268 THE SHRINE OF ST. PATRICK'S BELL.
by
inscrutable destiny that no statement concerning Ireland shall ever be
made without its being at once contradicted, we shall endeavor to
shelter ourselves behind the wisdom of competent authorities. As Saint
Patrick was an Irish saint it would be in the usual course of things
for his very existence to be vehemently denied. It is thus denied by
some writers who have been at pains to indite learned books upon the
subject.
The following details concerning him are taken in the main from Dr. Todd's Life of Saint Patrick, and
from the Saint's own works as edited and translated by the Reverend
George Stokes, Professor of Ecclesiastical History in Dublin. Not being
learned in Irish nor yet in Latin, we accept the translations of these
able scholars.
As
in the case of many great men the honor of being the birthplace of
Saint Patrick is claimed on behalf of several places in England,
Ireland, Scotland and France. The reader
