The Elbert County tribune., 1906-03-15

IuLnehsiouS VI ot- fdIrlcKS WOrK IN
Ireland. There is the old view that
he first introduced the Christian
religion and converted the whole
island, and there is tNe view, pro-
pounded by Prof. thinner. that the
sphere of his activity was merely a
small district in Leinster. The second
opinion is refuted by critical exami-
hation of the sources, and by its own
lncapacity to explain the facts, while
the first cannot be sustained because
clear evidence exists that there were
Christian communities in Ireland be-
fore Patrick arrived.
But the fact that foundations had
been laid here and there does not de-
prive st. Patrick of his eminent sig
nifcaIce. He did three things He
organized the Christianity which al
ready existed, he converted Kingdoms
which were still pagan, especially in
the west, and he brought ireland into
connection with the church of the en-
pire, and made it formally part of uni
yersal Christendom.
These three aspects of s. Patricx's
work are illustrated by ]. B. Bury. for
merly fellow of Trinity College, Dub
lin, and now regius professor in the
University of Cambridge, in a volume
of 400 pages. c"The Life of st. Patrick
and His Place in History" issued by
the Macmillan company The sub
| ject attracted the eminent scholars
attention not as an important crisis in
the history of Ireland. but, in the first
place, as an appendix of the Roman
| ~, nj il1t ct tr-ot In ha Oft Of
its influence beyond its own frontiers,
and, in the second place, as notable
episode in the series of conversions
which spread over northern Europe
the religion which prevails to-day.
Doubts of the very existence of st.
Patrick had been entertained, and
other views almost amounted to the
| thesis that If he did exist he was not
himself but a namesake. 1t was at
once evident to Prof. Bury that the
material had never been critically sift-
ed, and that it would be necessary to
begin at the beginning, almost as If
nothing had been done, in a field
where much had been written.
Concerning the work of Todd on the
subject, he acknowledged that in
learning and critical acumen it stands
out pre-eminent from the mass of the
historical literature which has gath
cred round ST. Patrick, yet it left him
doubtful about every fact connected
with Patrick's life.
Sought the Original Sources.
Prof Bury's justification of the pres
ent biography is that it rests upon a
methodical examination of the sources.
and that the conclusions, whether
right Or wrong, were reached without
any prepossession. His conclusions
tend to show that the Roman Catholic
conception of st. Patricks work is
generally nearer to historical fact
than the views of some anti-papal
divines.
The conversion of Ireland to Chris
tianity has, as Prof. Bury points out
its modest place among those mani
fold changes by which a new Europe
was being formed in the fifth century.
The beginnings of the work had been
noiseless and dateless. due to the play
of accident and the obscure zeal of
nameless pioneers; but it was organ
lied and established. so that it could
never be undone, mainly by the efforts
of one man, Roman citizen of Brit
ain, who devoted his life to the task.
THE child who was destined to play
this part in the shaping of a new Eu-
rope was born before the close of the
fourth century, perhaps in the year
SS9 A. d. His father. Calpurnius, was
a Briton, like all free subjects of the
empire, he was Roman citizen; and
Ian. d., lA
bore a Roman name.
"Calpurnius called his son Patricius
But If Patricius talked as n child with
his father and mother the Brythonic
tongue of his forefathers, he bore the
name of Sucat. He was thus double
named. like the Apostle Paul, who
bore Roman as well as Jewish
name from his youth up. But another
Roman name, Magonus. is also ascrio-
ed to Patrick; and possibly his full
style-as it would appear in the town
registry when he should come of age
to exercise the rights of citizen
was Patricius Magonus Sucatus.'
Partick Became a Slave.
AS the son of deacon. Patrick was
educated in the Christian faith. and
was taught the Christian scriptures.
When he was in his 18th year a
fleet of Irish freebooters came to the
coasts or river banks in the neighbor-
hood seeking plunder and loading
their vessels with captives. Patrick
was at his fathers farmstead, and was
one of the victims. Man-servants and
maid-servants were taken, but his par
ents escaped. He was carried ito the
| ,,itinate nlaceS of the earth" as he