THE CELTIC RACE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1770, 7 June 1913, Page 6

THE CELTIC RACE.

INFLUENCE ON LITERATURE. ; The Celtic Club held another of their periodical social evenings last night, when a lecture was delivered by Professor Mackenzie, of Victoria College, on "The Celt, and tho Celtic Elements in English Literature." ■ The president of tho club, Dr. Cahill, was in the chair. Professor MacKenzie addressed himself first to tho question—Who and what are tho Celts? In answering the question, ho showed that tho Celts were among tho earliest races in Europe to show any marked superiority in culture, and in the practico of useful crafts. Tho date of their settlement in tho British Isles was not. known, but ho thought it certain that the first Celts landed in Ireland, and from there spread over Albion. He went on to discuss tho differences in character between tho Celt and the Teuton, and quoted extensively from other admirers of the race to show that tho Celt was not the inferior of tho Saxon, as was sometimes alleged. Ho claimed, also, that tho effect of Celtic influences on English literature had been wholly good, quoting Professor Morley's opinion that but for the Celtic infusion Gormanic England would not havo produced a Shakespeare. Tho lecture was listened to with great interest by all present, and at. the conclusion a voto of thanks, proposed by Mr. E. .T. Fitzgibbon, and supported by other speakers, was accorded to tho lecturer.