The Irish standard., 1888-04-21
THE CONVERSION OF IRELAND
Lady Wilde Describes in Beautiful
Language the Opening Of st.
Patricks $ Mission.
ST. PATRICK DEF|Er THE KING
And "a Fire Was That Day Kindled in
Erin that Would Never
Be Extinguished,"
Lady Wilde in the Pail Mail Gazette.

4]S 1I@1lN !itSll1Ah
Lady Wilde in the Pail Mail Gazette.
The opening Of i2Atrjck's mission was
bold and grand. by the Kings COM
mand no fire Was to be lit i'll Erin On
the morning Of the Baal festival until
isle Royal fire was first kiDaled at Tara,
under pain OF death: but Patrick, dis
Iaining obedience, boldly lighted his
Paschal fire On the hill OF Glane, Sc that
j. could be seen by the whole country
round; t}n this the King was Wcoth,
and sent forth from Tara nine chariots
and armed men to stixe Patrick and
slAy him. But the Saint covered them
with darkness, and when the nlagi and
the dlujds beheld hla power their hearts
failed, and they bade tbs King cease
lis efforts, for tha5 a ere was that day
]iindletl III Erln that would neyer De ex-
tinguisheO.n AfterWard Patrick and
his baud cf followers appeared sudden"
III the midst Of The Klug's Court, a. i.
the Que n, struck with fear and terror,
was at once converted. 1t WAS at this
time also that Patrick composed that
wonderful I5n which still holds Its
place in Irish literature, uLsQualled Ior
strength a.d simple grandeur. Ii this
he praYs against "5lle spells OF women,
smiths. ami druids,' aud inyolce, In
filIe resonant WNrGti:---
yhe oower of God 10 snsia sna,
Yhe wisdom ol G -G To teach ale,
Ihr eye Of God to @at"a over NE,
The ear Oh cod 10 hcsr lne.
Tho shield OF Sod tt, defend tuo.
For lnls hymn Palrlck is described by
ssechsiaii, one Of Ais dl&lples, DIS EAe
nA,ne OF splendid sNls, q sliearn nf
wawium with spIentor, and he calls the
nymu "a diadem Of Princes, chanted
music, a noble sDlace for raen.' Further.
ll was Oh this memorable occasion thaC:
III presence OF the King and Queen and
CQur., Patrick, taking chs shamrock IN
his hand, addressed the peoplo and
taught tnem the mystery OF Jhe Trinity
from the triune leaf, which has siuce
buti. Ills national symbo! Of Ireland fof
q thousand Years. B.lG the Saint not
only gave religion but culture to Ire
land, for wherever he Went he esCab~
iisned schools, churches, and molaster-
les. where The Latin letters and alpha
bet were taught to the people, who be-
fore that had ouly the Ognam writing;
aud after this time Greek and Latin
were freely taught in Che Irish schools,
and Latin became the ordinary tongue
amongst the Men Of letters and learn
ing. Thus, under his powerful guidance.
the conversion OF Ireland proceeded
rapidly. Kings, queens, princes, chiefs
and mobiles, bacds and drulds, were all
brought iuto tue fold, aud before his
death the CONQUEST over paganisln was
Complete. Fol- his mode of action Was
full OF JacG; he did not over1hiOW the
pagan rites, but converted them to
Christian usages. THUS, Betaine, or
the day of the Baal dre: became sacred
as tne Easter festival: and Salnhain,
the day Of tue dead and OF demons, be-
came uallow Eve, the DAY of Saints.
Patrick also confirmed the Brehon
laws in SO far as they were just, and
upheld the privileges OF the bard. be
himself being Il poet, at the same time
giving honor to the priesthood above
all. Thus, the bard was allowed seven
colors III his raiment; but Patrick per
mitted eight colors in the sacred satin
robe worn by the priest at the Sacra-
ment. This was called "the robe of Of.
feriug." And before his tlme only three
had the rig ht to speak III public-nameIy.
the historian, the poet, and the judge
but Patrick added another, 'the man of
the lasting language''-that is, the
priest Of the Holy Canon. Learning he
upheld il high honor, and he himself
taught the Latin letters to the converts.
So that form Of writing spread rapidly,
and has remained in use ever since as
the Irish. alphabet. The scribe, or man
of letters, was esteemed a parsonage OF
such Importance that whoever shed his
blood was Liable to the penalty OF death,
or Obliged to pay forfeit OF seven
slave girls, each girl being valued three
COWS. But Jhe Saint WAS cruel and re-
morseless against sin. His fair young
sister Lupait angered him because she
broke h<r v4ws and gave herself to a
lover: on which Patrick cursed her aud
her lover Culmain, and vowed to keep
them out of heaven. Then Lupait
went forth to meet Patrick in the way
as he drove i'll his chariot, and fell down
on her knees before him, praying for
mercy, and chat he would not take
heaven away from her lover and their
On Aedan. But Patrick sternlY bade