Bradshaw infers that the collection was compiled by “an Irish monk or abbot of Dairinis” near Youghal. Dr. W. Stokes acutely saw that the name of Cucummne, a learned ecclesiastic (_ob._ 742 or 747, _Ann. Ult._) is concealed in the corruption; and also amended _Ruben_ (_Academy_, July 14, 1888). Mr. Nicholson, in an ingenious article in the _Zeitschr. für kelt. Philologie_, iii. 99 _sqq._ (1899), amends thus: _Hucusq; Ruben et cucuimini iae et durinis_, and finds the names of Rubin (_ob._ 725) and “Cucuimne of Ia” (Hy). He concludes that the collection was compiled in Hy and probably by Adamnan. The question need not be discussed here, since for the present purpose it is indifferent whether the compilation was made in Ireland or in Hy. The Collection has been characterised by Bradshaw as “an attempt, and there seems good ground for looking upon it as a first attempt, to form a digest of all available authorities, from Holy Scripture, from the decisions of Councils, native and foreign, and from Church writers, native and foreign, arranged methodically under sixty-five several titles; though the method has not been carried out so fully as to produce an arrangement of the titles themselves in any but the most accidental sequence” (_Early Collection of Canons_, p. 6). A survey of the sources will be found in Wasserschleben’s Introduction. Native sources are referred to under the headings _Hibernenses_, _Sinodus Hibernensis_, _Patricius_, and also with other superscriptions which will be mentioned below. Among the canons attributed to _Patricius_ we find fourteen items which are contained in the circular epistle of Patricius, Auxilius, and Iserninus: _Patr., Aux., Is._ _Hibernensis._ Preface 66. 18. a, b 1 42. 25. c 4 42. 26. a 5 42. 26. a 6 b 52. 7 8 34. 2. b 11 39. 10. b 12 40. 8 14 28. 10. c 20 33. 1. e 24 43. 4 28 40. 9 31 10. x 34 b (cp. 3) 39. 11 It is to be observed that 43. 4 = 24 is quoted as from _Sinodus Patricii_. Another canon of the Patrician conclave is also cited in the Hibernensis, but under a different title, which will be noticed below. Thus the evidence of the Hibernensis establishes that a considerable portion of the matter in the circular letter of the three bishops was held to be of Patrician origin (_c._ A.D. 700), and consequently it would be impossible to accept the date assigned by Haddan and Stubbs for the circular letter except in the sense that some interpolations might have been introduced in the course of the eighth century.