The Irish standard., 1893-02-04
SAINT AND HERO.
Continued From First Page

SAINT AND HERU.
Continued From First Page
condition Of things became SO deplor
able, that ST. Lawrence made up his
mind to seek redress once more from the
King of England. When he reached
Eagland, he found that the king was on
the eve of starting for Normandy, and
st. Lawrence in his zeal and devotion to
the cause of his country, followed the
King across to Normandy. Henry IL at
length relented, when he SAW the love
and devotion of the Bishop, and at last
received him, and granted nearly every
concession that he asked for. After his
return he succeeded in concluding a
peace between Roderick and the other
Irish princes; and for a season, at least,
the country was comparatively tranquil.
But this was the last service that st.
Lawrence was destined to perform for
his country. He was seized wi: fatal
illness. he felt the hand Of death upon
him, and in order to prepare to meet his
summons, he went to the Abbey Eu, and
there prepared his soul to meet his God.
The annals of that Abbey tell ns how
the great Irish Archbishop spent the
last days of his life. When he had re-
CO we'd the last Sacrsments, it was eug-
gested to him that he should make his
will. "Will!' said he; do You ask mo
to make q will? I thank God have not
penny in tho world to give to anybody
Everything that he ever had he gave
to the poor; he had nothing but the CROSS
that he wore on his breast. The next
day, the 4th Of November, 1180, st. Law
renee died; died far away from the land
he loved and served 80 we'll. Thus one
OF the noblest and truest sops of his rsce
found his resting place In life and in
death he loved bis native land. The
sanctrty of st. Lawrence was not passed
UNDECIDED, for he was canoaized and
placed on tho affairs OF the Universal
Church.
Such, in brief, is tho sketch OF tho life
and labors of st. Lawrence O'Toole. He
was certainly one of tho greatest patriots
the Irish race has ever had; and he was
also one Of tho greatest Saints. His
nane stands in the front rank in Irish
history. We find in hln all the noblest
qualities Of man-great charity, patriot
ism, and intense devotion to every inter-
est OF his native land. And though Ire
land may have had as true and devoted
defenders as st. Lawrence, may say
with certainty that Ireland never had a
boiler champion than the Archbishop Of
Dublin; though, for the matter Of that, I
may say that all the great Saints OF Ire
land were ardent patriots. st. Patrick
ut once identified himself with the ma
ton and espoused it's cause before the
world; St Columbanua was the most in
tense Irishman on record, and the pic
ture of Saint Columbkille, in the island Of
Iona, looking across the sea to tho island
of his birth and of his love, and longing
once more to tread tho shores Of his
motherland, is one of tho most touching
in tho whole history Of our country.
And St. Columbanus, whom he know he
never would set foot on those shores,
sighed, if it were possible, to have his
bones laid to rest in the native land he
loved. His disciple, st. Gall--and, for
the matter of that, all the Irish monks
and missionaries who were living az
"Exiles of Erin" were the first men who
felt the bitterness of living in strange
lands.
Had the Irish taken the advice of ST.
Lawrence, the Normans would never
have obtained footing IN Ireland. But
they continued their feuds; and ruin and
disaster were the consequences. How
many failures will it take to teach the
irish people that there is strength only
in union, and that by union only can they
hope to secure victory? Every enemy OF
the Irish people, from Strongbow to
Salisbury, has followed the one policy of
"divide and conquer" and the foolish
sons of Erin allowed themselves to be
divided-and defeated. But though the
dissensions OF men may postpone for a
time the final triumph Of right, the ma
tional spirit of Ireland still lives, and
lives with purpose, and that purpose
shall be realized as inevitably as the
march of time-as inevitably as the will
OF the Eternal Cod.
THE IRISH LANGUAGE.
Spoken by Sages land Saints From St. Pat
ric1r noxun tn nr McHQ1e