The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1899-08-19
JUDGE DALY'S BREHON LAWS
Lost and Found the Fourth Volume of the
Irish Code.

In the course of an article on Irish
treatises of the law, the New York Sun
published short description of the
Seanchus Nor, or Ancient Book of
Brehon laws. A complete copy of this
work, which is owned by ex-Chief JUS
tice Charles P. DAILY of the old Court of
Common Pleas, was obtained by him
several years ago under circumstances
which give it an added value. Aside
from the law, Or rather in connection
with it. ex-Justice Days favorite fields
OF study have been history, geography
and anthropology, and in pursuing
them he has spent much time and money
in building tip his very valuable library.
lie had long wanted complete Sean
chus Nor, when he learned that such a
copy in four volumes was for sale in
Dublin. That part of the Brehon law
which is called Seanchus Nor
bears evidence of antedating 600
A. D., and there is no means
of proving how far back certain
parts OF the law quoted in it may reach.
Judge DAILY instructed his agent to pur-
chase the copy which was for sale in
Dublin at a good round price, and his
disappointment was great when the
work reached him to find that one vol
un1e, the fourth, was missing. Neither
Judge DAILY nor his agent could get any
trace of it and the work was so rare
that there was little chance of finding
another fourth volume. The next time
Judge DAILY went abroad he visited Ire
land, and while in Dublin he poked into
every old shop in the city where he
thought he might find Seanchus Nor.
In one such place he did find an in
complete copy, which, like his own, was
lacking the fourth volume.
Can you get me the fourth volume
of that work." asked the Judge.
Indeed can't, sir" said the book
seller. "If I could only find a fourth
volume to complete my set I could sell
those books for lot of money"
A small man who happened to over
hear this conversation followed Judge
DAILY out of the shop, and, stopping him
in the street, said:
us your honor very anxious to get
that fourth volume?"
i want it to complete my set" said
Judge Daily, wondering why this man
should display any interest in it.
And you are willing to pay we'll for
it?"
II am" said the Judge.
Then I'm the man that can show YOU
where to find it if you'll come"
The lawyer who told this story said
that he did not remember Just where
this book shop which owned the fourth
volume was located, but it was near or
in Dublin. Judge Daily and his guide
drove to the place, and the former, i,av-
ing learned from long experience with
old-book sellers that it is unwise to ap-
pear eager for any special book, looked
over the mans stock and bought a few
old books of no special value. Then
his eye lighted on the fourth volume of
the Seanchus Nor.
Hello, what's this?" he asked.
That's the fourth volume of Sean
chus Nor" said the shopkeeper. "IfI
only had the other three volumes the set
would be worth f2oo easy That is all
have of it, and if you want it you can
have it for half guinea"
Il think will take it at that price,"
said Judge DAY. and he did. He re-
warded the man who had guided him to
this much-coveted book. When he ex-
amined this fourth volume he was not
greatly surprised to find that it was the
one belonging to his set, and which he
had bought once before. He would
have paid $4,000 for it had it been neces-
sary.