The Irish republic. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1867-18??, 1868-04-04

lady, |
did not think should have the pleasure of referring
to smaller but still interesting historical work by an
Irish authore namely The Story of the Irish Before the
Conquest from the mythical period to the invasion under
Srongbow. London Bell and Daddy, 1862 This highly
attractive volume is from the pen of Mrs M. c. Ferguson
the wife of Mr. S. Ferguson whose lays of he Western
Gael" "Hbernian Nights Entertainments" and other
works. have established him in the first rank amid Irish
poets and historical romancst In her preface the authores
quotes the statement made in the Senchu Nor to the effect
that "when St. Patrick had completed that selected compia
ton of the Laws of the Irish Gael Dubtach the Brehon
and bard put thread of poetry round it, In like manner
Mrs. Ferguson has enwoven the early story of Irish history
with number of poetic illustrations and by thus rendering
the creative fancy of bads the occasional exponent of
signal passages in annals has in measure realized
the ideal of of the old Irish books which the
of history and poetry alike preside. The auhoress
divides her narrative into series of periods such as the
Mythical the Heroic the Atacotic, Ossianc Patrcian
Columbian Scholastic Danish and Dalcassian which pre-
coded the conquestan arrangement which, while founded
chronology indicates the distinctive sources from which
the materials have been derived The book thus covers the
ground occupied by Keangs history while utilizing manv
new sources of information, unknown to or unused by
Keang which have been analysed and translated by Irish
scholars associated with the various archaeological and other
societies. There is something particularly charming in
book which, thus founded reliable authorities unolds
the antique story of Erie with the interest once of
and fact The early chapters which refer the epochs of
colonization and the events the heroic period derived from
metrca anna and traditional poetry such as cannot be
made the prelude of any other European history based on
like existing materials The echoes of bardc song in which
the Druds conserved the remote ages of Celtic Britain have
long expired while the annals of Ireland exist and bear
intrinsic evidence of being verabe reflections of those old
days of Time which in the of Europe have long dis
appeared beneath her horizon.
the of no
connection with their subsequent possession of written
character in which their poems and annals preserved
and the extraordinary tenacy with which tradition adheres
to the minds of the people in their brbarous STAGE there is
reason to doubt the authenticity of the details of Celtic
Irish history during those socalled mythical epoch
which for many ages preceded foreign intercourse not to
speak of the introduction of Christianity The
of oral tradition is we'll exempfed in the answer of the
Scotch Highlander to the lady who marveed the number
of songs and pieces of poetry which he recoeced cob
madam, before had the free schools had long mem
cries. All early history is of course derived from national
songs and ballads while that of ancient Rome as thus COM
piled by Lvy, regarded of the most valuable con-
ributions to the primitive history of any people, that of
Ireland, which antedaes the latter by many centuries has
hitherto remained almost wholly unknown to the literary
mind of Britain and of Europe although far more interesting
from its antiquity and the variety of it's subject Yet
if the origin of the Romanswhch but episode amid
the narration of older civilization, episode which
afterwards indeed became pcis attractive that of the
Ces of Ireland their settlements and achievements is
at least equally The ancient domain of Rome in which
the deeds which Lvy has celebrated in his first books
performed much less in than the county Dublin
having but radius of fifteen miles; and the
Cels had overpread Europe and occupied Erie for thou
sands Of years before the primitive races from whom that
called Latin arose. had established in history. It is
the opinion of the most eminent philologists whom
may mention DR.. Lotner of Trinity Coege-that the
Celts Germans and Sclavomans originally formed one peo-
pe from whom the Ces the first separate an idea
founded the intimate relations discoverabe between the
Celtic and German languages Then other divisions
Ce Lans and Heenes spreading south and west Germans
and Scavomans norhward and westward The Cets were
the first branch succuent and strong of the Asiatc tree