A long residence in Devonshire, and an intimate acquaintance with its peasantry, has convinced us that there is incalculably more superstitions believed and _practised_ there of the _grossest kind_, than in any county in Ireland.
Yet we should be sorry to charge the Established Church or its clergy, some of whom are most earnest and hard-working men, with the sins of their parishioners.

The following extract from St.Columba's magnificent Hymn, will show what the early Irish saints thought of pagan superstitions: "I adore not the voice of birds, Nor sneezing, nor lots in this world, Nor a boy, nor chance, nor woman: My Druid is Christ, the Son of God; Christ, Son of Mary, the great Abbot, The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost." [138] _Aengus_ .-- "Died the branch, the spreading tree of gold, Aenghus the laudable." -- Four Masters, p.153.The branches of this tree have indeed spread far and wide, and the four great families mentioned above have increased and multiplied in all parts of the world.
[139] _Year_ 503 .-- The Four Masters give the date 498, which O'Donovan corrects both in the text and in a note.
[140] _Broccan's Hymn_ .-- This Hymn was written about A.D.510.

See the translation in Mr.Whitley Stokes' _Goidilica_, Calcutta, 1866.
Privately printed.
[141] _Saints_ .-- St.Patrick, St.Columba, and St.Brigid.See Reeves' _Ecc.Anti.of Down and Connor_, p.

225, and Giraldus Cambrensis, d.

3, cap.