The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-30
JUDGE DALY'S BREHON LAWS
How He Lost and Found the Fourth Voium,
of tho Famous Irish Code.

How He Lost and Found the Fourth Volume
of tho Famous Irish Code.
In the course OF an article on Irish treatises
OF the law. THE Sun published last Sunday
q short description Of the Seanchus Nor.
or Ancien. Book OF brehon laws A COM
plete copy OF this work. which Is owned by ex-
Chief Justice Charles p DAILY Of the old Court
OF Common Pleas. was obtained by him sew
eral years ago under circumstances which
give It an added value. Aside from the law. or
rather in connection with It, ex-Justice Days
favorita fields OF study have been history.
geography and anthropology and In pnrsuipR
then he has spent much time and money In
building up his very valuable library. He had
long wanted a complete Sennchus Nor. when
no learned that such O copy In four volumes
wa, for sale In Dublin. That part Of the bre-
hon law which Is called seanchus Nor bears
evidence OF antedating 800 A. D.. and there Is
no means of proving how far back certain
parts OF the law quoted'in Il may reach Judge
DAILY instructed his agent to purchase the COPY
which was for sale In Dublin at good round
price. and his disappointment was great when
the work reached him TO find that one volume,
tho fourth, was missing. Neither Judge DAILY
nor his agent could get any trace 9t it and the
work was so rare that there was little chance
| Of finding another fourth volume. The next
I'D shop in the CITY where he thought he might
| did find an incomplete copy. which. ike his
own. was lacking the fourth volume.
| Can you get me the fourth volume OF that
| work." asked the Jud[e.
| Indeed cant. STR said the book seller. n
| could only find fourth volume to complete
| my set l could sell those books for a lot OF
| money"
| small man who happened.to overhear this
| conversation followed Judge DAILY out OF the
| shop, and. Stopping him in the street, said:
rs your Honor very anxious to get that
| fourth volume|
Il wan il to complete my set" said Judge
DAILY; WONDERING. why this man should display
Aud you are willing to pay we'll for it,"
Il am" said the Judge.
| Then m the'man tina can show you where
| u ind II II You'll come"
| The lawyer who told this story said that he
did not remember Just where this book shop
cared. but il WAS near or in Dublin. Judge
| Dalv and his guide drove TO the place. and the
| former. having learned from long experience
| with old book sellers that II Is un wise to ap-
| pear eager for any special hook, looked over
| the mans stock and bought a lew old books OF
20 special value Then his eve lighted on the
Hello. what's this?" he asked.
That's the fourth volume OF Seanchus Nor
| said the shopkeepsr. If only had the other
three volumes the set would he worth E2Ou
easy. That is all have OF it, and il you want
il YOU can have il for half guinea
i think | will take II Mt that Price" said
who had guided him 10, this much-coyeted
book. When he examined this fourth volume
he was not greatly surprised tn find that II WAS
the one belonging TO his set, and VIII he Ia
bought once before. He would have paid
$1,000 for It had 1t been necessary.