system of philosophy, mythology, and history is carefully handed down orally from generation to generation. The Vedic schools of India, where the early Vedas have been handed down from the days of the collection of the Rishis' songs, long before Alexander and Buddha, to our own days, by the carefully trained memories of master and pupil, give an example of the possibility of exact transmission in a stable society for many generations. Exact dates in the present uncertain state of Indian chronology are hard to get.
The secular or bardic schools of mediæval Ireland comprised a twelve-year course; that is to say, a pupil could not compass it in less than twelve years. These schools were undoubtedly the successors of the kind of school that Cæsar's Druids kept. We have some certain information as to the work they did.[1] In the first year the pupils, memory was tested by the learning of twenty tales in prose, seven as Ollaire, three as Taman, ten as Drisac, so that when he became Fochluc he had learnt elementary grammar, certain poems, and ten more tales, and was regarded as a person capable of the minor kinds of poetry. In his third year as Mac Fuirmedh he went on with grammar, philosophy, poetry and ten new tales. In his fourth year as
- ↑ Dr. D. Hyde, Literary History of Ireland, p. 528, &c., gives from the Memoria of Clanrickard, London, 1722, an account of a bardic school in the latest days. It began at Michaelmas lasted till the 25th March. The pupils all brought gifts to the chief Ollamh. Those who could not read and write Irish well or had bad memories were at once sent away. The rest were divided into classes according to their proficiency and past studies, the juniors to be taught by inferior professors, the seniors by the head Ollamh himself. They were only taught at night by artificial light, they composed and memorised each in his own dark windowless room where was only a bed, a clothesrail and two chairs. Hence, Luidhe i leabdibh sgol, to lie in the beds of the schools, meant to be studying to become a poet. Before the supper, candles were brought round for the student to write down what he had composed. Each then took his composition to the hall, where they all supped and talked till bedtime. On Saturdays and holidays they went out of the schools into the country, quartering themselves on the country people, who supplied their daily food and that of their professors. Obviously there are remains of the older disciplina still to be recognised in this description.
