THE WORLD'S DEBT TO THE IRISH 
preme artistic value of the work. Here is her 
description.* 
“The words, Liber Generationis Christi, at the 
opening of the Gospel of St. Matthew, form the 
subject of six pages which are the most wonderful 
examples of illumination in this MS. At the close 
of the preface to the Gospel, the first is devoted to 
the four evangelical symbols, framed in a highly 
ornamental border; in this page we see a figure prob- 
ably representing St. Matthew; in that following, 
we have the words Liber Generationis, which occupy 
an entire folio. Next comes a picture of Christ, His 
hand raised in benediction; this is followed by a page 
of merely ornamental work, and then the whole 
series 1s crowned by the name of Christ, XPI. In 
these six pages there is a gradual increase of splen- 
dour, the culminating point of which is reached in 
this monogram of Christ, and upon it is lavished 
with all the fervent devotion of the Irish scribe, 
every variety of design to bé found in Celtic Art, 
so that the name which is the epitome of his faith, is 
also the epitome of his country’s Art.” 
Miss Stokes in her “Early Christian Art in Ire- 
land,” has emphasized particularly the perfection 
with which the decorative parts of the illuminations 
were accomplished. She recalls the story that is told 
by Vasari,—that inspired biographer of artists,—of 
the great Italian artist of the thirteenth century, 
Giotto. According to an old tradition Giotto as a 
shepherd boy was discovered by Cimabue making 
* “‘Tarly Christian Art in Ireland’’ in series of South Kensington 
Museum Art Handbooks. 
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