his country's heart." For
when we come to consider it, English literature owes not a little to the
Celtic spirit, as on the other hand Ireland of to-day contains not a
little of the Saxon strain.

The attempt on the part of the Sinn Feiners therefore to establish such
an extreme and antiquated definition was strictly against nature--a
retrospective move, in other words, as against the blending progressive
force of evolution represented by Parliamentarianism.

At the same time it would be hard to find a more fruitful, inspiring, or
elevating passage than the following:--

"Choose the Ireland that you think is best, and fashion yourself in its
likeness. If you wish to see Ireland become a perfect country, a kingdom
of God, do you yourself become a perfect individual, a kingdom of God.
The perfect country can only be established by individual men and women,
who are striving after perfection--perfection not only in an imaginary
Irish nation which is outside themselves, but in the actual Irish nation
which is within themselves, in their own brains and hearts and sinews,
to mar or to make beautiful as they will."

The Sinn Fein theory of the interdependence of the State and the
individual is also worth noting:--

"I realize, of course," says the writer, "that it would be equally true,
or nearly so, to say that _it is only the perfect State that could
produce perfect men and women, and so my argument may appear to run in a
circle. The State and the individual react on each other, however, each
helping the other forward on the way towards some ultimate decency._
Some thinkers lay too much stress on the part that must be played by the
State in producing the perfect individual; others have their minds
occupied too exclusively by the part played by the individual in
bringing about the perfect State. The man with broad views will, I
think, see that both progressive individuals and a progressive State are
necessary, that they are complementary one to the other. He will aspire
after a free and self-reliant Ireland, and the first thing he will do in
order to realize his aspirations will be to make himself self-reliant
and free--free from everything that is shameful and ignoble, as he
wishes to see his country free from the shame of foreign conquest and
the ignominy of English rule. He will attempt to become himself among
his neighbours what he wishes to see Ireland among the
nations--conspicuous for honour and courage, and court