pages with his account of the War. But annexed
to it and preserved with it, probably in a single red case, were the three large volumes, bound in red leather, that Bilbo
gave to him as a parting gift. To these four volumes there was added in Westmarch a fifth containing commentaries, genealogies,
and various other matter concerning the hobbit members of the Fellowship.
The original Red Book has not been preserved, but many copies were made, especially of the first volume, for the use of the
descendants of the children of Master Samwise. The most important copy, however, has a different history. It was kept at Great
Smials, but it was written in Gondor, probably at the request of the great-grandson of Peregrin, and completed in S.R. 1592
(F.A. 172). Its southern scribe appended this note: Findegil, King’s Writer, finished this work in IV 172. It is an exact
copy in all details of the Thain’s Book in Minas Tirith. That book was a copy, made at the request of King Elessar, of the
Red Book of the Periannath, and was brought to him by the Thain Peregrin when he retired to Gondor in IV 64.
The Thain’s Book was thus the first copy made of the Red Bookand contained much that was later omitted or lost. In Minas Tirith it received much annotation, and many corrections, especially
of names, words, and quotations in the Elvish languages; and there was added to it an abbreviated version of those parts of
The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen
which lie outside the account of the War. The full tale is stated to have been written by Barahir, grandson of the Steward
Faramir, some time after the passing of the King. But the chief importance of Findegil’s copy is that it alone contains the
whole of Bilbo’s ‘Translations from the Elvish’. These three volumes were found to be a work of great skill and learning in
which, between 1403 and 1418, he had used all the sources available to him in Rivendell, both living and written. But since
they were little used by Frodo, being almost entirely concerned with the Elder Days, no more is said of them here.
Since Meriadoc and Peregrin became the heads of their great families, and at the same time kept up their connexions with Rohan
and Gondor, the libraries at Bucklebury and Tuckborough contained much that did not appear in the Red Book. In Brandy Hall
there were many works dealing with Eriador and the history of Rohan. Some of these were composed or begun by Meriadoc himself,
though in the Shire he was chiefly remembered for his
Herblore of the Shire,
and for his
Reckoning of Years
in which he discussed the relation of the calendars of the Shire and Bree to those of Rivendell, Gondor, and Rohan. He also
wrote a short treatise on
Old Words and Names in the Shire,
showing special interest in discovering the kinship with the language of the Rohirrim of such ‘shire-words’ as
mathom
and old elements in place names.
At Great Smials the books were of less interest to Shire-folk, though more important for larger history. None of them was
written by Peregrin, but he and his successors collected many manuscripts written by scribes of Gondor: mainly copies or summaries
of histories or legends relating to Elendil and his heirs. Only here in the Shire were to be found extensive materials for
the history of Númenor and the arising of Sauron. It was probably at Great Smials that
The Tale of Years *
was put together, with the assistance of material collected by Meriadoc. Though the dates given are often conjectural, especially
for the Second Age, they deserve attention. It is probable that Meriadoc obtained assistance and information from Rivendell,
which he visited more than once. There, though Elrond had departed, his sons long remained, together with some of the High-elven
folk. It is said that Celeborn went to dwell there after the departure of Galadriel;but there is no record of the day when at last he sought the Grey Havens, and with him went the last
to it and preserved with it, probably in a single red case, were the three large volumes, bound in red leather, that Bilbo
gave to him as a parting gift. To these four volumes there was added in Westmarch a fifth containing commentaries, genealogies,
and various other matter concerning the hobbit members of the Fellowship.
The original Red Book has not been preserved, but many copies were made, especially of the first volume, for the use of the
descendants of the children of Master Samwise. The most important copy, however, has a different history. It was kept at Great
Smials, but it was written in Gondor, probably at the request of the great-grandson of Peregrin, and completed in S.R. 1592
(F.A. 172). Its southern scribe appended this note: Findegil, King’s Writer, finished this work in IV 172. It is an exact
copy in all details of the Thain’s Book in Minas Tirith. That book was a copy, made at the request of King Elessar, of the
Red Book of the Periannath, and was brought to him by the Thain Peregrin when he retired to Gondor in IV 64.
The Thain’s Book was thus the first copy made of the Red Bookand contained much that was later omitted or lost. In Minas Tirith it received much annotation, and many corrections, especially
of names, words, and quotations in the Elvish languages; and there was added to it an abbreviated version of those parts of
The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen
which lie outside the account of the War. The full tale is stated to have been written by Barahir, grandson of the Steward
Faramir, some time after the passing of the King. But the chief importance of Findegil’s copy is that it alone contains the
whole of Bilbo’s ‘Translations from the Elvish’. These three volumes were found to be a work of great skill and learning in
which, between 1403 and 1418, he had used all the sources available to him in Rivendell, both living and written. But since
they were little used by Frodo, being almost entirely concerned with the Elder Days, no more is said of them here.
Since Meriadoc and Peregrin became the heads of their great families, and at the same time kept up their connexions with Rohan
and Gondor, the libraries at Bucklebury and Tuckborough contained much that did not appear in the Red Book. In Brandy Hall
there were many works dealing with Eriador and the history of Rohan. Some of these were composed or begun by Meriadoc himself,
though in the Shire he was chiefly remembered for his
Herblore of the Shire,
and for his
Reckoning of Years
in which he discussed the relation of the calendars of the Shire and Bree to those of Rivendell, Gondor, and Rohan. He also
wrote a short treatise on
Old Words and Names in the Shire,
showing special interest in discovering the kinship with the language of the Rohirrim of such ‘shire-words’ as
mathom
and old elements in place names.
At Great Smials the books were of less interest to Shire-folk, though more important for larger history. None of them was
written by Peregrin, but he and his successors collected many manuscripts written by scribes of Gondor: mainly copies or summaries
of histories or legends relating to Elendil and his heirs. Only here in the Shire were to be found extensive materials for
the history of Númenor and the arising of Sauron. It was probably at Great Smials that
The Tale of Years *
was put together, with the assistance of material collected by Meriadoc. Though the dates given are often conjectural, especially
for the Second Age, they deserve attention. It is probable that Meriadoc obtained assistance and information from Rivendell,
which he visited more than once. There, though Elrond had departed, his sons long remained, together with some of the High-elven
folk. It is said that Celeborn went to dwell there after the departure of Galadriel;but there is no record of the day when at last he sought the Grey Havens, and with him went the last
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