Evening star., 1937-03-13
ST. PATRICK BELOVED FIGURE

conviviality" One is inclined to be-
lieve the latter upon looking over the
list of toasts-there were 80 of them,
and they included the manufacturers
Of the United States, Commodore
Preble and the United States Navy,
| and the press, open to everything
but calumny and scurrility."
Some other toasts run of that night
are worth looking over. For instance:
Roads, bridges and canals; may they
be as numerous as the necessities of
the country require" "The fair OF
America" THE exports of America"
The sacred name Of liberty; may its
light illumine the entire world" "Agri-
culture; may it be pursued industri-
ously and scientifically"
At the Baltimore Hibernian So
cietys banquet, at the historic Fulton
Tavern in Baltimore in 1909. one of
the toasts was THE freedom OF the
seas" and still another, Perish that
nation which assumes universal do
minion either by sea or land" The
former was directed at Great Britain,
with which our youthful country went
to war in 1912 over the issue, and the
latter toast might have been directed
at France, also, which then was swag-
gering about under the leadership OF
Napoleon.
INVALUABLY rare old books of fas-
cinating interest in the Library of
Congress bring one into intimate
touch with the deeds of st. Patrick.
One OF the treasures of the Library
is an original copy of THE Golden
Legend" Of Jacobus de Varagine, trans
lated into English, with additions by
William Caxton in 1888, and printed
by him about 1885 The Library also
has copy Of the original Latin YER
sion printed at Augsburg about 1474
The Golden Legend" was series Of
lives Of the saints, compilation OF
their personal histories and their ac-
compllshments in furthering the faith.
Prominent among those mentioned in
The Golden Legend" is st. Patrick.
The Caxton edition OF The Golden
Legend" in which the life OF st.
Patrick is included, is in an excellent
state OF preservation. 1t is a large
volume and printed on heavy paper
which Is torn scarcely at all The
type Is remarkably clear and there
are many hand-illuminated letters.
In this priceless volume one reads
that Patrick is as much to say as
knowledge, for by the will of God he
knew many OF the secrets of heaven
and OF the joys there, and also he
saw part Of the pains OF hell"
According to The Golden Legend"
"St. Patrick was born in Britain, which
Is called England, and was learned
at Rome and there fiourished In vir-
tues; and after departed out of the
parts OF Italy, where he had long
dwelled, and came home into his coun-
try in Wales, named Pendyac, and
entered into fair and joyous country
called the Valley Rosine."
Then, continues the legend, an angel
appeared unto Patrick and said that
God was providing for him a bish-
opric, "one yet not born, but shall
80 years hereafter be born, so he left
that country and sailed over to Ire
land"
The greenery that bursts forth from
every shop window, the snakes, pipes
and shamrocks that appear, give an
air OF universally to ST. Patrick's
day. Linked so indissolubly with the
Ireland from whose "ould sod have
come so many American citizens, st.
Patrick and his day have special
meaning in this country.
Surely there will be no diminution
In the enthusiasm with which St.
Patricks day traditionally "a marked.