322 A Century of Science 



to meet the hunter, I set out on my pilgrimage, 

 giving more prominence to the study and investi 

 gation of Gaelic, which, though one of the two 

 objects of my visit, was not the first. In this way 

 I thought to come more surely upon men who had 

 myth tales in their minds than if I went directly 

 seeking for them. I was not disappointed, for in 

 all my journeyings I did not meet a single person 

 who knew a myth tale or an old story who was not 

 fond of Gaelic, and specially expert in the use 

 of it, while I found very few story-tellers from 

 whom a myth tale could be obtained unless in the 

 Gaelic language ; and in no case have I found a 

 story in the possession of a man or woman who 

 knew only English.&quot; 



There is something so interesting in this fact, 

 and so pathetic in the explanation of it, that we 

 are tempted to quote further : &quot; Since all mental 

 training in Ireland is directed by powers both for 

 eign and hostile to everything Gaelic, the moment 

 a man leaves the sphere of that class which uses 

 Gaelic as an every-day language, and which clings 

 to the ancient ideas of the people, everything which 

 he left behind seems to him valueless, senseless, 

 and vulgar ; consequently he takes no care to re 

 tain it, either in whole or in part. Hence the clean 

 sweep of myth tales in one part of the country, 



