GOVERNMENT BOOKS.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume V, Issue 237, 16 November 1877, Page 13

GOVERNMENT BOOKS.

The following just complaint is made by an Irish priest in a Dublin paper ;— A few days ago, when visiting a National school of which I am the manager, I found a class of little boys, all Catholics, engaged in reading a lesson "On the Ivy of Ireland." The title being attractive, and the lesson a very short one, I expressed a wish to have it read from the beginning. This was done. The first sentence gives these innocent children the delightful piece of information that Bacchus— who a little further on is called the " wine-god "—loved Ireland more than all the "other isles of the West I" What an honor to our native land that this nasty devil, whom Sullivan in the School Dictionary describes as the " god of drunkards," should have loved ltl How thankful to the Education Commissioners should the rising generation be for conveying to them intelligence so glorious to old Ireland ! In the second sentence the commissioners inform the children how Bacchus, having solemnly declared his undying affection for Ireland, " returned home to heaven." St. Paul teaches that drunkards go to hell. The Apostle must have been mistaken, say the commissioners, for they assign a place in heaven to Bacchus ; and thus virtually teach that heaven is the destination of every true follower of " the god of drunkards." In the third sentence the pupils of our national schools are kindly told by their instructors, the commissioners, that Bacchus, before starting for heaven, wished, as "a memorial of his affection," to plant the vine in Ireland ; but being informed on competent authority that the plant would not thrive amongst us, " the wine-god wept." What a stupid old scoundrel this pet divinity of the National Board must have been! Surely he ought to have known that, as far as his infernal interests were concerned, the failure of the vine-plant was a matter of little or no moment, as long as distilleries, breweries, public houses, gin palaces, and Sunday aud;Saturday evenings 1 tippling flourish throughout the land.

The last piece of information regarding Bacchus given by the commissioners to our young Irelanders it, that just before going home to heaven, "he took from his thrysus a branch of ivy, planted ifc on the spot where Ids tears had fallen, and blessed it." Were I. as manager of a National school, to call there during the time of secular instruction and say a few words to the Catholic children on some of the leading truths of Christianity, on the Unity and Trinity of God, on the Incarnation and death of our Redeemer, or on the eternal rewards and punishmeuts of the next life, what would happen 1 In a very short time I should be favoured with a scolding epistle from Marl-borough-street, charging me with a violation of the rules of the Rational Board. But observe how the commissioners themselves act. They claim the privilege during the hours of secular instruction of talking to the children through their lesson books (and that without explanation, too) about "the assembled gods, 1 and especially about Bacchus, •' the wine-god," about his reigning in heaven, his wonderful affection for the people of Ireland, and the great blensings which by his prayers he has conferred on onr country ! All this is right and good in the estimation of the commissioners. You may be as eloquent as you like in praising <• the god of drunkards." you may teach innocent children to hold him in veneration on account of his affection for the land of their birth and the wonderful blessings he showers down upon us from heaven, but take care not to breathe the name of Saint Patrick, and attempt not to remind your little hearers of the blessings for which we btiind indebted to the apostle of Ireland. As the name of the writer of the lesson " On the Ivy of Ireland" is not given, I think it but fair to give the commissioners themselves credit for the precious production.