44 FOURTH PEKIOD. A. D. 590 TO 1049.
did not penetrate into the native population; but Queen Eliza beth and the Stuarts set up by force a Protestant state-religion in antagonism to the prevailing faith of the people. Hence, by the law of re-action, the Keltic portion of Ireland became more intensely Roman Catholic, being filled with double hatred of England on the ground of difference of race and religion. This glaring anomaly of a Protestant state church in a Roman Catholic country has been removed at last after three centuries of oppres sion and misrule, by the Irish Church Disestablishment Act in 1869 under the ministry of Gladstone.
The early history of Ireland (Hibernia) is buried in obscurity. The ancient Hibernians were a mixed race, but prevailingly Keltic. They were ruled by petty tyrants, proud, rapacious and warlike, who kept the country in perpetual strife. They were devoted to their religion of Druidism. Their island, even before the introduction of Christianity, was called the Sacred Island. It was also called Scotia or Scotland down to the elev enth century.1 The Romans made no attempt at subjugation, as they did not succeed in establishing their authority in Caledonia.
The first traces of Irish Christianity are found at the end of the fourth or the beginning of the fifth century.
As Pelagius, the father of the famous heresy, which bears his name, was a Briton, so Cselestius, his chief ally and champion, was a Hibernian ; but we do not know whether he was a Chris tian before he left Ireland. Mansuetus, first bishop of Toul, was an Irish Scot (A.D. 350). Pope Cselestine, in 431, ordained and sent Palladius, a Roman deacon, and probably a native Briton, "to the Scots believing in Christ," as their first bishop.3 This notice by Prosper of France implies the previous existence of Christianity in Ireland. But Palladius was so discouraged
1 Isidore of Seville in 580 (Origines XIV. 6) was the first to call Hibernia by the name of Scotia: "Scotia eadem et Ibernia, proxima Sritannice insula"
2 Prosper Aquitan. (A.D. 455-463), Chron. ad an. 431 : "Ad Scotos in Christum credentes ordinatus a Papa Cadestino Palladius primus Episcopus mittitur" "Comp. Vita S. Palladii in the Book of Armagh, and the notes by Haddan and Stubbs, Vol. II., Part II., pp. 290, 291.
§ 14. THE CONVERSION OF IRELAND. 45
that he soon abandoned the field, with his assistants, for North Britain, where he died among the Picts.1 For nearly two cen turies after this date, we have no authentic record of papal inter course with Ireland; and yet during that period it took its place among the Christian countries. It was converted by two humble individuals, who probably never saw Home, St. Patrick, once a slave, and St. Bridget, the daughter of a slave-mother.2 The Roman tradition that St. Patrick was sent by Pope Cailestine is too late to have any claim upon our acceptance, and is set aside by the entire silence of St. Patrick himself in his genuine works. It arose from confounding Patrick with Palladius. The Roman mission of Palladius failed ; the independent mission of Patrick succeeded. He is the true Apostle of Ireland, and has impressed his memory in indelible characters upon the Irish race at home and abroad.
ST. PATRICK or Patricins (died March 17, 465 or 403) was the son of a deacon, and grandson of a priest, as he confesses him self without an intimation of the unlawfulness of clerical mar riages.3 He was in his youth carried captive into Ireland, with many others, and served his master six years as a shepherd. While tending his flock in the lonesome fields, the teachings of
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his childhood awakened to new life in his heart without any particular external agency. He escaped to France or Britain, was again enslaved for a short period, and had a remarkable
1 He is said to have left in Ireland, when he withdrew, some relics of St. Peter and Paul, and a copy of the Old and New Testaments, which the Pope had given him, together with the tablets on which he himself used to write. Iladdan & Stubbs, p. 291.
2 Hence Montalembert says (II. 393): "The Christian faith dawned upon Ireland by means of two slaves." The slave-trade between Ireland and Eng land llourished for many centuries.
3 This fact is usually omitted by Roman Catholic writers. Butler says sim ply : " His father was of a good family." Even Montalembert conceals it by calling "the Gallo-Roman (?) Patrick, son of a relative of the great St. Mar tin of Tours" (II. 390). He also repeats, without a shadow of proof, the legend that St. Patrick was consecrated and commissioned by Pope St. Celestine (p. 391), though he admits that "legend aud history have vied in taking possession of the life of St. Patrick."