The
beautiful lower cover of the Gospels of Lindau, now in
Mr. Pierpont Morgan's treasure-house, proves that at least
as early as the seventh century the Irish lavished as much
art on the outside of their manuscripts as upon the inside.[1]
It is natural to make a beautiful covering for a book which
is both beautiful and sacred. All the volumes upon which
the Irish artist exercised his talent were invested with
sacred attributes. Chroniclers would have us believe they
were sometimes miraculously produced. In the life of
Cronan[2] is a story telling how an expert scribe named
Dimma copied the four Gospels. Dimma could only
devote a day to the task, whereupon Cronan bade him
begin at once and continue until sunset. But the sun did
not set for forty days, and by that time the copy was
finished. The manuscript written for Cronan is possibly
the book of Dimma, which bears the inscription: "It is
finished. A prayer for Dimma, who wrote it for God, and
a blessing."[3]
[1] See La Bibliofilia, xi. 165.
[2] Acta SS. Ap., iii. 581c.
[3] Healy, 524.
It was believed such books could not be injured. St.
Ciaran's copy of the Gospels fell into a lake, but was
uninjured.
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