The Irish standard., 1913-09-13

to explain to the unsophisticated Tor
eigner than why q national laursats
should ever need turning into his ma
tional tongue. And the fact remains
that the Irish Melodies'' passed sim
ultaneously into Irish and into mek
ody.
German scholars had begun 70
dream about an Irish literature long
before their English confreres had on
tertained the suspicion that the dark.
ness concealed more than their own
ignorance. Mathew Arnold, In hA
Celtic Essays" flashed the first light
upon literary England. 1t Is said that
they were inspired by a fortnisht,s
visit to a Welsh-speaking watering
place, but the result was far.reaching.
From the Oxford Chair Of Poetry he
drew a sudden attention to the
achievement Of the Celtic mind. TO
the shelter of university famed for
housing the worlds lost causes he In.
troduced that OF q forgotten litara-
ture. "
Ancient beauty arrayed with new
truth stood over his words. He sur.
veyed misty and untrodden helds. he
generated infinite interest in all things
Celtic, and he piped tentative ap-
peal to the British public to invest in
an Irish chair. but he brought no
sure reply to the question Of what is
Irish literature. He was mainly alive
to the new influence which might be
made to we'll in Victorian letters. He
hoped even to see the Irish Question
solved on literary basis. He must
always be given credit for one sen.
tence which might have changed the
current Of Irish history-"to know the
Celtic case, one must know the Col
tic people. and to know them one must
know that by which people can best
express themselves
Brave words for an English pro-
fessor, but for purposes Of peace and
good will in Ireland they were four
hundred years too late. Tudor ana
Plantagenet law had long reckoned
"treasonable and detestable" that by
which the Irish might have best. ex-
pressed themselves. Though he was
the first in England to break through
the charmed circle Of classical let
ters, 1t was not until Celtic Chairs
had been erected as far apart a. IA
Washington and Berlin that any Eng
lish university recognized Celtic scho-
larship The vague discovery Of an
irish literature once made. q fresh
streak was added to the palette Of
English poetry.
Arnold himself led of with the voy.
age of Brendan:
st. Brendan sails the northern
main.
The brotherhood Of Saints srs
glad.
He greets them once. he saiis
again
So late-such storms-the Saint IL
mad"
But there was nothing peculiarly Gel.
tic in it. as there certainly was, in
Tennyson's voyage Of Maeldun,"
where he really touched ''the blind
Mysteries of the Celt" himself:
I'VE wallowed in beds of lilies, and
chanted the triumph of Finn
Till each, like a golden image, was
pollened from head to feet" ,,'t-
While among what are called the
Anglo-1rish writer's, Ferguson and
Aubrey de We're succeeded in bringing
many hero-moods and moments from
ancient knowledge to present notice.
OF recent years, Yeats has attached
his name to school Of mystthcatipp,
Of which there are small signs of
clearing. He is reckoned an Eish'
laureate, but in reality he is Ras.
setti lost in what the old writers eal1--
ed "druidical mist" .aSsss.
A. E. is. Of course, the Irish, VII.
liam Morris, except that he is intalt
eafod IN creamorioe more than Ynlt