THE ORIGINAL FENIANS.

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 224, 5 March 1866, Page 3

THE ORIGINAL FENIANS.

The following account of the ancient Fenians of Ireland is from " Morley's "Writers before Chaucer" : — " Irish tradition says that the Fenians were an ancient militia or standing army employed only on home service for protecting the coasts from invasion. Each of the four provinces, says the tradition, had its band ; that of Leinster, to which Fionn and his family belonged, being called the Clanna Baoisgne. This militia is said to have been paid by the King, billeted on the people in the winter, but to have lived in summer by the chase. And these are imagined to have been the qualifications of a Fenian :— Every soldier was required to swear that, without regard to her fortune, he would choose a wife for her virtue, her courtesy, and her good manners; that he would never offer violence to a woman; that as far as he j could he would relieve the poor, and that he would not refuse to fight nine men of any other nation. No person could be received into the service unless his father and mother, and all his relatives, gave security that none. of them should revenge his death upon the person who might slay him, but that they would leave the matter to his fellow soldiers. The youth himself must be well acquainted with the twelve books of poetry, and be able to compose verses. He must be a perfect master of defence; to prove this he was placed in a field of sedge reaching up to his knees,, having in his hands a target aud a hazel stick as long as a man's arm. Nine experienced soldiers, from a distance of nine ridges of land, where to hurl their spears at him at once ; if he was unhurt he was admitted, but if wounded he was sent off ■with a reproach. He must also run well and defend himself when in fight ; to try his activity he was made to run througn a wood, having a start of a tree's breadth, the whole of the Fenians pursuing him ; if he was overtaken or wounded in the wood he was refused as too sluggish and unskilful to fight with honor among such valiant troops. Also, he must have a strono- arm and be able to hold his weapon steadily. Also, when he can run through a wood in chase his hair should not come untied: if it did he was rejected. He must be so swift and light of foot as not to break a rotten Btick by standing upon it ; able also to leap over a tree as high as bis forehead, and to stoop under a tree that was lower than liis knees. Without stooping or lessening his speedy he must be able to draw a thorn out of his foot. Finally, he must take an oath of fidelity. The Itev. Geo£ry Keatings, who wrote a history of Erin in the year 1630, gravely sa y S . — « So long as these terms of admission were exactly insisted upon, the military of Ireland were an invincible defence to their country, and a terror to rebels at home and enemies abroad."