The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1890-03-15

such number and variety Of illusions
to both this instrument and the bards,
that it is unnecessary to trace its intro
duction among that people.
In the opening centuries of the Chris
tian era, the music aud poetry Of Ire
land were at their highest glory. and at
the time of St. Patrick in the fifth
century, the order of the bards had
grown into perhaps the most impressive
feature of the natural life. This was
the golden age of Ireland. Then rose
the great schools and universities that
attracted students from all nations and
sent out unceasiug streams Of teachers
An ancient writer Of the year $50 says
of Ireland: More thicklY studded
with learned men that tho poles are
with stars" ST. Bernard, in the
seventh century, writes: ''From Ire
land. as from an overdowing stream,
crowds of holy men descended on the
foreign nations" A great Protestant
German historian says: The Irish
were always lovers of learning. AT a
time when all other European nations
we're sunk in ignorance, her scholars
travelled through the most distant
lands to impart and communicate their
knowledge and we see them in the most
eminent positions, discharging with the
highest applause the functions OF
teachers in France, Germany and
Italy," DR.. Johuson, in speaking of a
history of ireland recently written,
says that the author began his history
a century too late. 1.-The ages which
deserve inquiry are those times, for
such there were, when Ireland was the
school OF the West. the quiet habitation
of sanctity and literature"
Schlegel, the great German historian
and scholar, saws: "ln the sixth and
seventh centuries, when tue whole
western world sesmed sunk in barb II
ism, Ireland almost alone afforded
refuge for the preservation of the Old
civilization" Another writer, speaking
of the Irish poetry of the sixth and
seventh centuries. says: The songs
of the Irish bards became so sweet that
the Angels leaned down 20 listen to
them." The historian hired by the
English govern ment to defame Ireland
and her antiquities, as we shall see
later on, had to admit, was obliged to
admit that the Irish bards were an ex-
Jraordinary race of artists, nearly $40
years ago. Another writer declares that
s'this people deserves to be praised tor
their successful cultivation Of music,
in which their skill is beyond cotnpar
ison, superior TO that Of every nation we
have Seen"
The poet has been more highly hon.
ored by the Irish than by any
other race except, perhaps, the Jews.
But the Jewish poet was removed from
the mass of the pe0ple-be was man
apart. The claims OF the Irish poets
were we'll set forth ia O Shaughnessy's
exquisite ode
I'VE are the music-makers,
i And we are the dreamers of dreams,
Wandering by lone sea breakers,
And sitting by desolate streams.
World-losers and rld-forsakers.
On whom the pale moon CLEANS;
Yet we are the movers and shakers
Of the world forever, it seems.
with wonderful deathless ditties,
We build up the worlds great cities,
And out of a fabulous story
We fashion an empires glory.
One man with a dream of pleasure,
Shall 20 forth and conquer crown,
And three with new songs measure,
Can trample kingdom down.
"a breath CT our inspiration.
Is the life of each generation,
A wOnderOus thing of our dreaming,
Unearthv impossible, seeming.
The soldier. the king and the peasant,
Are working together in one.
Til our dream shall become their present..
And their work in the wor d is done"
During the whole period from the
sixteenth to the present century a war
Of determination was waged by the
XJlSu dS AtllSb OVC4 SV1IlUS AAlods Nv
harp was broken, says an eminent Irish
writer of nearly three hundred years
ago. 1.-THE harp was broken wherever
it could be found" and he adds: ''The
memory of its form and materials will
be unknown and lost to US forever"
In the year l704 dreadful coercion
act was passed against Ireland. by
which every teacher of the Irish Ian
guage was declared bv law to be cri
minal with price set on his head. No
education was to be allowed forever
more except IN the Euglish tongue.
All schools in the country were ordered
to b. thrown down. An English his
torian, writing to his government. says
that the schools were thrown down at
the rate Of 2O0 a week. all the price
less national treasures OF poetry, phi
losophy and learning were doomed to
be DESTROYED or carried away to English
libraries and museums. Numbers OF
English scribes were engaged to write
down aud bellttie the value Of these.