The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-18

OF the higher learning. which took sanctuary
there from conquered states OF the Conti-
nent. There was q time when Armagh. tho
religious capital VI Ireland. was the metropolis
al Christian civilization in the West. When we
recall that Gregory the Great was completely
ignorant ~ Greek. IL may well seem eXtraor-
binary TO find that language taught in Ireland
alone out Of all the Christian countries Of West
ern Europe. The fact. however. lie susceptible
of proof. The letter OF Ccum banus to Pope
Boniface shows that the former knew some-
thing Of both Greek and Hebrew. Aileran. who
died Of the plague in A. D. U,j4. gives evil
dence OF the same knowledge in his book on
ReneaoRy. Cummian's letter to the Abbot OF
Iona proves to demonstration that in the first
half OF the seventh century there was a wide
range OF Greek learning. not Ecclesiastical
merely. but chronological. astronomical and
philosophical. far away at Durrow. in the worry
centre OF the Bog OF Allen. Augustine. an un-
identified Irish monk Of the second half OF the
seventh century. gives many proofs Of Greek
and Oriental learning. and quotes the chronl-
cIes OF Euseblus, The later sedulius. tho Alb
bot Of Kildare. about the year $50, makes pa
rade Of his Greek knowledge. employs Greek
words without necessity. and translates into
Greek part OF the definition OF tho
pronoun. st. Caimins's Psalter. seen by
Bishop Usher and collated with the Ho-
brew text, convinced DR.. Reeves that
Hebrew as we'll as Greek was studied
In Ireland about the year 600 Nor did the
Greek learning tend to die out quickly. In the
middle Of the ninth century John Scotus
Erigena. summoned from Ireland to France by
Charles the Bald. was the only person found
able to translate the Greek work OF the pseudo
Dionysius. The Book OF Armagh contains the
Lords Prayer written in Greek letters. and
there Is Greek manuscript OF the Psater
written In the hand OF Seduus. now preserved
In Paris. At least n dozen more Greek texts
penned by Irish monks are preserved ese-
whore in Europe. This remarkable knowl-
edge Of Greek evidently derived from an
early and direct commerce with Gaul.
where Greek had been spoken for four
or five centuries. first alongside Of Celtic.
and. in later times. OF Latin. The knowl-
edge OF Hebrew may have been obtained from
the Egyptian monks who passed over from
Gaul into Ireland. Egypt and the East we're
in more less close communication with
Gaul in the NTH century OF our era. and the
Irish Litany ascribed to Angus. the Culdee,
commentaries seven Egyptian monks who re-
sided in Ireland. The close and continual in
accommodation between Greek speaking
Gaul and ireland accounts for the planting and
cultivation OF the Greek language in the Irish
schools. and. once planted there. it fourshed
more or less for some centuries. Among other
evidences Of the intimate communication be-
tween Ireland and Gaul may be mentioned the
fact that Dagobert H.. King OF France in the
seventh century. was educated at Slane in Ire
land. where he was said to have acquired all
the wisdom OF the Scots. It Is we'll known that
Merovingian coins have been found in Ireland.
The fame OF these early Irish schools at
tracted students from other countries In the
seventh, eighth. and ninth centuries so that
Ireland became vertable hive of scholars The
Venerable Bede tells of tho crowds OF Anglo
Saxons who focked over into Ireland during
the plague. which occurred about the year Ca4,
and says that they were warmly welcomed by
the Irish. who took care that they should be
provided with food every day without payment
on their part: that they should have books to
read, and should receive gratutous instruc-
ton from Irish masters. Books must have
already multiplied considerably. when swarms
of Anglo-Saxon visitors could DO sup
piled with them gratis. The numbers.
indeed. Of scribes or copysts. whose deaths
have been considered worth recalling by
the annalists are very great. This pcn-
tifulncss of manuscripts probably added
to the ranown Of Irish schools. II Is certain
that an English Prince as we'll French one
was educated by them in the seventh century:
this was Alfrid. King OF Northum berland who
was trained In all the learning OF the period
and who subsequently aided and abetted the
irish IN EnGiahd IN opposition to "tl'rid. who
opposed them. ~. Milhorord. Saxon noble
educated IN ireland ABOUT the same tim" with
h'hs AIiriu, Went out thence and bfcnme ulti-
mntciy Areholshop OF Utrecht. Another noted
srhoar OF inc same period waS Agibert
FRANK by Dirth' VINO spent q long time In Ire
land for the PURPOSE Of study and afterward
became Bishop OF Pars. The ONCE OF st.
Iatha'uus records that the school OF LiSmore
was lrequented not only by Scots but BY
Gouls' Angles Ieutons and scholars from
other neighborinG nations. The same was
moro or less the case win CIonmacnois. Bangor
and some others OF the best known Irish
schools
1t was not in Greek attainments nor In eccle-
siastical studies nor in Latin verses alone that
the Irish excelled they also produced astrono-
mcrs like Dungal and geographers like Dicuil
Dungal seems to have been close friend Of
Charlemagne. In 81 he wrote TO the En-
pcror a celebrated letter explanatory of tho
two solar eclipses which had taken place in the
prnyious ynnr Iatar on at tbo roo,os. -,