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THE SHRINE OF ST. PATRICK'S BELL. 267
be
placed before the eleventh century, for a certain design known as the
divergent-spiral or trumpet-pattern, which though common before
disappeared from Irish art about that period, is to be seen among its
intricate ornamentation. The groundwork of the jewel is not silver, as
was at first supposed, but white metal, a compound of tin and copper.
It is however the beautiful gold tracery laid upon this white metal
which renders it so famous. No description can give an idea of what it
is. The Tara Brooch must be seen to be understood.
If
the Tara Brooch appeals to our imagination by reason of the mystery of
its past, Saint Patrick's Bell has a contrary but even stronger hold
upon us. It seems really to be an authentic relic of the Saint to whom
it is ascribed, and at any rate it can be shown to have undergone a
long and varied career. In the course of these narratives we have met
with many kings and queens ; it is now our intention to introduce the
reader to a saint. As it seems to be decreed
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