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December 21, 1882.]
AN TRISH HISTORY OF EXGLAND,
BY T. D. SULLIVAN.
INTRODUCTION.
A handbook of English history, free from the prejudices
and partialities displayed in most works of the kind, appears
to the writer to be much wanted in Ireland. Nearly all the
accessible works on that subject are so overlaid with the self-
praise of the English nation, with depreciatory no ices of
other peoples, and with libels on the Catholic Church, as to
2 almost unreadable, and certainly unfit reading, by Jrish-
men. great crimes that blot the annals of England are
usually glossed lightly over by the authors of those works ;
the aggressive, treacherous, and cruel line of policy acted on
England on many occasions in various parts of the world
is excused by them when it is not absolutely commended ; and
every event, circumstance, and situation is made to minister
in one way or another to the vanity of the English people.
‘The same boastful spirit is reflected throughout all English
literature.
From the tone in which the affairs of other countries are
usnally referred to by English writers, one might suppose
that England hed never been invaded, conquered, and pian.
dered; that Engiishmen had not been for mrny bundreds of
years the veriest slaves of Romans, Saxons, Danes, aud Nor-
mans; and that the country had not been the scene of royal
quarrels, usurpations and murders, racked by horrible tyran-
nies, aud torn’by civil wars.
‘Thus the disorders alleged to have existed in Ireland at the
time of its invasion by Heury the Second are always referred
to by English writers in such @ strain of virtuous pity am
indignation asto imply that nothing of the sort was ever
known in their country, and that the condition of England
at the time was one of peace, order, holiness and happiness.
In truth, Ireland has suffered most grievously, and still con-
tinues to suffer, from the libellous pens of English writers.
The first of the class who ever crossed to this island com-
. imenced that style of work, and it has never since gone out
of fashion with his countrymen. ‘They have been acting the
part of historians for Ireland as well as for England during
hundreds of years, but giving a very different style of treat-
ment to the affairs of the two countries; for their own. wor!
they use a “pencil of light.”—Irish history they write with
a tar-brush.
It is therefore plainly desira-
ble that all Irishmen should have a clear idea of the general
course and character of English history. To assist in popu-
larising a sort of knowledge so certain to prove useful to
them is the object of the little work which is now respect-
fully prese.ted to the Irish people.
I.
THE ENGLISH BEFORE C3SAR.
TW condition of the inhabitants of Britain previous to
the invasion of their country by the Romans under Ju-
lius Cesar was one of utter barbarism. Arts, laws, andlearn-
ng had made considerable progress in lands not far remote
from them; in Gaul, on the one side, some approach had
been made towards settled government, and matters tending
to add comfort and refinement to life were not unknown ; in
. Ireland, on the other side, there had been kings, and lawgiv-
ers, poets, mus.cians, and artificers, for several centuries :
but between those countries lay Britain in a state of savagery.
A few of the tribes or nations” on the eastern side of the
island had acquired some slight knowledge of useful arts
from the neighboring pcople of the continent ; all the rest
were, at the time referred to, in the rudest condition of hu-
man society. They dwelt in wretched huts, and did vot till
the earth, but subsisted upon roots and herbs, and the mil!
and flesh of their kine. When eating their meals they squat-
ted on the ground. Cwsar, describing the condition of the
people at the time of his invasion, states that the men usually
had ten or twelve wives each, and gives a very revolting ac-
count of their social and family eustoms. ‘Societies of
men,” writes Sir James Mackintosh, in his history of Eng-
land, ‘‘ generally cowposed of the nearest relations, had wives
jn common ;” and then, having referred somewhat more mi-
* tion are des-
troyed.” All which comments are indeed perfectly applicable
to the state of things described.
The early British costume wasa rub of paint. The na-
tives stained their bodies with the juice of one of their plants,
which imparted to them a blue color ; and not satisfied with
this plain tint, they scrawled upon their skins a variety o!
rude fignres avd representations of disgusting creatures. In
an old British work we read that the practice of painting mon-
sters on their skins was first adopted by the British warriors
to make them look terrible in battle ; but that _snbsequently
the style was regarded as ornamental, and adopted by women
as weil as men, who, to save the drawings from being washed
off by the weather, struck upon the plan of having them in~
delibly impressed upon their bodies by means of tattoeing.
In the winter time, however, they clad a portion of their
bodies in the skins of beasts to protect them from the cold.
Their religion was®Druidism of a particularly severe and
The British Druids delighted in human sacri-
gces; they imwolated prisoners takeu in war and offenders
against the laws; sometimes, by way of making their offer-
ings peculiarly acceptable to their gods, they sacrificed inno- .
cent youths and maidens and little children ; upon great occa-
sions they constructed huge cages of wicker work, and filling
them with human beings, set fire to all together, shouting,
gesticulating, dancing, and performing hideous orgies while
the groans of the sufferers rose on the air and the smoke and
smell of burning flesh spread far and wide.
THE CONQUEST BY CESAR,
In an interval of one of his Gallic wars, Cresar undertook
the invasion of Britain. ‘‘He was not allured,” writes an
English historian, ‘either by its riches or its renown,” be-
cause it possessed neither one nor the other, but he was am-
REDPATIVS WEEKLY.
bitious of carrying the Roman arms into a new world, then
almost unknown, The Britons had heard of his design, and
the effect of the news was, not to inspire them with a defiant
spirit or set them to the making of warlike preparations, but
to fill them with alarm and cause them to crave for mercy.
Before a single Roman soldier had embarked for the expe-
dition, ambassadors from the Britons presented themselves
before Cwsar to offer submission, but the great general was
not to be debarred from his new field of conquest and of
glory by any terms, no matter how abject, that might be of-
fered him. He set sail from the Galhe shore, fifty-five years
before the birth of Our Saviour, taking with him twelve thou-
i e coast
d
gesticulating in such a manuer as to imply that they were re-
solved to make short work of himself and his troops if he
should attempt to land. He landed, however, aud easily dis-
persed the British warriors. Having obtained sowe farther
advantages uver them, they humbly sued for peace, offered
submission, and promised hostages for their future obedi-
ence. Giesar, coupelled by the exigencies of the warin Gaul
to return speedily to that country, accepted their terms, con-
cluded a treaty with them, re-embarked his soldiers aj] but
the seventh legion, and left the shores of Britain. This was
the first treaty made by the Britons, and, like every other
treaty made by their countrymen from tbat day to this, the
broke it as soon as they believed they could do so with safety
and advantage.
‘The retiring Roman vessels were scarcely out of sight when
the Britons set at nonght the stipulations they had made, and
fell upon the remaining legion with the intention of annihi-
lating it. at they soon found they bad made a woful mis-
take, for the legion defeated them with great slaughter, and
again compelled them to beg for perce. News of their treach-
ery having reached Cmsar in Gaul, he determiaed to visit
their country again and rednce it this time to thorough sub-
jection. A year after the date of bis first laviding, he arrived
upon the coast, accompanied by as many 8 thirty thousand
men, entered the country and marched through it, scattering
and defeating the natives wherever tf]
his progress, Again the Britons prostrated themselves be-
fore him and begged for mercy, and again it was granted to
thew, on condition of their paying an annual tribute to Rome
and delivering up hostages for their future conduct. ‘lo
these terms the discomfited islanders gladiy assented, after
which Cesar onee more returned to Gaul, taking with him
his entire fleet and army from the shores of Britain.—To be
continued. .
MICHEL ANGELO'S STATUE OF NIGHT.
EPIGRAM FROM THE ITALIAN.
For Redpath’s Weekly,]
“This statue by an Angel's wand was wrought,
Which here thou seest sunk in slumber deep;
It is not dead, it lives—it doth but sleep—
’Twill speak, but wake it, if thou believ'st me not.”
MICHEL ANGELO'S RESPONSE.
A gracions boon is sleep, the better so
«That tis of stone; in evil days when now
Frand reigas, aud shame lifts unabashed its brow-—
So, friend! I pray thee, wake me not —speak low!
Athens, Pa. Rev. Joun CosTELio.
—_-—__
WHO SAYS OUR BRAVE ENDEAVOR?
[For Redpath’s Weekly.]
Who says our brave endeavor
Is vain our chains to sever
Mast hopeless lie forever.
‘The mountains nature gave her,
‘That foeman and enslaver,
Though e’er so rude,
Migit b ned
. If they should dare to brave her!
And while soars the mountain’s brown,
Erin’s flag shall ne’er go down!
Who talks of base surrender
To despot or pretender
While hill and glen
Give means and men
To succor and defend her!
‘The old land is not dying,
Her banner still is flying,
. And yet "twill be
“On every sea,
Her every foe defying !
English strength or English hate
Cannot stay the hand of fate! Wa. Contins.
The Closure Bill,
The English Parliament has adjourned till the middle of Feb-
ruary. The only work done during the sessiun just closed was
the passage of the Closure bill. The Irish members return home
i to fasten the yoke
of the Tories, who will in turn fasten it on the necks
Liberals, when the latter are in opposition. The
cloture gag was intended fur the Irish members, but will affect
them little if at all, while it will be a two-edged weapon in the
hands 0: the English parties. Mr. T. P. O'Comnor peaks ot the
with the swect consolation of having helpe:
on the necks
prospects of the Irish party, under the new rnles, as follows :
With regard to Irish proxpects, I do not think they are, on the
whole, damaged by the new rule. Every sensible mani
buried. The coup d'etat
of the Speaker in 1881 and the suspeusion by Dr. P "
ides,
obnoxious bill directly, 1ts employment wa:
to come, the
that period.
party: We want legislation, and as mitch of itas
then all the municipal bedies of the conntry will be
instead of those of our epemics; we want the
eighty constituencies ; and we want & unty
hen Vive la cloture!
in the
Irish party made up his mind a long time ago that obstraction as
Jaytair in 1881
last Coercion act having been passed for
‘As to the immediate future, our position is this as
a ti we can get.
Wo want the franchise tor the Municipal Councils lowered, and
in our hands:
Parliamentary
franchise lowered, and then we sball have command ot perhaps
Cr y Government bill
s0 as to have the counties ruled by the tenants, and not by the
andlords. Ifthe closure will help us to get these things, why,
dt
A CHILD'S HISTORY OF IRELAND,
THE EARLY IRISH CHURCIL
(For Redpath'’s Weekly.)
JRE Trish nation received its tirst knowledge of the Chris
tian religion from Rome.
In the year 430, the archdeacon Palladins (afterwards
known as Sajnt Palladins) was ordained and sent to
by Celestine, the 45th Pope of Rome. ‘Ibexe f.
corded by writers of the highest credit from the fifth to the
eleventh centuries. /
The ancient annals of Tonisfallen tell us that, in 402, two
Irishmen, Kiaran and Declan, after sojourning i
turned to preach Christianity in Ireland; that, in 412. St.
Ailbe, of Ewly, came fou) Rome to announce the faith in Ire-
land; and that, in 420, Ibar Invarensis, another Irishman.
who had studied in Rome, came thence to Ireland. Bat be-
fore the e rliest of these periods, as far back as 360, it ix re-
corded that a certain Christian priest had been sent from
Roe to Ireland to teach the Christian faith there, aud that
it was from him tbat St. Ailbe, of Emly, received baptism.
It is believed that this priest succeeded in converting a small
and scattered number of the Irish to Christianity before the
arrival of St. Pallading and St. Patrick,
Bat the great apostle of Ireland was St. Patrick. He was
orn at Bonlegne in Armoric Gaul. fie was theson of Cal-
phurins. Calpburius was a layman at the time of the birth
of his son, but he was afterwards separated from his wife and
took holy orders.
[he ecclesiastical annals of Ireland show that the Irish
Church always acknowledged the supremacy of the Pope of
Rome, and was in constant communication with Kome.
e success of St. Patrick was complete. He converted
the whole island to the Christian faith,
The Irish Church seems to have taken an active part in the
theological controversies of the several centuries that followed
its adbesion to the Catholic Church. We are told that ‘it
fell into the error of computing Easter incorrectly, but that
it was reclaimed from that error by Pope Honorious, in the
year 628.” About that time the Pope had a legate in Ireland,
St. Lasrean, an Irishman. Mi
go to Rome to do homage to the Pope, and Irish bishops took
part in Roman councils.
In the,twelfth century, Malachi, the Primate of all Ireland,
visited the Conrt o
the Irish archbishops. The Pallium is an ensign of legatine
authority. The Pope told Malachi that he would grant his
request, but that it should first be made by the General Body
of the Irish prelates assembled in Synod. This promise was
not immediately falfilled ; for, on Malachi's next journey to
Rome, to obtain the fulfilment of the promise, he fell sick,
nnd died at Clairvaux, in France, in 1148. The Palls were
granted by Pope Engenius the Third, through bis nuncio,
Cardinal Paparo, who visited Ireland in the year 1151.
During the following year, a council was held at Kells, at
which there were present twenty-four Irish prelates, Cardi-
nal Paparo presided.
Treland was there divided into four archbishoprics—Armagh,
Dublin, Cashel and Tram.
In 1171, King Henry the Second, of England, landed in
Ireland, and received the allegiance of Irish prelates and
princes, as King of Ireland. The Council of Cashel was held
in 1172. This council did not tender allegiance to the invader:
“It had nothing to do with it —the allegiance of the prelates
had been tendered to Henry at Waterford.”
The decrees of the Council of Cashel were aimed against
what were regarded as the chief evils of the time—such as
neglect of due solemnity in burials ; informality aud careless-
ness of baptism; extortion committed by powerful Jaymen
on the church lands ; and the celebration of marriages within
the forbidden degrees of relationship. Tithes had been in-
troduced into Ireland about twenty years before at the Coun-
cil of Kells, held under Cardinal Paparo, The Council of
Cashel enforced the payment of these tithes to the clergy.—
‘To be Continued.
—-—_—_
THE MAYOR OF DUBLIN.
We give a splendid portrait of the patriotic Lord Mayor of
Dublin, THe is too good a man to be called a * Lord,” but he
ig not responsible for that misfortune.
na recent letter on the differences, between English and
Irish Electoral Privileges, Mr. Dawson wrote:
‘*In Ireland there is no household suffrage for Parliamen-
tary purposes. The qualification is based on a valuation of
over £4. Even at this standard, and far above it, occupiers
are not necessarily, and under penalty, rated, as in England;
but the landlords may be and in most cases are, In Dabli
bound to prove the validity of the objection, nor is he mule-
ted in costs should the objection be a frivolous one. In Eng
land the onus of proof lies on the objector, and on him falls
the cost of unwurranted objection. Hence, served with im-
punity, objections in Ireland fall thick as snow flakes,
“In Iretand the lodgers already on the lixt must make per-
sonal claim for renewal; in Eogland, a written application
suflices, In Ireland, the revision courts for Parliamentary and
Municipal purposes are separate, and, at different times, in-
olviog double expenditure of time and money In England,
they are amalgamated, thus economising both. In Ireland,
artisans and employees who cannot be released from work be-
fore 5 P. M,, lose tbe opportunity of prosecuting claims. In
England, in every town which has over 10,000 inhabitants,
mn 7 to 10 P. M., for the conveniance of such
In Eagland, the Municipal franchise is a honsehold
one. In Ireland, Dablia excepted, the qualification is £10,
and in Dublin, though no money qualification is required,
three yexrs’ residence in one house is necessary.
“ais probibitory condition. and the non-rating of quar-
terly tenants, and the wholesale rating of owners, instead of
occupiers, lead tothe almost complete disfranchisement of the
people of Dublin, The case is typical of the other towns in
relang, And hence we fiod that Dablin, with a population
of 267,717 (1881), bad only 13,599 voters for Parliamentary
purposes, aud of these 4,000 are property-holders or freemen,
Yhe Manicipal voters only number 5,000. Compare there
facts with the state of things in Leeds. In that city, in 1871,
there was a population of 259,212, and thera were 49,
Parliamentary electors, and over 50,000 Municipal.
**Cuantes Dawson,”