Tindall summarises the roles that these old men play as those of the Four Masters, the Four Evangelists, and the four Provinces of Ireland ( "Matthew, from the north, is Ulster; Mark, from the south, is Munster; Luke, from the east, is Leinster; and John, from the west, is Connaught").
Tindall resume el papel de estos cuatro hombres como el de los cuatro maestros, los cuatro evangelistas y las cuatro provincias de Irlanda («Matthew, del norte, es Ulster; Marcos, del sur, es Munster; Lucas, del oriente, es Leinster; y Juan, del occidente, es Connacht»).