THE WORLD'S DEBT TO: THE IRISH 
Europe. But, as Sir Edward M. Thompson tells us 
in his “‘Greek and Latin Palzography” : 
“Having once obtained their models, the Irish 
scribes developed their own style of writing and went 
on practising it, generation after generation, with 
astonishing uniformity. The English conquest did 
not disturb their even course. The invaders con- 
cerned themselves not with the language and litera- 
ture of the country. They were content to use their 
own style of writing for grants of land and other 
official deeds; but they left it to the Irish scribes to 
produce manuscripts in the native characters.” 
Sir Edward Sullivan's summary of St. Patrick’s 
work is probably the most condensed account of his 
life and labors that we have in accord with the most 
recent historical researches. 
“St. Patrick too often has been described as being 
a single pioneer of Christianity. He was in reality, 
as we now know, attended by a large and well- 
equipped company of earnest workers, carrying with 
them no small quantity of literary material. If we 
can accept the Book of Armagh as an authority to 
be relied on, the missionary party that accompanied 
St. Patrick included some artists. The holy Bishop 
Assicus was one of them—and is described as 
Patrick’s worker in brass, who was wont to make 
altars and book-caskets. The same authority tells 
us that Patrick carried with him to the other side 
of the Shannon a large number of bells, patens, 
chalices, altars, law-books and Gospels for use in 
the churches founded there. Next after his conver- 
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