Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-12-06
ST. COLUMBA,s I'SALTER.

TIE fourth volume Of the report OF tie
historical manuscripts commission,
which is now instituting searches among
the archives OF ancient families, gives
the following account of what must be
characterized as most romantic, though
true, account of the celebrated Ps8lter of
st. COLUMBIA, which belongs to Sir
Richard O'Donnell, and the disputed
ownership Of which is said to have
caused the great battle of Cuidreimme
and the withdrawal of COLUMBIA from
ireland to Iona in the year $50, or Ut
ward OF thirteen hundred years ago. It
was inelosed in g casket in the eleventh
century, and great misfortgnes were ex-
pectsd to occur to the O'DOnnells If il
were opened. In 1911 it was in the Gus
tody OF the widow OF 3 head Of the house,
by whom it was lent to Sir William Bet
ham, Ulster king-at-srms, that 3
drawing might be made of the
casket, and in 1914 Lady ODon-
neil actually brought an action
against Sir William for opening it. His
answer is given at full length IL the re.
port, and is very curious and amusing,
as is his account published in the irish
Antiquarian Researches, from which
last we extract d couple Of paragraphs;
AS many reasons, however, cOncurred
to make it highly desirable that de-
scription of that curious piece Of antiqui-
ty should have place in this position
OF this Irish antiquarian researches, l
made an application to its present pos
SCISSOR, COnnel ODoneu, Esq, for per-
mission TO examine il and 70 describe
the box and It's contents. | cannot sui-
ficiently commend the politeness and
al, LON n,
instantly complied with my request by
cOnfiding the box TO my care, not only
with ample license to open and examine
its contents, but making it his particu-
lar request that l should do so, rightly
considering that a full description Of
such a piece Of family antiquity would
rather tend to enhance than depreciate
its value. The opening Of Pandora's
box did not give more evils egress than
a superstitious tradition had declared
would be let loose on the heads of the
devoted D'DOnells whenever the con-
tents OF the pOTtentOus case should be
developed-when the daring hands OF
antiquarian curiosity should venture
to violate the repose OF the holy reliques
supposed to be therein contained. Re-
careless of the inj1nctions and threats
Of ignorance, which, for more than q
century, had Theoretically sealed 1t up,
under an idea that it contained the bones
of Columkill himself, and nOtwithstand-
ing their frightful fOrebodings, the box
was opened and examined in the pres
ence Of Sir Capel MolyneuX, Mr.. O'DOn-
nell, and myself, without any extraor-
binary or supernatural occurrence,
The contents were found to be
rude wooden box, very much decayed,
inclosing Q manuscriptOnV ellumia copy
of the ancient VulgEte translation o. the
Psalms in Latin, of ffty-eight mem
branes. 1t appesred to have been origi-
nsily stitched together, but the sewing
had almost entirely disappeared. On one
side was q thin piece OF board covered
with red leather, very like that with
which eastern manuscripts are bound.
1t was so much injured by damp as to
appear almost q solid mass; by sleeping
it in cold water / was enabled to separ-
ate the membranes from each other, and
by pressing each separately between
biotiing-p3per, and frequently renewing
the operation, at length succeeded in re-
storing what was not actually decayed
to legible state. From the
depth Of the wooden box there is no
acquired abuses, and the action OF cold
will excite more or less disorder, or the
disease which will ensue, will be deter
mined by the kind of pre-eKisting blood
impurity, or the pre-eXisting fault OF the
organic processes. 1t follows from these
facts and considerations that the secrets
of avoiding the unpleasant consequences
thought TO spring wholly from the action
of cold upon the body has very little
dependence upon exposure, but great
deal upon an impure and weak cOndi-
ton OF all the vital processes. In other
words, with an average or superior con-
stitution and an intelligent observance
of all the laws of health, men aud
women could nottske cold If they want
ed to; they might be exposed to the
action of cold to a degree equal 10 the
beast of the field, and with like impuni-
tn. But in case Of persons with feeble
constitutions, and VINO disregard know
ingly or otherwise, and most frequently
otherwise, the conditions OF heSlthy
existence, no degree CT care VIII prevent
the taking of cold, as it Is termed. they
may live 10 houses regulated with all
the precision of dollhouse; they may
cover themselves with the most highly
protective clothing the market provides
and yet they viii take cold. do not
think the consumptive person lives, OF
ever will live, even If kept IN temper
AZURE absolutely uniform, and clothed 10
q wholly faultless manner, IN whom the
well known signs Of one cold after
another viii not be apparent. But on
the other hand, there are tb0se who, Ike
/ theIate Sir Henry Holland, OF good oGn'
! situations and living IN accordance with
J the laws OF health, may travel as he diC