Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1885-02-12
Mptrs Of Trarelim GMrnpe.
OBSERVATIONS ON IRELAND.
Written for the Yorkville Enuuirer.]
BY REV. r. LATHAM.

! BY REN. II. LATHAM.
Written for the Yorkvile Enauirer.]
Every son of the Emeral Isle is, so soon
as he puts his foot on foreign soil, honored
or stigmatiZed-iti is difficult to learn which
is meant-with the name Paddy. IA Pad
DIV from Cork' is the designation of a gen.
uine, full-blooded Irishman, in whose veins
no Scotch or English blood flows. Paddy
is often, if not always, for the sake of brevi-
ty rather than euphony, shortened into
Pat This is done apparently by dropping
the last syllable and changingd into t. This
is only apparently the fact. In reality Pat
is an abbreviation of Patricius, the Latin
name of the tutelar saint of Ireland, and
certainly one of the most remarkable men
the world ever produced. There are, no
doubt, some persons, perhaps many, who
are incredulous as to the existence of St.
Patrick. They are disposed to regard him
as a fabulous bei&g} which meyer had an eX-
istence save in the morbid inaginations of a
grossly ignorant and degradedly supersti-
tious people. Such is not the case. St.
Patrick is no myth. 1t is true that many
of the accounts which tradition gives of
him are Incredible but Notwithstanding
this, the existence of st. Patrick can be
proven beyond historic peradventure, and
his life and labOrs are Intimately and
ecclesiastical history of Ireland.
It is not easy, with Unerring' certainty, to
learn the place of st. Patrick's nativity.
Several countries claim to have given him
BIRTH No doubt this had, in some degree,
tendency to make the impression on the
minds of some that such being never had
an existence. Those who come to this con-
cusion from this fact should remember
that the birthplace of quite a number of
illustrious men, of both ancient and modern
times, is not known. The probability is
that st. Patrick was born in Gaul, now
France, in the year 372. The Papal church
the Protestants of Ireland, at least some of
them, as confidently assert that he was a
Protestant of the dyed-in-the-woolP Presby-
terian type. The truth probably lies mid
way between these extremes. [ suppose
st. Patrick was neither staunch Catholic
nor rigid Presbyterian. About the time
of st. Patrick the church was in very pc
culiar state. 1t was mixed up with much
that was pagan in its origin. 1 do not,
however, propose to settle, or even under
take to settle the grave but surely not very
important question whether St. Patrick was
a Catholic or Presbyterian, further than
as they now are.
The history of st. Patrick's entrance into
Ireland is certainly interesting, if it is not
edifying. The name of one of the early
Kings of Ireland was Mall, the progenitor
of the O'Nialls. At that time, near the
close of the fourth century, the Romans
greatly troubled the inhabitants of the Brit
ish Isles. Mall collected a large army com.
posed of Irish, Picts and Scots, and marched
against the Romans in Britain. The cele.
brated Roman wall, parts of which are Still
standing, was forced and the Romans were
overcome and put to tribute. This made
Mall illustrious, not only in his own country
and in the eyes Of his own subjects, but also
in the Gallo Provinces. In Gaul there were
some Saxon tribes. These, oppressed by the
Romans, applied to Mall for succOr, which
was granted. Mall led the expedition in
person. Landing on what is now the coast
of France, he devastated the Roman settle
ments, and then returned to his native isle
loaded with spoils and treasure. From
Gau, Mall brought with him to Ireland
two hundred captives. These captives were
sold into bondage for period of seven years
in accordance with the prevailing custom Of
the times. This custom evidently was o
Hebrew origin. Among these prisoners
was one who afterwards received the name
st. Patrick, by which name he is known "a all
over the world. Two of st. Patrick'S Sis
with him as slaves.
The fact that Patrick was, under these cir
cumstances, brought to Ireland no doubt
led some to conclude that he was Roman
The weight of testimony, however, seems
to be that his mother was native OF Wales
and his father Gaul. Really it is not OF
much consequence where he was from OF
of whom he was born.
When Patrick was brought to Ireland in
the capacity of slave by Mall the Grand
as he was called, he was sixteen years old
He was sold to man by the name OF Mil
cho who lived in Antrim county, some
place near SIemish Mountain. This noun
tain is about eight miles a little north
east from Ballymena, and about half that
distance in a southeast direction from the
town of Broughshane. The Braidwater,
a small but beautiful stream, winds its way
north and west of Slelnish among the hills
and through the valley, until it empties in
to the main. From the top of Slemlsh,
which is about fourteen hundred and forty
feet high, the view is charmingly delight
full. East, about fifteen miles distant may
be seen the North Channel, dotted all over
with boats plying between Larn, Belfast,
Carifugus and Bangor. The town OF Bel
fast cannot be seen because Cave Hill inter
venes. Southwest, Lough Neagh stretches
out in the distance like a long bank OF
yellow, cay-colored clouds. Ballymena
BrOughshane and other towns are seen. The
valley of the Braid presents from the top
of Slemish one of the most lovely sights |
ever witnessed.
1t was at the toot of i5lemish on the west
side, perhaps, that Melcho the Master Of st.
Patrick lived. In this vicinity, some place
between Slemish and the town or settlement
of Breckna, st. Patrick watched the f1ocks
/.o,,,o co !, cyp o\ of hS ma Ster sc thay brOWS-
ed on the sides of the mountain or graZed
over the valley of the Braid.
The tradition is, and this is the best au-
thority that exists on the subject, that on
the ton of Slemish, or rather near the top on
the northwest end, he retired that he might
engage in prayer. On that end there is
strange rock or rather strange break out
in large rock. This rock, about as high as
q mans head and extending considerable
distance across the end Of the mountain,
has in it very peculiar groove or recess
which forms what is called st. Patrick S
chair. The face of the rock appears as II a
section about two feet wide and about the
same in depth had been taken out from the
top until within two feet Of the ground. In
this, tradition says, st. Patrick was accus-
toned to sit and rest. The chair is COM
Portable when you get in it, but it requires
some effort to effect this. No doubt hun
dreds of individuals have sat down in this
stone chair of st. Patrick.
| Semish is still used for grazing purposes,
as it was fifteen hundred years ago. The
east side which slopes off towards the North
| Channel, was covered with sheep on the day
on which / climbed up its rocky side.
These sheep were watched by shepherds
as law looking fellows as l ever laid my
eyes on.
o,,f hOnn.