The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1874-03-17
&c. Patriek'S Gay.

St. xattlCkb onJ'
known record Of st. Patrick was
made 1000 years after hts death, so
that nothing certain can DO said re-
specting bis parentsge or place OF birth.
The latter is supposed, however, to have
been Wales, from whence he emigrsted
to Ireland, and rendered himself inn
mortal by converting the inhabitants
from the darkness Of heathenism. and
rescuing the land from the curse oft
entire race Of serpents, snakes and
crawling reptiles. Some sceptical reo-
pie pretend to doubt il such . person as
St. Patrick ever lived. They say that
the traditions regarding him are too
i'm probable to be believed. and that
be lived, il at sill. in q period
too remote for any authen-
tic information to have de-
seconded to the present time. The con-
version OF Ireland, ii is affirmed, was
effected by the settlement there OF seV-
ersl old Roman families, whose patrl-
clan character aud origin suggested the
idea which was afterwards embodied
as St. Patricus, and finally degenerated
into St. Patrick. Be this as it may, il
81. Patrick possessed the virtues which
are attributed to him he richly deserv'
ed canouizatiop, and as it is simply as
the embodiment Of these that he re-
ceiyes the honors awarded to him, we
feel no disposition to cavil over the pos"
sible TACT or fable OF bis ever having
had an existence. but are willing to
lake him at the popular estimate, and
empty a humber to the memory
of good 81, Patrick. His
torians differ not only IS TO the
day of his birth, bu! also rs to the place
Of his nativity. His baptismal name
was Succuth, but at the time OF his Or
diuation by St. German it was changed
to Magouias, and it was not ustil his
appointment by the Pope tot the bishop
ric of Ireland that he had conferred on
him the name of Patric;us. 1t appears
from the most authentic records that
Patrick was born ia Wales about the
372, The book OF Lecan says bis
mother was a Frank. She was a Sis
ter OF ST. Marion, bishop OF Tours.
Patrick, with his father, mother
brother aud five sisters, embarked from
Wales for Brittany, probably to avoid
the danse,s aud diatrsssss which a
country exposes to hostile invasloni
must ever be in. The Irish under
Mall the Grand, soon after in'
vaIed Brittany, aud among the number
OF captives they made was Patrick and
Two OF his sisters. This invasion o.
Brittany happened A. D. 1888, at which
time Patrick was sixteen year" old. Il,
lived 10 flsyery seven years. and atel
his REDEEM ptiop and return to bis friends
be ayerred that in a vision be saw 9
man coming 10 him from Ireland with
letters. The beginning oil which was
Vor Hibernigensium, and that while
peresiag i. be heard the natives call to
him for instruction. From this tim'
I forward he determined TO consecrat'
his life to the church and 10 conTer
the Irish. On the death OF Palia'
dius, the first bishop OF Ireland, Pope
Celestiue appointed Patrick TO succeed
him. His missionary success was won
derful. He converted and baptized the
king of Munster, Dublin and Con
uaught, while their subjects almost 81
masse iorsook the fsith OF the Druid
and embraced Christianity. 1t 10 re
corded that during his mission OF sixty
one years in Irelsrd he consecrated 80
bishops and ordained 1000 priests. II
made Armagh the pr:macy Of all Ire
land snd founded q university ther
which was the chief OF sil the Chris
tian seninaries on the island, whicl
rank it maintained 10
centuries, having at on
time no less than 1000 studeut'
Many miracles are recorded as havin
been wrought by St. Patrick, one Of tn
most notable being the Punishment c
all venemous reptiles from the island
BE died according to O'Haloran, a
} Down, 10 Ulster, il the year 493. age
about l2O years.
In explaining the doctrine Of tn
trinity Of the Irish Druids, it is sai
that be plucksd from the groun
leaf OF the shamrock an
, showed them how the three leave
were united and vet were but one
From his day to the present the sham
rock has been so emblem OF Irish na
,ionality and Christianity.
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