Matheson Collection > Anecdota from Irish manuscripts

Preface
The series of liitlierto inedited Irish texts, of which
this is the first instalment, has been undertaken with the
object of furnisliing- fresh material for investigation to the
increasing number of workers in Irish philology and
literature, especially those to whom tlie original manu-
scripts are inaccessible. It is also hoped that it will
provide handy text-books for students.
While the collection is to consist mainly of pieces
never before printed, otlier copies or different versions of
important texts already published will be included when
it is considered that they contribute materially to their
interpretation and reconstruction. No text already pub-
lished in facsimile will be admitted. An exception is
made, however, in the case of the Yellow Boole of Lecan,
the facsimile of this most important of Irish MSS. being
so often unreadable or untrustworthy.
In printing the texts no attempt is made either to
provide a diplomatic transcript or to construct a critical
edition. The more common compendia such as those for
at; air, con, for, us &c. are silently expanded, but italics
are used in all doubtful cases. Punctuation, hyphens and
capitals have been introduced for clearness' sake. Addi-
tions and corrections by later hands are put in paren-