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[Transcriber's Note: The following Table of Contents has been added (not
present in the original). Remaining transcriber's notes are at end of
text.]
Welcome of the Divine Guest 305
John Scotus Erigena 306
Frau Huett: A Legend of Tyrol 308
Echoes from the Pines 310
Musings from Foreign Poets 312
Erin on Columbias Shore 314
The Ursuline Convent of Tenos 316
Southern Sketches. XIX. 320
The Church and Modern Progess 328
Give Charity While You Live 333
Emmet's Rebellion 335
The Annunciation:--March 25th 339
Much-a-Wanted 339
Mixed Marriages 344
Farewell, My Home 345
The "Ten-Commandment" Theory 346
Bay State Faugh-a-Ballaghs. IV. 347
Drunkenness in Old Times 351
The Paschal Candle 352
Our New Cardinal 359
The Irish as Conspirators 362
Orders of Knighthood 366
Low-necked Dresses 367
Columbus and Ireland 368
Miss Mulholland's Poems: "Vagrant Verses." 369
Seeing the Old Year Out: A True Story 370
Juvenile Department 373
Lenten Pastorals 384
Notes on Current Topics 385
Personal 396
Notices of Recent Publications 397
Obituary 398
Donahoe's Magazine.
Vol. XV. BOSTON, APRIL, 1886. No. 4.
"The future of the Irish race in this country, will depend
largely upon their capability of assuming an independent
attitude in American politics."--RIGHT REV. DOCTOR IRELAND,
_St. Paul, Minn._
The Welcome of the Divine Guest.
In a rare old Irish story,
I have read with a tear and smile,
Of a scene in a little chapel
In Erin's far-off isle;
A little rustic chapel
In a wild yet fair retreat,
Where the hardy sons of the mountains
On hallowed mornings meet.
* * * * *
The priest at the lighted altar
Is reading the blessed Mass;
And the place is thronged from the chancel,
Clear out to the churchyard-grass;
All kneeling, hush'd and expectant,
Biding their chosen time,
'Till the bell of the Consecration
Rings forth its solemn chime;
When lo! as the Host is lifted,
The Chalice raised on high,
Subdued yet clear, the people
Send forth one rapturous cry:
"Welcome! A thousand welcomes!"
(While many a tear-drop starts:)
"Welcome! _Cead mille failthe!_
White Love of all our hearts!"
Oh, the passionate warmth of that whisper!
Oh, the grace of that greeting strong!
On the tide of its glowing fervor,
All hearts are borne along!
And the blaze of the Son of Justice
Lights up that dim old spot,
And kindles in every spirit
A flame that dieth not!
Ah! friends in our stately churches,
When we gaze on the gorgeous shrine
Where the Sacred Host reposes,
Like a great white Pearl divine,--
Let the voice of our faith find utt'rance
In a greeting free from guile;
Let us cry with our Irish brothers
In Erin's far-off isle:
"Welcome! a thousand welcomes!"
(What bliss _that_ prayer imparts!)
"Welcome! _Cead mille failthe!_
White Love of all our hearts!"
ELEANOR C. DONNELLY.
John Scotus Erigena.
During the ninth century there lived few more remarkable men in Western
Europe than John Scotus Erigena, the celebrated Irish theologian,
philosopher and poet. Little beyond mere conjecture is known of his
birth and early education. Indeed, the first well-authenticated facts in
connection with his life is that in the year 851 he held the offices of
rector and professor of dialectics in the famous Royal School of Paris,
and that he occupied at the same time apartments in the palace of
Charles the Bald, son of Louis le Debonnaire, and grandson of the
Emperor Charlemagne. It may, however, be interesting to see what
historical critics have to say of his birth and early antecedents.
Almost all writers of weight are agreed that John Scotus Erigena was an
Irishman. In fact, there is hardly any room for doubt on the subject. If
all other evidences of the fact were absent his very name furnishes
proof enough that John was a son of the Emerald Isle. John Scotus
Erigena simply means John the Irish Scot--Erigena being a corruption of
a Greek word, the translation of which is "of the sacred isle," and
every school boy knows that Ireland was known at that time throughout
the nations of the earth as the "_insula sanctorum et doctorum_," the
"island of saints and sages."
It was in 851 that he published his famous work on "Predestination."
Long before that time, however, his name was well known in France, so
that it may be safely assumed that he came to that country about the
year 845. At this calculation we may place his birth somewhere about the
year 820.
Prudentius, his colleague in the Scolia Palitina, or Royal School of
Paris, says that he was the cleverest of all those whom Ireland sent to
France. _Te solum omnium acutissimum galliae transmisit Hibernia._ When
we consider that Prudentius was so intimately connected with him as to
style himself his "_quasi frater_," any doubts that might remain as to
Erigena's nationality should entirely vanish.
But, it may be asked, why did this great man leave Ireland to seek
shelter and patronage from a foreign king? Had he not at home a field
wide and fertile enough for even his towering intellect in the numerous
monasteries and schools which were at this time the pride and glory of
Erin? The cause of his departure from his home and friends was probably
the inroads of the Danes, who, in the year 843, under their brutal
leader Turgesius, "plundered Connaught, Meath and Clonmacnoise with its
oratories," and thus rendered a residence in the country anything but
desirable for the holy monk and erudite scholar.
We have seen that John published his work "De Praedestinatione" about the
year 851. In combating the errors of Gottschalk, he unfortunately
broached new errors of his own, and thus incurred the displeasure of the
Holy See.
The most precious volume in the Royal Library at Paris was a Greek copy
of the works of "Pseudo Dionysius the Areopagite." Many unsuccessful
attempts had been made to translate this work, and when Charles the Bald
found that the erudite rector of the Royal School could translate Greek,
he ordered him to furnish a translation which he did. It was published
in 861, and a copy sent to Pope Nicholas I. The Sovereign Pontiff, who
was not inclined to look with great favor on the author of "De
Praedestinatione," did not approve of the translation, and as a
consequence of some farther negotiations between Charles and the Holy
See, Scotus was, in 861, dismissed from his position in the Scolia
Palitina. He did not, however, just then cease to be connected with the
Royal Palace. His principal works are--"De Divisione Naturae," "Liber de
Divine Praedestinatione," Translation of the Ethics of Aristotle and of
the writings of "Pseudo Dionysius the Areopagite," and a "Commentary on
the Gospel of St. John." That John Scotus Erigena erred and erred
gravely, no one can for a moment deny; but we should remember with the
learned and distinguished Coadjutor Bishop of Clonfert (the Most Rev.
Dr. Healy), "That he erred not in the spirit of Luther and Calvin, but
of Origen and St. Cyprian."
How long he remained in Paris after his dismissal from the Royal School
cannot be determined, nor do we know how he ended his days. Some assert
that "he was murdered by a band of infuriated students at Oxford or
Malmesbury," but this is by no means certain.