The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1892-11-19

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OF the Hostages and probable canddig
date for the position Of Ard Rigb, lie Ind
early devoted himself to the prieatho d,ls
Prinoely bearing, bold and impetu
temper, a:lofty and aggressive scorn sc
injustice characterized his early life. He2
was -eminently the man of his age, in
character he stands alone, rising high
DER the sea OF men as tower the cliffs of
Iona DER the waters of the Western sea.
Early indiscretion, the outcome Of his
impetuosity, and hisstern announcement
OF injustice, led to his accepting volun-
tary exile in Iona. Even here the fame
Of his sanctity drew numerous vetaries
round his monastery and strengthened
By his increasing followers, he undertook
and accomplished the gigantic task of
converting the Picts. These Tedoubt-
able warriors who, step by step, con-
tested the supremacy OF Britain with the
Romans, who swept increasingly past tho
artificial barriers OF the Emporers, and
whom the genius OF Agricola conquered,
but could not subdue, gave way at the,
eloquence of Columbia, and received at,
his hands the prscepts of eternal lfe.t
Yet through all the years of his exile was
| he conspicuous example of the home,
sick bard. His passionate tenderness
| for the land of bis love breathes through
his poems that have come down to US.
| 'sDeath," he says, Gin faultless Erin
| would be better than life without end in
Albin. And again, "What JOY to fly
upon the white crested seagaand watch
the waves break upon the sHvDfe! All!
how my boat would fly if it's PROV were
turned to my Irish oak grove. There is
gray eye which ever turns to Erin, but
! never in this life shall it see Erin nor her
sons nor her daughters. From the high:
prov look over the sea, aud great tears
are in my gray eye when turn to Erin,
to Erin where The song of the birds is so
sweet, and where the larks sing like tho
birds, where the young are SO gentle and
the old so wise, and the great men so no.
bic to look at Young traveller, carry
my SORROWS with thee; carry them to
Congan of eternal life; carry my blessing
DER the sea; carry it to the West. My
heart is broken in my breast; it death
come to me suddenly, it will be because.
Of the great love bear the Gael" Nor
did this melancholy regret cease but,
with his lie. To the monk who had fed
the weather-beaten stork which landed
WORKOUT on the cliffs of Iona, he said,
Good bless the, my dear child, thou hast
cared for the exile"
To such man the project to exter-'
inmate the bards must have seemed a.
wanton barbarism. Commissioned TO-
settle the relations of the Dalreadan
! colony i'm Scotland with tho mother,
country, be seized upon the opportunity
of coming to the national council at
Drumcelt. He pleaded the cause Of the
s]andered bards, protested against the
pulling up of the wheat with the tares,
and his counsel prevailed. The number.
Of the bards was diminished, but the
body. az an institution was preserved.
| Henceforth religion and music went
hand in hand, and priest and bard shared
alike the self-same fate. Rooted in the
hearts of the people and encouraging
them in their hopes OF freedom, they
have been the marks at which perseou-
ton has principally aimed. In the stat
ute Of Kilkenny atroclous enaotmenta
were passed for the suppression OF the
bards. Elizabeth outdid her predeces-
sors in the drastic measures whereby she
thought to exterminate them. She in
stituted commission for their destruc-
ton, and for this purpose appointed my
Lord Barrymore official hangman to Her
Most Gracious Majesty. Wandering y
says Montalembert, over hill and dale,
hidden in the depths of devastated
country, they perpetuated there the poe
tic traditions of their condemned race
and sang the glory of ancient heroes and
new martyrs, the shame of apostates and
the crimes Of the sacrilegious stranger"
Nor we're they content with singing
alone. The hand that awoke the tender
est strains of melody, that fired enthusi-
asm, and nerved the national heart, was
found foremostss.in the battlefield fight
ling for Erin. y
s'Land of song, cried the warrior bard,
I Though all the world betray thee,
\ One faithful sword, thy right shall guard,
Il One faithful harp Shall praise thee"
i And so it was. When O'Neill and
lODonnell died broken-hearted in exile,
4 when the flower Of Ireland's chivalry lay
! broken on the plains of Europe, when
sorrow still as death brooded DER the
land, the bard still chung with passion to
his green hillside, and would not 10
noved-Wexford People.
Travelling Men.
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