20 THE president's ADDRESS. 



I need follow the story no further. Suffice if to say that in 

 later life the saint got a glimmer of thought that being mixed 

 up with so much bloodshed was not quite in keeping with the 

 new religion so imperfectly assimilated, " and he repented of the 

 battles which he had fought, and the deeds which he had done 

 for friendship and for love of kindred," and, we may add, for 

 very liberal payment. 



This life is of especial value, as not having been recast in 

 late times, when monastic writers re-wrote the early biographies 

 and adapted them to their view of what the saints ought to 

 have done, rather than record what was actually done by them. 



It is so totally alien to all that a mediaeval Latin monastic 

 writer would think becoming in a saint, that we may safely 

 attribute it to a very early period and treat it as fairly portray- 

 ing the character of some of the primitive native saints. 



When Diarmid Mac Cearboil went to war against the Clan 

 Niall of the north, whom St. Columba (Columbkill) had stirred 

 up against him, — although he was a Christian, he took with him 

 in his campaign a Druid to perform enchantments and pro- 

 nounce curses on the enemy ; and the Hy Niall had the saint with 

 them to work his counter charms and deliver his counter curses.* 



The office of cursing originally formed part of the duties of 

 the Druid. He was a functionary called in likewise at the con- 

 clusion of contracts. When two individuals entered into a 

 compact, the Druid was present to utter imprecations on him who 

 should break the agreement. Beside the Druid, ihefili or poet 

 was called in, and he gave a guarantee that he would compose a 

 lampoon against the transgressor. This was part and parcel of 

 a process that was legal. When St. Patrick, St. Oarantoc, and 

 the rest of the Commission revised the laws of Ireland, the least 

 possible interference was made with existing social and legal 

 systems. 



As the Druid ceased to be esteemed, insensibly the 

 Saint stepped into his functions. He had thrust on him the 

 duties formerly discharged by the Druid. St. Patrick did not 

 meddle with the institution of bards. He abolished all sacri- 

 ficial acts to idols, but expressly left to the lawfully elected tribal 



* Tribes and Customs of the Hy Many . 



