19. The twenty-four bits of the leg are now replaced, and the King of Lochlann takes O’Cein back to Ireland. Apparently three hundred years had passed, and O’Cein was only recollected as a bad man. He repents, everything changes back, and O’Cein remains Treasurer to the end of his days.
Campbell notes that he can only make nineteen tales in all, whereas there should be twenty-four secondary ones for each broken bit. On comparing this with the two printed versions, the portion common to all three, the opening and the adventures of the King of Lochlann’s son, would seem to be shorter; but the after-part, the adventures of the three sons, is only found in MacNeill’s version. As Campbell points out, the adventures of Calpach are very similar to those of Conall Gulban. I may add that the story told by the King of the Lowlands is almost precisely similar to one of the episodes in “How the Great Tuairsgeul was put to death.”[1]
The English extract is followed by Gaelic versions sent by the Rev. J. G. Campbell of Tiree, one of which he has since published and translated.
The first page of this volume has an interesting vignette photograph of Campbell and Hector MacLean taking down MacNeill’s story. It is one of the best likenesses of Campbell I know.
In addition to these seventeen 4to. volumes bound in brown-red calf, there are four royal 8vo. volumes bound in cloth, which are lettered West Highland Tales. But this is a mistake. The first of these four volumes is half filled by a duplicate series of proofs and revise to the P. T., but the other half, and vols. ii-iv, are taken up by (chiefly Gaelic) local and clan traditions, genealogical memoranda, and the like.
(d.) Leabhar na Feinne. There are three stout 4to. volumes lettered thus and bound in red-brown calf, which contain transcripts from which the text was printed. There are, furthermore, six thin 4to. and oblong folio
- ↑ Scot. Celt. Rev., p. 76.
