New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-06-25
IRISH LITERATURE.
IT'S DEVELOPMENT AND IT'S CHARAC'
TEKISTICS

4 LITERARY HISTORY or IRELAND From
Earliest Times 10 the Present Day By D',iEi ~
HYDE H.. D.. NJ. K. J. a. octave, PIP. XVIII o''
Charles Sctibner's Sons.
II is written in the geographical work whic'
colinus. the Roman author. based on the grea
Natural History" of Plny. that "wailike be
yond the rest Of her sex, the Hibernian mothe
places the first morscl Of food in her chHd
mouth with the point of the sword. Th'
legend appeals to the imagination. One IS i'm
ncdiately curious 10 know whether OF not th'
literature Of 4 nation given to such sparta!
practices is interesting. Or. Hyde is Of th'
opinion that il is more than interesting that 1
is a great literature If he does not quite
prove his case To the satisfaction of the reaGe
il is partly becausa Of the intrinsic defects o.
Irish literature and partly because our his
torian is not as skilful and lucid as he ough
t. be. His material is ample and curious Hl'
treatment Of it is sympathetic and careful bu
it is not eloquent. Neither is the book well ar
ranged one must read nearly i've hundred
pages before coming to the description OF the
old bardic colleges. which ought TO have beer
mentioned at the outset.
The genius Of the Irish as it has been EN-
bodied in their literature is better understood
if approached through a brief study Of the
qualifications and social position of the poets
These were known as files" and bards. The
former were the most important in the HE
rarchy. There were seven grades Of them 1.-THE
most exalted Of them being called ollamh"
and how large these poets doomed on the horizon
of the nation may be Judged from the fac
that the annasts give the obituaries Of th'
H.. t,rir
The bards. like the files had their patriciar
and plcbcian ranks in fact, they had the sever
grades Of the files and ore extra. for good
measure. Bards and files alike went through
long courses Of study. They mcmorized hun
dreds Of the poems beloved by the Irish. They
learned the art Of poetry as though it we're q
philosophical system. After the seventh cen
fury" says Or. Hyde the Irish brought Their
rhyming system to a pitch Of perfection un
dreamt of. even at this day, by other nations
Perhaps by no people in the globe, at any perio'
Of the worlds history. was poetry 50 cultivated
and, better still, 50 remunerated, as in Ireland
The eaborateness of the system they evolved
the prpdigous compicNty of the rules, the sub
tlcty and intricacy OF their poetcal code arr
astounding"
Concerning tn remuneration it may b'
said that the poets lived on the land like q
band Of locusts. waxing fat at the expens
of the people. Or. Hyde mentions one o
their customs as follows: According to the ac
count in the Leabhar Breac they went about
the country in bands carrying with them a sill
yer pot which the pOpuace named the pot OF
avarice' which was attached by nine chain:
OF bronze hung on golden hooks. and which wa'
suspended the spears Of nine poets, thrust
through the links at the end Of the chains
They then selected some unfortunate victim
and approached in state his homestead, havine
carefully composed a poem in his laudation
The head poet entering chanted the first verse
and the last poet took it up. until each Of tn,
nine had rected his part. whilst all the time tn
nine best musicians played their sweetest music
in unison with the verses round the pot, into
which the unfortunate listener was obliged tC
throw an ample guerdon OF gold and silver
Woe to him. indeed. if he refused scathine
satire would be the result and thar
endure the disgrace Of this every one parted
to them with share Of his wealth" We may
note by the way. a curious survival Of thi:
mode Of extortion in the present century. 1t !!
customary for the schoolmasters OF a certain
humble grade in India to visit with their pupils
at stated intervals the parents of all who arr
being instructed by the old scholar. He re
cites a poem in laudation Of each host II IT
does not loosen the latter's pursestrngs he has
launched at him another composition. this time
full Of insulting satire. In India to-day, as in
ireland centuries ago the householder rarely
fails to make a generous contribution.
What did the multitude of Irish bards do in
justification of their parastical life and insoen
behavior? They rccitcd the classic poems OF
their land and invented new ones. Often the
bard lodged and looked after generally by an