The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-18

son for celebrating March II will say that
the day is the anniversary of the occasion
on which St. Patrick drove the snakes out
of Ireland. If told that he is wrong he
will hazard the assertion that # is in
honor of the saints birth. There is no
authentic record of the miracle by which
St Patrick drove the ophildia from the
shores of Erin. 1t is stated quite reliably
that he died March II, 1873
BY way of depression il might be stated
that the old English calendars celebrated
oil March Il quite remarkable an occur
renee. The day was supposed to mark the
entrance of Noah into the ark. Opposite
! the date was always placed the words
'Introitus Noae in aream.''
But 10 return to st. Patrick. With the
coming of the day when the shamrock is
| Haunted in the buttonholes of loyal Hiher-
| mans the legends of the saint are re-
| vived. All of them are more or less in
| terestins, and many of them are unfa-
| miliar TO the general public. 1t is safe TO
| say that the life of no one of the early
| fathers of the Church formed more
| fruitful field for anecdote. In numerous
, ancient volumes his name is coupled with
| biographies. sketches, and reports of mi
| racles. the chronicer of those wonders
A
| Thus vas God gln.ifed and in him Pat
| rick. But in this mass of semi-myth-
| olosy there is a good deal of truth.
Views of Various Writers.
| The various writer's discuss the ques-
| tion of the saints merits in a very serious
way. One goes into the subject at length,
| and seeks to prove that St Patrick was
| Scotchman. Another asserts in the most
l ins oil hat ba holy mar NNaG
| Frenchman. Still another a sort OF
| seventeenth century exponent Of higher
| criticism offers what he calls evidence
4 TO show that the worker of miracles was
| an entirely mythical parsonage. whom the
| Church canoniZed in order to manufacture
patron saint with the reputation of a
| onder-worker.
| All the old legends and traditions are
delightfully."- homely. Notwithstanding the
| transcendent gifts ascTibed. their hero is
| always essentially human. In one count,
perhaps the most authentic, since portions
| of il appear in every biography, it is re-
! lated that when but sixteen years old the
| future saint was captured by pirates and
| sold into slavery in ireland for seven years.
| He was then employed a keeper of
swine on the top of very high mountain.
While idly watching his drove he medi-
] tated deeply on the condition Of the people
| and the necessity OF doing little miss on
AIRY work among them.
| 1t was on this mountain. according TO ole
| of his biographers, that young Patrick first
| came into contact with the devil, and the
| remarkable manifestation which followed
| convinced him that he was some cay TO be
| the champion of the people against all evil.
| One night while sleeping near his drove
| the devil came rolling down the mountain
| in the guise of great stone, and at
| tempted to crush the lad. Springing TO one
| side, the future saint cried at the top of
| his voice, ''Heliasi Helias." AT the same
moment although not due for many hours,
| the sun rose and shed its rays over the
| scene, putting to flight the evil one. As
| soon as the devil disappeared the sun
faded away. and night came on again.
Making Fire Out of snow.
The miracles ascribed TO st. Patrick are
| related with variations by the different
writers. All agree that this and that
miracle was performed, but the time, Place.
| and other details are altered One of the
most remarkable OF these wonders oc-
! CURED on cold morning when, with his
| little band Of converts, ST. Patrick stood
on A bleak mountain with no means at
hand to make a fire. Snow was falling
| and chilling, bowling wind swept across
the hills. St. Patrick ordered snow heaped
| into pile, and when sufficient quantity
was collected he breathed upon the frozen
| mass. In an instant blaze sprang up and
| the snow continued to burn as long as the
party remained in the vicinity.
| The following allusion is made to this
miracle in poem written by some wag in
| the early part of the present century
st. Pttrick, as in legends told
The morning being very cold.
In OTTER 10 assuage the weather
Collected bits Of ice together ...-.-
Then Then gently breathed upon the pyre.
When y fragment hlazed on fire
An II the saint had been 50 kind
ts :" have left the gift behind
4" 81 h loyc-lorn wretch as me-
Who daily struggles be tree.
I'd be content-content with part
I'd only ask 10 thsw the heart,
The frozen heart Of Poliy Roe.
Patrick left Ireland when a young nan
| and went 10 Rome. He studied a good deal
in different parts of Europe. When he
had become famous for his piety. Pope
Celestine ordained him 10 be missionary to
ireland, and ne returned to the island He
| was lily received at first and he had some
difficulty in efecting landing as the
people along the shore took him and his
| comrades 10 be pirates. The saint con-
WINGED the natives Of his pacific intentions
and he was allowed TO come ashore, where
he rewarded their confidence by saving
their souls. His worst enemies he found TO
be the Druids who had established their
gloomy worship over large part of the
| island. They backed up their priest craft
with mummerv and magic and Patrick
struggle with them frequently deyelopeJ
into rivalry as to which could do the NEST
| marvellous things. At last the sect found
that the saint was too much for them, and
they had 10 abandon their tenets in despair
E,peIlins the Reptiles.
Colgan, the antiquarian. gives an Inter
esting story OF the most famous miracle.
that OF Kidding Ireland OF snakes. Ac-
cording to Colgan, the saint procured an
immense drum and walked about the coun-
try beating thunderous tattoo Snakes
OF all sorts, charmed by the rude music |
fell in behind the drummer by the thou
| sands and ten Of thousands and squirmed
along In his wake. st. Patrick was well |
on his way 10 the sea. when an unusually |
energetic blow knocked hole in the head |
OF the drum. The snakes then stopped fol- !
lowing Patrick and started to return TO |
their former haunts, when an angel op-
instantly. The saint then resumed his |
pounding, and again the snakes followed |
quietly in his rear.
The reptiles were all led into the sea and |
drowned. Only one escaped, and he was |
chosen for special punishment. ST. Patrick |
took him and confined him in the gloomy |
depths OF Lake Dilveen, in the Galtee |
Mountains of TippeTary. The saint agreed |
to determine the fate OF the snake on Mon |
day, but for some reason forgot to return |
to the lake again. They say in Tipperary
even to this day that every Monday the |
snake comes to the surface of the lake and |
walls out in the richest old Irish ITS a !
long long Monday, Patrick"