The sun., 1916-11-12
MACNEILL,S SERVICES TO
CELTIC LITERATURE.
Plea for a Scholar Now Under Penal
Sentence In Ireland.

~ II FsIITtR W. 1 HE StN--SU May
] add my feeble voice to the earnest
plea Of other scholars for the commu-
tation OF Eoin MacNcill's sentence from
penal to political? II the British Gov
eminent. by an extended act Of grace,
released the illustrious savant, who IL
advanced In years ard in frail health.
Albion would undoubtedly ingratiate
herself with the turbulent Irish Ma
tionalists who feel scared or incensed
by a traditional policy Of coercion and
frightfulness. The National University
OF Ireland. though one OF the youngest.
Is the foremost champion OF Celtic
scholarship. and can III afford &c forfeit
Professor MacNeill's proved worth and
wisdom.
Irish studies are fully appreciated
in America. Columbia University has
opened winter courses in %colloquial Irish.
The educational value of most Gaelic
classes, however. Is marrcd by a strong
controversial current adverse to British
overlordship, Moreover. the supple
speech OF the sennachies and brehons.
the professional story telicrs and priestly
jurists OF old ireland. can no more be
revived in the market place than Anglo
Saxon in Piccadilly or Broadway. de-
spite the energetic propaganda Of the
Gaelic League. The Irish renaissance
in the European seats Of learning has
a further reaching aspect. Professor
MacNeill having no mean share In that
grand cultural movement.
II Is pleasing to reflect that the
National University Of Ireland ap-
49, tG-N-. III
not only from a national standpoint hut
from a wider point OF view which ap-
plies critical methods. The Erse Lam
guace and literature would have little
universal bearing II they were isolated
and detached from general knowledge.
In order TO be productive and to in
fuerce modern thought, Gaelic must he
contemplated from an Indo-%Euro7ean
window. so to speak.
Material for Irish rhilology Is ample
indeed. but almost unused Meiliet's
Indo-European Grammar. which has
Just come out In a four'h edition In
Paris. lends itself admirably to \ his.
torical and comparative treatment Of
Gaelic ~phonology and accidence. Even
more 50 Brugmann's monumental NortQ
WY TsfGllsHtu W iTFI'SSNr NflElI
and his literary coliahorators.
Again. the valuable genealogical COM
rila,,ons by Waldo tfor Latin). Curtius
FOR Grcck) and Chlerheck tfor SAN
skrit) could easily he adapted and
adopted for a university text book on
Gaelic etymology. II is an all impor-
tant subject. hitherto sadly neglected in
the universities OF English speaking
lands. yet the only safe key to the al
most ~uncxplorcd treasures OF Celtic
mythology and saga lore. to the misty
gods and far Off heroes Of pagan
Ireland.
Last. nut not least. the fascinating
archaeology 81 Ireland receives n new
and unexpected stimulus from the
Vorgeschichte or thc Gaeis. from the
unrecorded. and therefore all the more
bewitching. times when the deorskin
kiltef Scots still roamed. together with
the forcbcars Of Hindus. Hcllenes and
Romans. over the vast steppe lands
north OF the Caspian. Black and Aral
seas. Aryan archaeology Is the scientific
basis OF Irish antiquities. In this de-
partTcnt. too. the harvest is plentiful.
hut the laborers are few. The field has
been somewhat titled by ,he indcfatiga-
BILE Or. Schradcr of the University OF
Breslau. who now prepares a second
edition OF his epoch making Aryan
encyclopedia Gndogermanisches Real
leXikon). which unfortunately is still
untranslated.
Sanskrit shows the clcarest and most
pristine type OF Pan-Aryan speech. II
the Druid priests OF Old had scratched
their sacred ~incantations and wild ma
ture poetry In Ogham runes on birch
bark as early as the Brahmin sages Of
Hindustan. We should know Gaelic in
as primitive a form az we do know
Ssnskrit. As II II. Nedic Sanskrit Ia
more pcrspicuous n original. nearer
the type than even the Oldest Irish
CLOSES that are cxtant. For this rca- |
son the young and promising rival Of
Trinity College. Dublin. would do we'll
10 include Sanskrit in its national,
curriculum.
Ireland and India present the two ]
thorniest problems TO British states |
manship. while Gaelic and Sanskrit are
two OF the most radiant gems in the
keep ~ Britain. aye. OF the
world. May foin MacNc.u
soon be restored to his alma mater.
ERNEST =. HoRRwITz,
Formerly lecturer In Sanskrit and In
dian literature at Dublin University. |
Trinity College.
NEW York, November Q.