The Irish standard., 1905-06-03

little station on the way; you look
through the window, and read the
word "Landen." l looked steadfast.
ly at the name. A Belgian sitting
opposite said 1T is Landen." 1 an.
swered, know it we'll. "Ah," he
said, DO you know Landen? l said
yes, and told him that | knew; and
as the train steamed out of the sta
tior. my thoughts went back to Sars-
field.
You take the train from Brussels
to Calais. You stop at Tournai, and
within six miles of Tournai is the bat
tletield of Fontenoy.
There is no word in Irish history of
deeper meaning than Fontenoy. 1t
recalls sorrowfgul but not inglorious
memories broken treaty, the
broken nation, the conquered ground
to powder by the relentless conqueror
and then that one brief hour of tri.
umph and vengeance on the hill above
Antoin. l have stood on the hill
above Antoin, and looked on the plain
which Cumberland magnificently
crossed. l have stood on the spot
from which SAKE beheld the English
advance with amazement and dismay
l looked in the direction of Antoin;
saw where the bridge spanned the
river, and 1 recalled how SAKE in the
crisis of the day, when all seemed
lost, urged the King to cross it and
save himself. 1 walked to Gauran,
where the Irish Brigade were placed
under the shelter of the wood of Bar
ri. l remembered how the Due de
Richlieu galloped to the spot and
found Lally scanning the field. The
French centre had fallen back before
the English, but were gallantly dis.
putting every inch of ground The
Dutch and Austrians were threaten
ing the French right near Antoin. All
indeed seemed lost. 1t is said that
when DesaiX arrived at Marengo he
was told that the battle was lost. He
replied, 'Yes, one battle is lost; but
there is time to win another" Rich
lieu did not use these words in speak,
ing to Lally, but the sense was the
same. Lally did not reply as De-
saix had replied, but the sense in
which he spoke was also the same
He said, "All may yet be saved. Place
six guns on yonder ground; open fire
on the column; let the reserves ad-
vance and fall on the enemies flank" Z"
Richlieu galloped back to SAKE. SAKE
ordered the guns to be placed in posi-
tion. Fire was opened on the enemy;
the column reeled under the shock,
but tiercely held it's ground Lowenda)
rode to Gauran, and ordered the re
serves to advance. At the head of
the Irish Brigade, which led the way,
he rode forward, then wheeling to the
right, he pointed to the foe, and the
Irishmen, with cry of Remember
Limerick" fell upon the enemies of
their race
Like lions leaping at a fold when
mad with hunger's pang,
Right up against the English line the
Irish eNiles sprang;
Bright was their steel, 'tis bloody now,
their guns are filled with gore;
Through shattered ranks, and severed
files, the trampled flags they tore;
The English strove with desperate
strength, paused, rallied, stag
gered, fled
The green hillside is matted close
with dying and with dead.
Across the plain, and far away passed
on that hideous wrack,
While cavalier and fantassin dash in
upon their track.
On Fontenoy, on Fontenoy, like eagles
in the sun,
With bloody plumes, the Irish stand
the field is fought and wont"
History is nationality, and national.
ity is life. Therefore the history
word must never be forgotten. l re-
peat there is not in Irish history a
word of deeper meaning than Fon-
tenoy. 1t recalls past full of sor-
row but free from shame; a past as
sociated with many defeats; but proof,
too, that freedoms battle sis ever
won'-a past which shows that amid
all the vicissitudes of fortune, and
all the calamities of conquest, the
Irish people have ever stood for right,
for honor, and for conscience.
PRIESTS GO TO PRISON..