For the Pre-Patrician Mission. Against Theory of Early Fifth Century period. I.--Positive statement of Life, I.--Contradictions, anachronisms, corroborated by Lives of SS. &c., of Life. Ciaran and Ailbhe. II.--Lack of allusion to Declan in II.--Patrick's apparent avoidance the Lives of St. Patrick. of the Principality of Decies. III.--Prosper's testimony to the III.--The peculiar Declan cult and mission of Palladius as first the strong local hold which bishop to the believing Scots. Declan has maintained. IV.--Alleged motives for later invention of Pre-Patrician story. In this matter and at this hour it is hardly worth appealing to the authority of Lanigan and the scholars of the past. Much evidence not available in Lanigan's day is now at the service of scholars. We are to look rather at the reasoning of Colgan, Ussher, and Lanigan than to the mere weight of their names. Referring in order to our tabulated grounds of argument, pro and con, and taking the pro arguments first, we may (I.) discard as evidence for our purpose the Life of St. Ibar which is very fragmentary and otherwise a rather unsatisfactory document. The Lives of Ailbhe, Ciaran, and Declan are however mutually corroborative and consistent. The Roman visit and the alleged tutelage under Hilarius are probably embellishments; they look like inventions to explain something and they may contain more than a kernel of truth. At any rate they are matters requiring further investigation and elucidation. In this connection it may be useful to recall that the Life (Latin) of St. Ciaran has been attributed by Colgan to Evinus the disciple and panegyrist of St. Patrick.