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." 



There is something so interesting in this fact, 

 and so pathetic in the explanation of it, that we 

 are tempted to quote further : " 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, 



