The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1904-03-26


Mediterranean, no European country
can compare with Ireland in the rich
ness and completeness of its early his
tory, says the Catholic Union and |
Times. This history covering centuries |
is recorded in documents proven au-
thentic by eclipses and other astro- |
nomical facts. In these records Sir |
Henry Maine, greatest of modern iuris- |
prudents, found the richest data for
his "Early History Of Institutions"
for no other documents shed so much
light on the beginnings of all northern
Europe.
We are all familiar with the phrase,
1.-THE decline and fall of the Roman
Empire" Few of us remember that,
before that fall, all that was best and
purest in the culture and learning of
Rome and, most of all, what Rome had
learned from Greece and Palestine,
had been carried over to Ireland, and
had there taken root and greatly
tlOurislcd When the mighty Roman
Empire fell, and the hortles of barbara
ans from the northern European wilds
and from the vast steppes Of eastern
Europe and Asia had spread over the
former territories of Rome like Il sec
ond deuge the treasures of ancient
Rome still lived untouched In Ireland,
outside the limits of the barbarian
raids. When the heathcn warriors and
followers Of savage faiths, settling
down among the ruins Of the Roman
realm, began to lay the foundations of
the modern world there We're stored
up in Ireland, for them and the new
nations that should be born from them,
the riches of the vanished classical
epoch, the tradition of the old culture
that had passed away, the records of
the religion that was to regenerate
them, IN the tongues Of ancient Greece
and Rome. Through the enthusiastic
devotion of Irish scholars, these treas.
ures were spread through northern Eu-
rope, while vital centers of learning
were planted in the center and the
south, as far as the extremity Of Italy.
Thus Ireland gave Christianity and
culture first to Scotland and then to
England; and we should remember
that the land Of the newly settled
Angles and SaXons learnt to read and
write from the early Irish scholars
while later generation from the same
island taught Latin and Greek to the
first students Of Oxford University.
The culture of Rome, brought to Ire
land by Saint Patrick and his coadju
tors, fell on fertile soil we'll prepared
by centuries of mature and human in
; digenous life. Ireland had already {
millennium of defined civilization to hel
credit, with ordered institutions, firm
ly established laws, rich social life
land considerable excellence in tn
twin arts Of music and verse, In tn
fpurely decorative arts, much had beel
attained, as is evidenced by the earl.
metal work, whether gold or bronze
!, which has an excellence only rivale,
, by Hellas. The weaving of linen ha,
been known from times almost legen
dairy, and scarlet, blue green and pur
, pie dyes made possible the preparation
= of beautiful fabrics and artistic EN-
, broideries.
!, The traditions of certain epochs ar
very rich; and in these the chief per
sonages stand out with a homeric Wig
= or and distinctness, showing us tina
f a maturity Of life had been reached
2 where strong and richly gifted person
o alities were developed and recognized
2 where the force and influence of supe
: rior men, surprising their time
q through val0r or wisdom, was Under
stood and received, ms the great p6We
q that made for general progress an,
= national life.
j Long before the first coming o
! Christianity, Ireland had consolidate'
o into five Kingdoms: Ulad or Ulster
!. Lagin or Leinster, Muma or Munster
II and Connacht or Olnemact, with Mid
or Meath, the Mid Kingdom, exercif
cising general overlordship from tn