokes had for a time the assistance of Dr. Thomas Taylor, whose intelligence and zeal in geological science was allowed to be very extensive.

The staircase leading up to this apartment is spacious, and its walls are adorned with many specimens of mechanic art and natural history. Amongst the latter are the horns of the gigantic Elk or Moose Deer, already noticed. A curious specimen of the alligator tribe. Ancient Irish swords, axes, arrows, and other implements of Celtic warfare. The Mohawk warrior. Model of the Giants' Causeway, and some other articles have for some time past been placed in the great The old painting, however, yet remains upon the wall. This work of art appears to be nearly coeval

room.

300

COLLEGE BUILDINGS.

with the scene it is intended to represent (in 1602), namely, the fort and harbour of Kinsale, on the south-east coast of Ireland, with the Irish and Spanish garrison besieged by the English and Irish army, under the lords Mountjoy and Clanrickard, at the moment that the Spanish troops in the field, led by Don Alonzo Del Campo, and the Irish forces under Tyrone and O'Donnel, made a daring attempt to raise the siege, but in which attempt they were defeated with considerable loss; a circumstance that was soon followed by the surrender of Kinsale, and eventually by the suppression of Tyrone's rebellion, which terminated in a few months after this event.

The visitor having left the museum, now passes through the vestibule, into the great square of the college, this fine quadrangle is nearly 600 feet in length, from the west entrance to the opposite side next the college park, and is about 212 feet in breadth it was formerly divided centrically across its length by a range of brick buildings, extending from the library towards the refectory or new square. Those quadrangles were nearly of equal dimensions, the Parliament Square being the larger by about twenty yards. The name thus given to this square was intended to keep in remembrance the liberal grants which the Irish parliament voted toward the rebuilding the principal front, and general improvement of the college buildings.

The rear of the grand front, above described, forms the western boundary of this extensive area, and is also built of granite, with a portico, pediment, and columns similar to that in front: the north and south sides of the original Parliament Square are also constructed with cut granite and equally well wrought masonry. These two flanks and the front are divided into twelve buildings of four stories each, containing nearly 200 apartments, in which several of the fellows

a It was this portion of the army that so nobly commenced the subscription mentioned at page 14, which laid the foundation of "that superb monument of learning," the Library of the University of

Dublin.