The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-03-18
ST. PATRICK NOT IRISH.
CLAIMED TO HAVE BEEN A NATIVE
OF FRANCE.
Sketch of the Life aud Doings of the
Patron Saint of the Emerald Isle.
The Miracles He Performed

Mdtly OF the mondays that are ceie-
brated by the banging OF drums, the wav-
ing of flags and the organization of long
parades had their origin in the church.
ST. Patrick's day, which is to be cele-
brated to-day. is one of these.
There is no saint in all the calendar
whose life and doings furnish subjects of
greater interest than does st. Patrick
There are towns in two countries that
claim the honor of having furnished him
birthplace, while there are writer's who
deny that he was ever born or ever lived
at all, except in the imaginations OF an
cient bards and romancers, who have sue
ceeded, however. in giving him a very
firmly established place in history. There
are records, though, that seem to prove
beyond any doubt that ST. Patrick did
live, and there are numberless legends
that go to show that he was marked by
God in his childhood to accomplish Won
derful and miraculous things.
One of these miracles, indeed, is said to
nave been performed as early as the day
OF his baptism. 1t is recorded that the
priest TO whom the child was brought to
w RoPNlGCN was DllflO. l<lkGWlSR InGfe
happened to be no water with which TO
confer the sacrament. The priest, how
ever, evidently under divine Inspiration
made the sign of the cross on the ground
with the hand of the infant and Instantly
there sprang up a fountain of cool water
in which the blind priest bathed his eyes
and his sight was restored. TIE e-rly
record also has it that, though the priest
had previously been ignorant OF letters
he read the baptisnal service with e4se,
having acquired, in some miraculous way
the gift of learning.
st. Patrick was Frenchman.
The question of St Patrick's birthplace
is one which has long puzzled the men
who have made cary Irish history a
study. It is a source of considerable re-
greet among them, too, that st. Patrick
was not born in ireland, but the more
they investigate the more proof they find
of the fact that he was not The two
PAGES that claim to have furnished to
him the grst glimpse of the light of day
are DYmbarton on the banks of the
Clyde, in Scotland, and small district
in the north of France, then known as
Amorie Gaul. There are other places.
too, that claim the honor, but the two
named are the principals,
While there is evidence to support the
CidAttlS VI OQIlpdfIOT, IL Is flOL as Wc1knLy
as that in favor of the district in ancient
GaUi, and the majority of scholars seem
to subscribe to the belief that St. Pat
rick was a Frenchman. st. Patrick
| himself is the most important authority
on the question, and though he nowhere
wrote that he was born in France, he did
write this in his confessions: my father
was a deacon, Colpornius, son of the late
Patitus, a presbyter, who resided in the
village of Bonavem Taberniae." In one
of the numerous lives of st. Patrick
written soon after his death in 1913, it is
recorded that Patrick was of the Bril-
tons of Alcluaid, by origin. Calpurnn was
his fathers name. He was a noble
priest Patd was his grandfathers
name, whose title was deacon. Conces
was his mothers name. She was of the
Franks and sister to St. Martin. In
Vemtur, moreover, the person st. Pat
rick was born.
The "Britons" referred to in the above
quotation are oftentimes hopefully con-
strued to mean the people of Great Brit
ain, but without proper warrant. st.
Patricks Brton was not Great Britain
or any part of IT, but the district in the
north of France, where at the time of his
birth was a clan called the Britain.
First in ireland.
to visit ireland as related in the ancient
records, is one of deep interest. His first
visit was by no means voluntary. Indeed,
he was captured and dragged from his
home with thousands of others by an in
vading Irish king, who carried them all
captors and slaves across the sea to his
native land. Nal the Grand, or Nal OF
the Nine Hostages, was that invading
king. He landed ST. Patrick, then
l-l aIsl In f11A
432. 1t was then, too, that st. Patrick
began his career as broken-hearted
young slave 20 a chief named Micho, in
the County of Antrim. He was employed
at first in watching the sheep, and during
the time, il Is said, the miraculous pow
ers manifested at his baptism were
brought further into evidence. 1t is re-
corded, indeed, in the Old legends that the
youth was visited nightly by the Angel
Victor whose duty it was to watch over
and care for him, and who showed him
where he might find the gold to buy his
freedom from Milcho At the end of six
years of slavery st. Patrick was advised
by this angel that ship was waiting at
a town now supposed TO be Benum, TO
take him to his home The angel also
assisted him in making his escape.
The vessel carried St Patrick across the
sea, back 20 his native France, and he
soon after re1olned MS uncle, st, Martin.
The spot where he crossed the Loire In
this-1ourney is still marked and is held in
great reverence by the people of that
vicinity.
Began IreIand's Conversion.
on returning TO France young Patrick
mapped out his life career ireland az that
time was populated by a race OF sun and
idol worshippers. He determined to redeem
them, to win them over to christianity.
For years he worked and studied with this
end In view and then went back. He
landed at Meath. His first convert TO
christianity was n boy named Benignus,
at whose parents house he stopped. The
second convert Is reported to have been
Prince Dichu, VINO hearing of st. Pat
rick's coming and his purpose went out
to drive him and his followers into the
sea. But when Dichu attacked st. Pat
rick his sword arm Is said to have be.
come rigid and immovablo. Upon that he
accepted st.. Patrick's religion and was
baptized
Ii is said TO have been st. Pat.icks
great desire 10 convert Milcho, his old
master. Accordingly with his followers,
he proceeded IN the direction OF Antrim
with that purpose In view. But Il was
not TO be- His fame preceded him and net
wishing 10 be saved from his old idola-
trOus ways. Milcho set hre to his castle
and perished IN the flames. The glow Of