The Irish standard., 1908-01-25

tlonallty by a negatiOn-they were
not Irish.
They had lost the country of their
fathers and had not yet found one of
their own. They We're, so to speak, in
a state of National orphanage. With
the most loyal intentions they could
not say they were English, or claim a
right to interfere in matters, in or over
which, Englishmen had been pleased
to assume control Having been born
in Ireland, the curse Of Swift, the
stamp of the inferior country was
upon them. OF this they were very
unceremoniously assured by no less a
person than the poet Milton, when
they ventured to interfere with their
English masters in the hope Of saving
Charles x from the scaffold. The part
Of the plain, blunt man" was never
played more bluntly than Milton
played it.
Though a poet, he could scold, and
scold with a degree Of emphasis and
variety Of phrase, which no lady or
gentleman anywhere, whether poet or
politician, could surpass. "Where," !"
cries. or rather shrieks the future au-
thor of Paradise Lost "is this Bel
fast-,llis little village in Ulster?"
This was bad enough for the place
which in a couple of generations or
SO, began to call itself "the northern
Athens and boast of it's commercial
status and enterprise as if it were a
revival of Tyre or Sidon as we'll. When
however, he assailed their spiritual
guides-worthy and Jealous expound-
ers Of "The Word" according to the
Presbyterian method Of Interpretation,
as CLUMSY Clanderberge presbyters," !"
"unhallowed priestlings,' heated pull
piteers," and degraded members of
an unchristian synagogue" he out
stepped even the liberal license Of the
poet. Belfast, never given to an un-
der-estimation of its own Importance,
felt the rebuff, and, resented it in its
own prudent and peculiarly matter Of
fact fashion. It made no complaint
or appeal to it's neighbors. No noise
over it. It simply retired more COM
pletely into the shell from which 1t
had indiscreetly emerged, and gave it.
self up with greater assiduity than
ever to the main business Of its exist
ence, the art of making money. :.
Milton had been an unconscious ben
efactor to the northeast founding. The
citizens Of the rising "city" (to speak
Americanly) were made to feel their
own level. He conferred upon them
for once in their history. the gift which
Burns so earnestly prays, might be
given in all mankind for. their guild
ance through life, of seeing ouselves
as others see u.s." Henceforth, they
ventured not to meddle with English
or upper-class matters of government.
These were wisely left as their masters
intended they should, to the prodim-
inant partner Of the period such as
he was, or such as they chose him to
be, whether a Cromwell as a Stuart.
Humility of the purest type is not
a Belfast virtue, and it is refreshing
to meet with SO conspicuous an in
| stance Of it, in connection with so
conspicuous a name as that Of Milton,
in the pages of her early records Her
almost intuitive recognition of her
mistake was touching; if was edify-
ing; it was sublime. She saw at once
as she scanned herself for moment
with another's eye, that only the COL
lor or the lower story Of the political
edifice was for her, and she unmur-
mingly took the place assigned her
by fate (for to use one Of her pru-
dent proverbs, better a half loaf than
no bread), with the stoicism of a pa
gan and the resignation Of the util-
itarian Christian.
But further salutory lesson Of the
! poet the future of Belfast might have
been very different. So might also
the character Of her people. Had her
! "too previous" intermeddling with
State matters turned out satisfactor-
lily, her destiny as the future CONNER
cial capital of Ireland might have been
defeated (supposing always that the
destiny Of the city or individual could
be defeated). AS English or imper-
ial politicians, her people might have
gone in for making speeches instead
Of making Irish linen,. and building
empires instead Of building ships, OF
in their passion for British "expan.
sion" have taken to some other career
of magnificent robbery abroad. instead
of to one Of obscure and honest in.
zens should erect "memoriap' te
dustry at home. In gratitude for his
involuntary service to Belfast, its citi.
that raised to the late Prince Consort
Milton alongside, should suggest