The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1902-05-29
THE CELTIC REVIVAL.

Among other interesting topics dealt
Sith in the May Era" is the Revival
Of celtic Literature. or which subject
an article b. Ian Jay McGarvey appears:
The revival. which had is origin in
Europe. has crossed the ocean, and in
Pennsylvania. founded by a CeIt. it has
thousands Of supporters; but it does
not larry here. but goes across the con-
tiuent, into every city of any conse-
quence, until It reaches the Pacific
+ Coast, where the CeIt. in his enterprise.
has kept step with the maT.h for ma
teTiaI and comme-ciaI success,
Il is scarcely necessary 20 inform
those familiar with ireland Gad its his
tory that very IitrIe Gael. has been
spoken in Dublin for about three cen
turtles. though il be the capital Of the
country The great majority OF the in
habiJants. professional. commercial. and
Industrial. are distinctly Celtic, but
they speak the language Of the foreigner.
although with perceptible accent In
fact, the residents OF that city have the
reputation among learned men Of speak
Ing the language Of the Sassenach with
. a greater purity than it is spoken any
! where in England Though it be not a
/ Gaelic speaking city. some Of the most
/ distinguished Gaelic scholars in the
world reside there. and the most sue
/ cezsfuI journals advocating the revival
+ Of the language are printed there. and
from it. as center that influence has
radfated which is now a material eIe-
ment in producing so great an interest
in the history ana literature Of the
/ Cells
+ In January, 1865. an edict was issued
against Dublin ordering that all resi-
dents, Protestants and Catholics, who
were unable to speak the English Ian
guage by June 20 OF that year. should
/ leave the city.
There are probably no countries in
Europe, with the exception OF Greece
and italy, where there are a greater
number Of literary remains. dating back
+ TO an extreme antiquity than there are
IL ireland Scotland. and Wales This
/ is not surprising. when it is remcm-
be1eG that Gaelic had DIossonled into
poetry and eIoqucncc. centuries before
! the English tongue, even IL archaic
form. mad been spoken. Language isl
/ intimately allied to literature: 1t is the
mother, and thought the father, Of liter
airy works.
/ During the Danish occupation many
+ -ften priceless literary treasures were
/ destroyed. and later many more were
/ csrried away by the English in their
+ periodical wars upon the Celts. Fortu-
nateIy, they have been preserved in
libraries and museums, and are now ac-
cessibIe 70 Gaelic scholars. Hundreds
o." manuscripts stE remain intact in
/ ireland. and one of these is the Book
of Eelis," dating back to the sixth cen
fury, being the most artistic specimen of
an iIlumed book in the world. according
80 the opinions OF the phiIologists and
historians The literary eminence and
erutitiou of the CeIts in ancient times
should alone be sufficient reason for /
. keeping alive tho language in its home
. IN Scotland. Wales. Brittany, the Isle CT
Nan. and Ireland but also in rec Amer /
lea. whore science and art are welcome, +
and where every race and nationality
stand co-ordinateIy and absolutely free
rom every possible character OF oppo-
sitiou.