St. Patrick's Day.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 596, 16 March 1876, Page 2

St. Patrick's Day.

Tomorrow, aU'ove"? the world, Will be kept as the national holiday of a large and important section of the community, who acknowledge St Patrick as their 'p&tron saint and commemorate tte day 'of \is death in his favorite retreat of- Sfttil, In 'the C m'nty Down, Vbich 'fcabftehfed 'bn the '17th of March, AD'^3, St Patrick, or Patricms as he w*8 r then called, was a Romano-Gallic 'youth of £oo'd family, taken prlsbher in one "of itie military idcarsions of 'King ? intb j Gaul and brought b'acV^ifch tneVfcfcbrio'us Irish array into ' Ireland. HV escaped, from Ireland and became a "priest 'of the Church. -But 1 His heart ' yearned 'for ' the land of his bondage 'an'd her people and obtaining the Popes sanction and benediction he was consecrated a Bishop, 'and with, a few chosen priests returned A.D. 4312 to evangelise that country. He effected a landing near Dublin but was forced to reembark through the hostility of 'the people, but proceeding North eventually landed at Magh Innis in Strangford ! Lough. As we have said the remains of St Patrick, who reach the patriachal age of 120 yeai-s, were interred in the Abbey of Saul. This raonastry was erected, early in the fifth century, by St Patrick himself, on a hill called Dun, to which the saints name was subsequently added, Duu Parding, the hill of Patrick and hence the name of the town, Downpatrick. It is related by Cambrensis that his remains, together with those of St Bridget and Columba, were discovered in 1185 with the following epitaph written over them : •'Hi trei in Dano tutnulo tumulantur in un.> Brigida, Pdtncius, atqiie Column Pirn." which has been thu, translated : " One tomb three ■Aint3 % »ontain«,on» rault below Does Patrick, B Lid, and Columba thovr." Although unsuccessful iv his iir-jt landing in the South of Ireland, the resultg which followed his preaching when he landed at Magh Innis and carried the cross from one ehd of Ireland to the other, pleaching the Christian faith, were marvellously great. Drnidism appears to have been the prevailing form of Paganism in Ireland at that time. St Patrick, however, found the Irish mind, ever reverential, prepare.! by its civilisation ahd refiuuinent — thri'lrish people in thosa days were inud vance of all mtions, except Rome, in arts and civilization — to receive the truths of Christianity, and we learn that his progress through the island was marked by success from the outset. And as St Patrick himself became 'its patron saiut, ao did an incident in these preachings furnish a national emblem 'for Ireland. Tradition states that, expounding'the doctrine of the Holy Trinity, the mystic three in ono, he used a little sprig of trefoil, ami ever since the shamrock; on the green flag of Erin has led her s&hs to victory, and'formed the subject'fbr'ihfchy a poet's fancy. O THE SHAMROCK'! Through Erin's Isle, To aport awhile, , ±i Lore and Valour wahd'erftS, With Wit, the ejprite, Whose qiuYer Bright ] A thousand arrowi •^uaade'refi''; Wherp'erth-eybain, A. triple gr'tsi Shbot* up, with dew-drcM"»tre'*Eninir i As*dftr y £fBen * At emerald keen , Through pirest (Jrystal yeaminj. 6 th» Shamrook, the green, immortal Shamrook) Jjhbsen leaf Of Bard ahd Chief, 'Old Erin's natiye Shamrock ! Sayt Valour, " Se», ( They spring, for me, Thbie leafy eema of morning .'"— Says Love, " No, no, For me they grow, My fragrant path adorriing." But Wit peroeires The triple learet, And cries, " Oh ! do not i«rer A type that blends Three godlike fr endi, Lore, Valoar, Wit, for erer !" "O the Shamrook, the green, immortal Stuunrook! Chotea leaf Of Bard and Chief, Old lrin'» natite Shamrock \ 8c firmly fofad May kit the bond Thty wore that morn togethw, And ne'er may faU One drop of gall On Wit's oelestial feather ! May JLore, at twine His flowers divine, Of thorny falsehood weed 'enii ! May Valour ne'er His standard rear Against the oauio of freedom ! Olhe Shamrock, the green, immortal Shamrook! Chosen leaf Of Bard and Chief, Old Eriu's naitre Shamrock 1 It has never been our lot in theao colonies yet to see St Patrick's Day pass without due holiday festivities, but of this we are sure, that if none such take place to-morrow in this community, there will be no true Irishman whose heart will not? beat the quicker and more proudly whed he remembers tint it is the 1 7th of March.

A Startmno New Story ii commented >tt SvT3'<d\y Night tJiit week: "the Suipeeti* Wife. Tho charming long: "Silrer Threadi" id also published, other* in preparation. N<"* i« ♦!* thne to lubicribe. Ag«nt» ercry wher*,— AdTt,