Facts of History.
IN the latter part of the Fifteenth Century,
when bigotry and hatred of the Catholic reli-
gion reigned rampant in England, the poet
Dryden was commissioned to go to Rome to
write a caricature on the ceremonies of Holy
Week, but so impressed was he with their
grandeur, purity and sublimity, that he broke
out in this strain :
"A milk-white hind, immortal and unchanged,
Fed on the lawns and in the forest ranged;
Without unspotted, innocent within,
She feared no danger, for she knew no sin ;
Yet had she oft been chased with horns and
hounds,
And Scythian shafts and many winged
wounds
Aimed at her heart; was often forced to fly,
And doomed to death, tho’ fated not to die."
The foregoing lines are the opening of his
"Hind and Panther,” a work in defence of
Catholicity, written by him immediately after
his conversion. The poet embraced Catholi-
city, and died in great penury.
KING OSCAR II. is the grandson of Marshal
Bernadotte, whom Napoleon I. placed on the
throne of Sweden.
SOME people, in their over-weaning desire to
give England some part in the credit of dis¬
covering America, have the hardihood to as¬
sert, notwithstanding historical facts, that it
was England who supplied Columbus with the
means of embarking on his voyage of discov-
ery. No. It was the King and Queen of
Spain, Ferdinand and Isabella, who supplied
and fitted out the expedition. England has
no more right to any part in its discovery than
have the Chinese, yet our ears are bothered
hearing the claptap, "The American People,"
applied to the descendants of the English set-
tlers. Any claim to priority in this country
belongs to the Spaniards.
Facts and Fancies.
IF the power of dynamite were known in
Cromwell's time, it is possible that the City of
London would not contain to-day a popula-
tion close on four millions of people.
DYNAMITE is destined to play an important
part in the destinies of nations. The battle
will not be with the strong, nor the race with
the fleet, in future. Any nationality, however
weak, can defend itself now from the strongest.
For instance, suppose England commenced at
her old trick of butchering the Irish people,
they (the Irish), with thirty thousand men
scattered all over England, could lay every
city of it in ruins; nay, they could get plenty
of Englishmen to do it for the spoil. It would
be well for humanity that England would
know this, because it might prevent her from
committing acts of barbarity which, with a
sense of immunity from retribution, are always
congenial to her. Yes, it would be well for
her to know that she is to-day at the mercy of
those whom she despoiled and oppressed, and
also, that patience has her limits.
Personal.
RUSSELL. — Mr. T. O'N. Russell is delighted
at the appearance of THE GAEL. His contri¬
bution will be in the next number
NEW YORK, BROOKLYN AND VICINITY. — Coun¬
sellor John C. McGuire is THE GAEL'S ideal of
an Irish gentleman and patriot.
If all Irishmen were as enterprising as Mr.
John Cunningham, Superintendent, of the
South Brooklyn Railroad, they need not regret
leaving the old country.
Col. Thos Carroll is as plain-looking now as
he was previous to his election as Register.
A pronouncing vocabulary will be given at
the head of each of the succeeding lessons,
which will be of much service to the learner.
PERSONAL APPEAL.
We solicit the co-operation of the following
patriotic Irishmen in extending THE GAEL :—
T. W. Cronan, Houston, Texas ; D. O’Clough¬
essey, Chester, Conn. ; E. F. Delehanty, Wyo-
ming Ferry ; D. Henry, Chicago ; W. Tindall,
Detroit, Mich.; D. Gunny, Detroit, Mich.; P.
O'Mally, Fall River, Mass.; J. Quinn, Dexter,
Mich.; D. O’Connell, Fall River, Mass. ; W.
G. Ryan, Fairfield, Conn. ; J. Duffy, Guelph,
Ontario; Canada ; D. B. Dixon, Ionia, Mich.;
E. Sexton, Leominster, Mass ; C. H. Duggan,
Milford, Maine; W. O'Leary, Moberly, Mo.;
P. Kelly, Madison, Wis ; W. J. O'Coffey,
