THE PBESIDENT's ADDRESS. 373 



The church in Celtic lands entered on the inheritance of the 

 Druids. In Ireland and perhaps elsewhere, there was no forcible 

 disestablishment of Druidism ; but the Druids and bards largely 

 joined the Church and became ecclesiastics. Where this was not 

 done, there the kings and princes gave to the saints new grants 

 of land, whereon they constituted their tribes. " The lands 

 given by the piety of S. Patrick's converts for the foundation 

 of these establishments," says Dr. Todd, "often conveyed the 

 rights of chieftainship, and so secured the allegiance of the 

 clan. The church lands called Termon-lands, in Ireland, had 

 their name in all probability from the Termini, pillar-stones or 

 crosses set up to mark the boundaries, within which there was 

 a right of sanctuary, and a freedom from the taxes and tributes 

 of secular chieftains."*' 



The duties of the Druids into whose place the Saints 

 stepped had been to bless the chiefs with whom they were 

 associated, and from whom they received benefits, and to curse 

 their enemies. Precisely these were the obligations laid on the 

 Saints in Celtic lands, and they fulfilled them without scruple. 

 Ethelfred massacred the monks of Bangor, because he saw them 

 on high ground praying for the success of the British arms. 



In a word, as Balak required Balaam to bless his Moabites 

 and to curse Israel, so were the Saints in Celtic lands requisitioned 

 by the secular chiefs to attend their forces, bless their arms, and 

 overwhelm their enemies with imprecations. I shall have more 

 to say on this in my address next year. 



Like the Druids also, the Saints were the educators of the 

 youths of noble race. Their monasteries were emphatically 

 schools. You will understand the condition better if I quote 

 Hue's description of an analogous state of affairs in Tibet. 



"In almost every family, with the exception of the eldest 

 son, who remains as head of the family, all the other male 

 children pass through the Lamaserais. The Tartars embrace 

 this condition because required to do so, not out of natural 

 inclination. They are Lamas, or black-men from their birth, 

 according to the will of their parents, who shave their heads or 

 let their hair grow as they determine. Thus, as they grow up 



*Todd: Life of S. Patrick, pp. 504, 160. 



