.

Proverb. 30, 24: Quattuor sunt minima terrae, et ipsa sunt
sapientiora sapientibus: 25 formicae, populus infirmus qui
praeparat in messe cibum sibi, 26 lepusculus, plebs invalida
qui collocat in petra cubile suum.

A HEXAD AND HEPTAD.

Proverb. 6. 16 Sex sunt quae odit Dominus, et septimum
detestatur anima eius: 17 oculos sublimes, linguam mendacem,
manus effundentes innoxium sanguinem, 18 cor machinans
cogitationes pessimas, pedes veloces ad currendum in malum,
19 proferentem mendacia testem fallacem, et eum qui seminat
intra fratres discordias.

AN ENNEAD.

Ecclus. 25, 9: Novem insuspicabilia cordis magnificavi, et
decimum dicam in lingua hominibus, &c.

The question arises whether these biblical sayings were the direct
source from which the Irish imitations are derived, or whether the Irish
became acquainted with the numerical Proverb through the medium of Greek
and Latin literature. As the Irish clerics ever since the days of St.
Patrick were diligent students of the Bible, there would be nothing
strange in the former assumption. But there exists at least one early
document which renders the latter equally possible. Under the title of
_Proverbia Grecorum_ we possess a collection of sayings translated by
some Irish scholar in Ireland from the Greek into Latin before the
seventh century.[14] Among them we find three triads,[15] two
pentads,[16] three heptads,[17] and two octads.[18]

[14] This is the opinion of S. Hellmann, their latest editor. See his
_Sedulius Scottus_, p. 135, in Traube's _Quellen und Untersuchungen zur
lateinischen Philologie des Mittelalters_, vol. i.: Muenchen, 1906.

[15] A. 39, 41. B. 5.

[16] A. 52.

[17] A. 54. B. 3, 7.

[18] B. 1, 2.

As examples I select the following two triads:--

Tres bacheriosi(?) sunt: terribilis bellator armatus
promptusque ad praelium, leo de spelunca quando praedam
devorat, aper ferus de silva quando furore in aliquem
irruit.

Tres sunt imperfecti qui numquam ad perfectionem vitae
disciplinae pervenire possunt; tunc enim a vitiis recedunt,
quando mala facere non possunt. Antiquus nauta qui multis
annis seductis onmibus emere et vendere poterat; senex
auriga qui in curribus et in equis Deo derelicto vana cura
atque conversatione meditatur atque utitur; vetula ancilla
quae dominae suae subdol