Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1915-03-14

der st Patrick, the patron saint.
What % sublime work, the rescuinG
of this people, of this island. from
the dark, hopeless superstitlons oil
idolatry, What honor to be made an
instrument in Gods hands to bring
from the idol worshiper of the sun
God these people to a knowledge of
the truth, And very humble vessels
doth the Master oft times choose Tor
the conveyance of the spiritual food
to his hungry children.
The history of st. Patrick Gas |
heard it | will tell it to you) is very
humble though strangely eventful. We
are told that he was a slave. a young
lad sent to ireland from ancient Gaui;
that after a little while his chains
hung heavily upon INN and he longed
for freedom, and that finally he es-
capped from his bondage and managing
to make his way to Rome, and abode
there. He could not, however. remain
inactiVe-h felt that he had mis-
sion to fulfill-and vivid dream Of
a scroll on which was written. The
Voice of the Irish served to arouse
his slumbering energy into new life.
He interpreted the dream as direct
message from on High and took it as
an intimatiOn of the work he was re-
CURED to do, and somewhere about
the beginning of the fifth century, 432,
A. D., | believe, he began his success
fal his wondrous work in the little
/ Isle of the Sea-
| We are all familiar with the sue
cess of his mission. OF how he mingl-
ed with these fanciful people with
! their wonderful exploits Of love and
valor: this nation of many kings, who,
like the rulers of Hellas were con-
stantly pitted against one another,
each jealousy striving for the mas
| terry.
! How similar Gf you will pardon the
digression) is the early history Of
| Hellas and Erin, or, as they are
known today ireland and Greece.
Rather. let us saw what a strong re-
| semblance the myths and traditions
| handed down from the earliest known
period of lreland's existence bear to
the traditions of ancient Greece
First. in the temple poetry and later
! in new form, in the songs of Homer.
| AS the Hellenes We're divided into
tribes, each ruled by king. we find
Erin with her tribes each headed by
| a chief of ancient lineage. AS Greece
| was invaded by the Fersians, Ireland
was sacked by the Danes, and as
Rome conquered Greece, Ireland fell
under the Norman conquest Greece
was plunged into years of bloodshed
by the abduction of Helen, wife of
Menelaus of Sparta, by Paris of Troy,
and the many centuries of woe ana
trouble through which poor Erin
waded began with. the similar flight
Of Davorgille wife of the Prince Of
Rrefny. with Dermot Macmurough
King of Leinster.
Ireland with her myths and trad.
ltions, her eventful and exciting history
her wrongs and expressions, presents
a wide and varied field for the poet;
la store house of learning for the
student, and. appeals through seven
centuries to the sympathy of all lovers
of justice.
|
lty of her scenery. the silvery sheer
of her crystal lakes; the emerald YER
dure of her fields and meadows; the
topaz blue of the furbe and the anne
Jthyst tinted blooms of the heather
Lowering her mountain slopes; in hel
moss grown and ivy clad ruins, ano
in the bold grandeur of her storm
swept coasts
The archaeologist could spend q
life time among the ancient edifices
the mysterious Round Towers of sup
posed Druid ingenuity the huge crom-
lechs raised above her buried chief
tains, the primitive weapons ard golf
ornaments bearing evidence of GER
tain crude civilization existing in 8
pre- Christian era.
The scholar in his search for knowl-
edge would be rewarded by an insight
into the shifting scenes, from almost
total ignorance before the advent O
Christianity and the Patron Saint. t.
an unexcelled state of culture ant
learning.
But with all this mighty array Of
poetic myths. romantic history, anti
que relics, picturesque scenery anc
knowledge of letters and arts, Ireland
is perhaps the least appreciated o.
any civilized country in the world
The tourist seeking recreation 'ant
amusement goes to England and the
continent; the artist seeking inspira
ton goes to Rome; the archaeologis
on ancient relics bent, wends his way
to Athens; the student pores ovel
1.-THE epics Of Homer which sing the
praises of the early Grecian heroes
all unmindful of the Annals Of The
Four Masters compiled by Michae
IOCelerigh, setting forth the exploits
and victories of the early kings q
! Erin. While he studies the alphabet
of Cadmus. he is lamentably ignoran
of that other alphabet called Oghan
which has been found cut in wood ano
jstone in Ireland.
I Even Erin, herself, looked TOWARD
Hellas with love and friendship fCl
which attitude some historians ac-
count by tracing a common origin, OF
at least, a relationship between the
two countries. The theory certainly
carries weight when we remember
that after the conversion of ireland
to Christianity, her learned men stu
died the language of the Helene:
with great zeal and even wrote TIKI
Latin of the church service in Greek
characters, and on the other nand
| there is still in existence a manu-