THE TRAIL OF THE MENAPII.

THE MENAPII ?

Although Anastasius, the librarian of the Vatican, writing to Charles the Bald, the patron of John Erigena in the ninth century, alludes deprecatingly to Ireland as "the very ends of the world,”* he might have known better. Geographically speaking, it was one of the ends of the then earth; but mentally and intellectually it had been for centuries the centre.t

*The passage in which the allusion occurs is noteworthy. He was "astonished how such a 'vir barbarus,' placed in the very ends of the world, so remote from conversation with mankind as this Irishman, John Erigena, was, could comprehend such things with his intellect, and transfuse them so ably into another language." "So ancient," says Christopher Anderson in his "Historical Sketches of the Ancient Native Irish," &c., Edin., 1828, "so ancient is the ignorant prejudice against the fine natural capacity of this hitherto neglected people." This John Scotus Erigena was an eminent scholar and philosopher of the ninth century, notices of whose great learning and works may be found in the writings of Bishop Bale (1495-1563), Ware; Colgan; Warton's History of Poetry; Turner's History of Anglo-Saxons; Anderson's Treatise quoted, and others which the various references will suggest. + Its scholars had been the school-founders and preceptors of Europe. To have studied in Ireland, like Alfred the Great, and Willibrord, the Northumbrian-who, says Alcuine (a famous Saxon writer and correspondent of Erigena, quoted by Anderson), "studied twelve years in Ireland, under masters of high reputation, being intended for a preacher to many people," was one of the greatest recommendations of Christianity as well as learning. The Latin and Greek of the Irish was famed, and Erigena even translated one of Aristotle's works into Chaldaic and Arabic as well as Latin. In the two earliest schools of learning in Europe, Paris and Pavia, were the celebrated Irish scholars, Clement and Albin. It is recorded that such

Anastasius should not have been astonished at anything coming from an Irishman of his day, for much of everything in the shape of learning had a beginning and no end in that" end of the world." He had heard no, doubt of the works and maps of Claudius Ptolomeus, of Alexandria, in Egypt, a celebrated astronomer and geographer in the Greek tongue, who gave an account of the world as then known, and departed from it about the year of Christianity, 140. From Ptolemy he might have made himself acquainted with the great cities, the heroic races, and the sacred monuments of the island: but it is not for me to dwell here on either the ignorance or the prejudice, or both combined the "ignorant prejudice of Anastasius, but explain in as few words as needful, before entering on the narrative, wherefore comes the title which heads this page :-THE TRAIL OF THE MENAPII.

Manapioi or Menapii, is the name found on Ptolemy's map of Ireland for the people inhabiting the territories now known as Wexford and Waterford. The city of Menapia, one of the ten chief cities of Ireland in the second century, was what is now the town of Wexford.

The Menapii were a colony from Belgic Gaul, "chief nation of the Celts," and are known as Belgæ Viri Belgici, and, by our old Irish writers, Fir-Bolgs. This Leinster colony of Fir-Bolgs or Belge was

men went to the European continent, proclaiming that they had "wisdom to sell and demanded only food and raiment for reward."-Notker Balbalus cited by Anderson, p. 8.

settled over three centuries before the time of Ptolemy, having arrived at Inver Slainge-the bay of Slaney-two centuries before the Christian era Cæsar gives some account of the tribes of Belgæ, the Bellovaci, Menapii, Atrebates, Remii, &c. The Menapii are spoken of as a very valiant people, whose manner of making war on the Romans was, by retiring with their property, cattle, &c., into the woods, morasses, and inaccessible places, and thence making sudden assaults on the enemy; "a mode of warfare," says Dr. Mac Dermott, "precisely similar to that adopted by the Irish clans against the English."*

In the third century those Menapians of Wexford gave a Roman emperor to Britain, or rather he gave Britain to himself, and with his own red right hand grasped the imperial purple and flung it on his shoulders, where it haughtily hung for more than seven years.†

The Trail of the Menapii!

May we not find on the fields and mountains of the Wexford Campaign traces of the old Fir-Bolg nature

*Notes to Annals of the Four Masters, p. 194.

Carausias, a native of the maritime Menapia, was bred up to play with and master the sea. He took service under the Roman Emperors, Diocletian and Maximian, tamed the Scandinavian sea-kings, and the Franks and Saxons for them. became very popular, and in 285-287, or 289, it is variously stated, assumed the imperial purple, defeated Maximian's forces, compelled Maximian to acknowledge him associate emperor, and took Britain for his share. For a more extensive notice of the Menapii, and this emperor, see Mac Dermott's able and erudite annotations to Owen Connellan's translation of the "Annals of the Four Masters." Geraghty, Dublin, 1846. Also, Cæsar (Commentariorum De Bello Gallico, lib. II., IV.) Usher; Ware, Camden, and the numerous authorities cited by Dr. Mac Dermott.

-tracks of the Celtic stuff-bloodmarks of the valiant Menapii whose prowess in Gaul cost Cæsar so much brain and blood-and whose resistance, if power is measured by it, burns like a lamp above their heroic history that all ages may read-not their disgrace in. being overrun, but the power of the conqueror they resisted.

May we not, through the colonization clouds that hover, and loom and settle over these Menapian towns and districts, in the intervening centuries, observe the Fir-Bolg lightning flashing out in mad recognition of its ancient atmosphere!

The modern Menapii certainly have fair claims to the tribute paid their ancient fathers and brethren, the Gauls-that, "without possessing military science they were the most warlike nation of antiquity."

The military science of Cæsar conquered the ancient Gauls.

The want of it brought the modern Menapii to make terms with the English.

Cæsar paid due honor to the valor of his foe; to be worthy of his steel was in itself reputation.

The English generals not being Cæsars, neither conferred honor on their foe, nor won it from them. Having recognized and gotten on the trail of the Menapii let us follow it.

On the track of many of those noble spirits whom we have noted at various points, the scaffold suddenly rises up and bids us go no further. It warns back,

"Power is measured by resistance."-De Quincey's "Cæsars."

for here these good-intentioned men are forced to wind up their earthly affairs, and like the characters in some grim romance, are compelled to sign the deed. in blood.

The terms entered into by the leaders with Lord Kingsborough were totally disregarded.

General Lake would not confirm Lord Kingsborough's promises, but issued a proclamation for the apprehension of the insurgent chiefs.

The whole thing was a ruse to possess themselves of the town and lay hands on the chiefs. "My lord" makes terms with the rebel generals, or rather with the inhabitants of the town. Many lay down. their arms. The king's general scouts the right of Lord Kingsborough to make such, or any terms, will not fulfill the promises in the name of the king, law, justice and the like; and in fact, will not answer his lordship's dispatch. His lordship, to keep the better face on the matter, stoutly persists, stating that General Moore, who entered Wexford, had made him commander of the town. Lake also persists, and being the stronger of the two, does it with effect-grasping the foolish-minded rebels who were seduced from their wild ways and weapons-pouncing upon the chiefs who were chivalric enough to expect soldier treatment, and blistering the Bridge of Wexford with the affluent and hot blood of all.

Those loyal lords and generals understood each other. It was the fault of the insurgents if they did not understand them. God knows they had sufficient opportunity.

Bagnal Harvey heard at his castle of Bargy that