Blair Collection > Celtic gleanings, or, Notices of the history and literature of the Scottish Gael

104 LECTURE III.
in Gaelic MSS., inscribed his name on several
of the pages. — " Mise M'lllain, M' an Leich"
(" I amM'Lean, the son of the Physician''). One
might be disposed, at first sight, to claim this
curious little volume for one of the Skye
M' Leans ; but the knowledge that there was an
Irish physician of eminence, w^hose name was
M'lllain M' an Leich, is sufficient to prove that
the MS. is an Irish one. It had, however, been
manifestly in the possession of the Beatons.
The first portion is taken up with copious ex-
tracts from the " Latin Psalter ;" then follow
some prayers ; and the last part of the work is
metaphysical and medical. The following are
extracts from its contents : — " Is sphera comh-
lan Dia aig a fuil a shentrum anns gach aon
ionad agus a cheither thimchioll gun bhi an
ionad idir" (" God is a perfect sphere, whose
centre is everywhere, and its circumference no-
where"). Or, '' Is sphera corp daignichte egin
aig a fuil eumallach amhain is ann an medhin
sin pong trid an tredritear gach aon line dinn-
saighe nasphera timchioll, agus is ris an pong
sin a deirear sentrum na sphera, agus ris an line
a shiubhlas trid sentrum na sphera innsaighe
an da fir imill as e a deirear aisi Ina sphera
agus an da phonug anns an crichnachear an
aisil a deirear da pholus an domhan riu" (" A