Morning journal and courier., 1888-12-01

be found in western Europe; and in the misty distance is faintly seen the Hill of Slane, upon whose brow St. Patrick first raised the beacon of Christianity-there cannot be discerned by human eyes within the same radius in all the world such an as- founding array of ruined castles, crumbling fortalices, lofty round towers, majestic cross es and monuments, ivory grown and solitary ruins of abbey, monastery, palace, half hid- den raths, duns and cromlechs, and sepule chral tumui of such imposing and colossal character are only eaualed in impressive ness and grandeur by the pyramids of the Egyptian kings. There are not in any land more striking specimens of former greatness than the massive seulptured crosses rising above the ruins of Monasterboice, an hours walk from Slane. These proofs of a sur passing Irish Christian art were imperishably wrought just one thousand years ago. At Mellifont, three miles nearer, the octagonal baptistry, the most unique structure in Ire~ land, belonging to period prior to the first Anglo Norman invasion, IS worth thousand miles travel to any lover of architectural and ecclesiastical art. "Hag's Mountain" !" Sieve na Cslliagh, not twenty-five miles distant, will furnish the archaeological searcher into a prehistoric past more majestic stone sepul- eres surmounted by cairns and enclosed in circles of stone than can be found in all Bri-
 tain, Caledonia and Gaul together. At both
 Bsctiye Abbey and Clady, neither of which are five miles from Tara, are found among the ruins some of the grandest art-studies in Europe. While at Dowth and Newgrange, between Slane and Drogheda, perhaps six teen miles from Tara, you may view prehis- teric Cyclopean sepuIehres constructed in the oldest form known to the world; that of Newgrange rising to height eff over seventy feet, with inner chambers and recesses as re- ceptacles for sarcophagi eighteen feet in height, and bearing calculated superin- o11p 1hanf ztn uzaioht nf hnndra6 and eighty thousand tons; the whole as wonder fuI as, and only exceeded in contemplative grandeur by, the mighty tomb of Agamem- non at MycenH.
 All this is but the faintest glimpse of the marvellous surroundings which grew out of the ancient royal glories of Tara-now deso- late, grass grown, all but obliterated. But through the life long labors of Petric, that
 king of archRologists, of O'Curry, that true
 Oliamh or master-teacher and philelogist,
 and the researches of host of lessen but
 none the less devoted, antiquarians, not snly
 ara the sites, character and dimensions of
 Tara's ancient palaces now as clearly defined
 as before St. Rudhan's curse caused it's de-
 sertion and decay; but the almost living presencss of the rude and majestic person ages of those who were once here, with theil customs, manners, laws, littlenesses anG greatnesses, have been revived and rehabif tated with matchless and startling fidelity ! SO that you and to-day may wander among the grassy hillocks and tumuli as one of al this strange departed company, through tht reaches of ten centuries before the sixth oi the Christian era, when its assertion and des slation began.
 The most ancient name of Tara was Liath druim, "the gray eminence." A later name Teamhair, meant an eminence commanding a noble prospect. A still later name, and itl last as pagan royal palace for great assem- plies and festivities, was Temera or Temur SO called from Thea, wife of Heremon, the first pagan king of universal sway iu Ire l land, fer which queen splendid palace wal built on the spot. The latter name may alsG mean (from Teadh and Mur) 'the house O music" from Tara's former celebrity fo. melody 'iabove all places in the world" IT any event ancient and unquestionable au' thentic manuscripts clearly describe the useI of the halls of Tara as the royal abode O. the first monarchs of Ireland; the place fol convocation of the assembly of States; fo festivals and councils for peace or war; anG \ for bardie instructions and lawgiving. SC l too have authenticated manuscripts now ae cessible been found which give exact infor nation regarding customs at these great fes tivals and conventions at Tara; and the an l cient bards have sung Of the extraerdinar. grandeur of, and especially of the appear ance of monarchs at, these occasions. Tn palace of Temur, or Tara, it is told was nin' hundred feet square; its surrounding ratl was seven casts of the dart in diameter I twelve divisions on each wing contained on, l hundred and fifty apartments and one hun dred and fifty dormitories; it was twenty seven cubits high; there were twelve porohes ! as many entrances, one thousand dail. l guests, besides princes, orators, modeller and artifcsrs-and one hundred and fftI | drinking horns; while two oxen, two heg l and two sheep were provided for each meal | The festivals of Tara began on October 2Sth Three days were given to games and feast l ing. On the third day and evening cores | bonding with Halloween, the great feast O | Saman, or the moon, was celebrated; afte which instruction, councils and law-givint were begun. At the assemblies the monarol l sat on an elevated dais in the middle of tn I great hall, facing the west. The King o Leinster sat before him, facing him. Th | King of Ulster was placed at his right Ol \ the left was the King of Munster. Ant seated behind him was the King of Con I nsught Each king wore his royal robe an, l golden helmet, but not his diadem, whic l was reserved for edornment in battle | About them were princes, bards, druids ollhmas, brehons and all the vast retinue 0 | warriors and retainers of a pagan court. A l an illustration, the description of 8 singl monarch, King Cormac, who reigned witt i great wisdom, justice and splendor in tn l third century, may be given. He was of nc ble presence, and his shield was of scarle with engraved devices, golden hooks an l clasps of silver. His wide-folding cloak ws of purple, clasped to his breast by gem-He gold brooch. A gold torque was around hi neck. His shirt was white colIared and em l broiLsred with gold. His girdle was golde buckled and studded with precious stonei His sandals were of gold network. HI two spears had golden sockets and many reG brown rivets. And he stood in the full g1o | 1e 1~vikhork 1afaaf rNrh hIav11iab
 Even after thirteen centuries of decay th
 foundation outlines of Teach Midehuarta, (
 the great hall of Tara, are actually visible
 There can also be traced in lines, ridges an mounds of crumbling stones where ono
 stood the walls of Rath Riga or the King
 Fort, enclosing the mound of the Forradl
 Rath Cuslchon, beyond which are two ratt l nearly obIiterated, one of wnich is Rat
 Grainne, or the Queens Rath, the Teach Go
 | miac or House of Cormae, the Dumha-nt
 Neiall, or mound of hostages, Rath of LaeI
 haire on the southern slope of the hill, Rat Seanadh or Rath of the Synods, where Tars
 synods in Christian times were held, and u
 ancient road, the Slope of the Chariots
 often sung of and pointed out by the al
 eient bards and topographers. For tho
 sand years the Hill has been pillaged ar
 robbed until the marvel is that any pertic
 l ramains. Yet here, removed from it's al
 cisnt position over the Mound of the Ho
 l tages, and brought to the center Of the Flo
 radh, to mark the graves of host of Iris
 patriots slain in '98, stands the veritable L
 Fail or obeliscal Stone of Destiny, upc which for ages the kings of Ireland we crowned; and which the English fondly b lieve was ravaged from Ireland for use at u coronation in Scotland of Fergus Mac Eal and afterwards removed by inc first Edwal from Seone to Westminster Abbey; Whi : many priceless relics of Tara's resplendel , antiquity, including two magnifeent gol . torques, or kings necklaces, have be- 3 safely treasured and are accessible in u l museums of the great Dublin societie 3 And standing here in the presence of thr 5 thousand years, the traces of whose T 3 motest activities are still preserved; loo l l ing from Tara's heights-as exalting al l i with as entrancing e prospect as from t