dhe, both from YBL. Valuable information
with regard to early Irish history is often contained in the prophecies
or, as they are sometimes termed, _Baile_ (_raptures, visions_), a
notable example of which is _Baile in Scail_ (Vision of the Phantom).

Religious literature.

When we turn from secular to religious themes we find that Ireland is
also possessed of a very extensive Christian literature, which is
extremely valuable for the comparative study of medieval literature.
Apart from the martyrologies already mentioned in connexion with Oengus
the Culdee, a number of lives of saints and other ecclesiastical
literature have come down to us. One of the most important documents is
the Tripartite Life of St Patrick, which cannot very well have been
composed before the 10th or 11th century, as it is full of the
extravagant miracles which occur in the later lives of saints. The work
consists of three separate homilies, each complete in itself. A later
version of the Tripartite Life was printed by Colgan in 1647. The
_Leabhar Breac_ contains a quantity of religious tracts, most of which
have been published. R. Atkinson issued a number of them under the title
of _Passions and Homilies from Leabhar Breac_ (Dublin, 1887). These are
not original Irish compilations, but translations from Latin lives of
saints. Nor do they deal with the lives of any Irish saints. Stokes has
published nine lives of Irish saints from the Book of Lismore, including
Patrick, Brigit, Columba, Brendan, Findian (Clonard), Ciaran, Senan,
Findchua and Mochua. They are written in the form of homilies preceded
by short explanations of a text of scripture. These lives also occur in
the _Leabhar Breac_. Other lives of saints have been published by
O'Grady in _Silva Gadelica_. The longest life of St Columba was compiled
in 1536 at the command of Manus O'Donnell. This tedious work is a
specimen of hagiology at its worst. The _Leabhar Breac_ further contains
a number of legends, such as those on the childhood of Christ, and
scattered through many MSS. are short anecdotes of saints which are very
instructive.

But the most interesting Irish religious text is the _Vision of Adamnan_
(preserved in LU.), which Stokes assigns to the 11th century. The soul
of Adamnan is represented as leaving his body for a space to visit
heaven and hell under the conduct of an angel. The whole treatment of
the theme challenges comparison with Dante's great poem, but the Irish
co