صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني

Mifs Owenson left Dublin in the autumn of 1806, with the intention of rambling through fuch fcenes in the north-west of Connaught as fhe had not yet vifited; and it was there that the compofed the different fketches which occupy these two volumes. They will not detract from her name. Her picture of the Irish peafantry is a highly interefting one; and the warm benevolence that prompts her many withes for their welfare and amelioration, do as much honour to her heart, as the language it is conveyed in does to her pen.Many characterstic anecdotes are fcattered through the volumes, which it without life, and the never will enare highly interefting.

dote) was walking in the vicinity of Sligo at a very early hour, when a found, wild, low, and plaintive, fought his ear; and approaching the fpot from whence it feemed to proceed, he obferved an elderly female leaning over a little paling which encircled a cabin. Her hair was difhevelled, her eyes full of tears, and her voice, though broken and inarticulate, refpired in the intervals of her deep-heaved fobs, a melancholy recitative accompanied by these simple words- A few days are gone by; fhe entered this gate in all her beauty and health; to-morrow the will pas

A young peafant in Weftmeath gave me the following account of his family, which I believe is an epitome of the general ftate of the peafantry in a county not thirty miles from the metropoiis. The boy was the eldest of feven children though fcarcely twelve years old, and of courte the only one able to labour; in the fum mer and harvest feafon he earned four-pence a day, his father worked for fix-pence and eight-pence a day thro' the yea; they paid iix pounds for an acre of oats, forty fhillings a year for grafs for their cow, and forty fhillings for their cabin and a little ground for their potatoes; in winter, when the cow was dry, they lived upon oaten bread, and potatoes and falt. Engaged with the care of feven children, the mother could give little affiftance except by fpinning founetimes and out of the year's hire of the father, Sundays and holidays were deducted.'

This fhews indeed that the fish peafantry are reduced to a very low ftate, and policy and human ty all.c demand that their condition thould be ameliorated. The following anecdote refpecting this clafs of people is a highly interefting one:

[ocr errors]

But a few days back, a musical profeffor (from whom I had the anec

ter it more. This funeral fong was the impromptu requiem of a wretched mother, whofe only daughter (a young and lovely girl) had expired the night before."

The heavieft curfe that an Irish pealant can breath upon his enemy is, the fcreech of the morning be upon you;' of which the following explanation is given by mifs Owen, fon :--

When the dawn rifes for the first time on the remains of a beloved and deceased object, those feelings of forrow which were till then faintly expreffed, or filently betrayed, become. wild and vehement in their indul gence; and the thrick of despair which ufhers in the dawn's grey light to the bed of death, may indeed well, be confidered as an anathema by the ear and the heart on which it falls.'

Our authorefs fometimes fhews' herfelf to be equally able to wield the pen of bumorous delineation, as of penfive melancholy. The following. is fotruly characteristical of the Irith character, and furnithes fo amuting a fpecimen of mils Owenfon's powers, that we cannot refrain from prefenting it to the reader :

My rambles and frequent converfations with the peafantry in the neighbourhood of L*** house, have obtained me a degree of ruftic notori->

ety,

[ocr errors]

ety, to which I ftand indebted for a bare-footed and bare-headed to Mun-
vifit from mr. Thady O'Conolan, a fter, where the best schools were then
fchool-mafter in the neighbourhood, held; that they commenced their phi-
and a perfonage not only highly lofophic pilgrimage poor and friend-
eteemed by his rural difciples, but lefs; but that they begged their way,
looked up to by ht intelligent and that the name of poor Scholar
neighbours as a prodigy of learning, procured them every where friends
erudition, and genius. He intro- and fubfifience: that having heard
duced himself, by faving, he had much of the celebrity of a school-
heard I was fond of Irith compofiti- mafter in the county of Clare, he
on, and that he had waited on me to and his adventurous companions di-
mention he had fome of the poems rected their steps towards his femina-
of Offian, which were much at my ry; but (added Thady) it being
fervice. The Irish' (he added with a grazing country, and of course no
a brogue that beggars all conception), hofpitality to be found there (mean-
the Irish is the finest and loftieft ing that it was thinly inhabited), we
tongue in the world: the English could not get a fpot to fhelter our
can never come near it, and the Greek heads in the neighbourhood of the
alone is worthy of being compared school; fo being a tight fet of Con-
to it. He then with great enthufi- naught boys, able and ftrong, we
afm repeated the defcription of Fion's carried off the fchool-mafter one fine
fhield in Irish, and Homer's defcrip- night, and never ftopped till we land-
tion of that of Achilles, giving (with ed him on the other fide of the Shan-
great exultation) the preference to the non, when a priest gave us a chapel-
former; as he did to Offian's account houfe, and fo we got learning and
of his father's hounds, over the dogs hofpitality to boot, and the school-
of Ovid and then with the utmost mafter made a great fortune in time,
gravity declared his intention of tranf- all Connaught flocking to him. and
lating the Eneaid, and fome of Te- now here I am the head of a fine fe
rence's plays, into Irith. The lat- minary myfelf.' He informed me
ter (he continued) I will teach to my that he had fifty pupils; that the head
fcholars, who may play it yet upon clafs were in Homer, and did not pay
one of the great London ftages to ad- for their tuition, as they affifted him
miration.'
to teach the reft; that all boys of the
name of O'Conolan were also taught
gratis, and the reft paid according to
the means of their parents, from one
thilling to four a quarter; he added
that he had then five female eleves,

When I complimented him on the extent of his erudition, and expreffed my aftonishment at his having acquired it in fo remote a fituation, he replied: Young lady, I went far and near for it, as many a poor fcholar did before me for I could conftrue Homer before I ever put on fhoe or ftocking, aye, or a hat either, which to be fure I never did till I was twenty years of age.' He then at my requeft gave me a sketch of his peripatetic ftudies. When he was a young man (he faid) there were but few fchools in Connaught, and those few but bad and that it was not unufual for eight or ten boys who had the love of learning firong upon them,' to fet off

[ocr errors]

to whom (faid he) I am teaching
philofophy, the humanities and ma-
matics, to give them a genteel idea
of becoming tutoreffefs in gentlemens'
families.' After fome further con-
verfation, mr. Thady Q'Conolan
departed, but not without a promise
of our visiting his academy the fol-
lowing day.

: The lyceum of this Connaught
fage, is a miferable cabin on the fide
of a very defolate wood. The found
of our horfes' feet brought a number

of

[ocr errors]

of his young difciples to the door, clad in a drapery light and frugal as Philofophy herfelf could dictate; for neither the Greek fandal, the Roman perones, nor the Irish brogue, fecured Virgil.There (faid Thady pointtheir naked feet from the damp earth- ing to the incom), there is my there I moment Thady himself appeared in Homer, philofophy and the matheall the majefty of pedagogue power: matics and taking down an old his hair, drefs, and manier were all book (which had fympathized in the admirable, and left the Lingo and destiny of Virgil) he exclaimed : O'Sullivan of O'Keefe far behind; This is the only Homer I have ; his low clumfy figure, clerical-ton- and though feven boys read out of it fore, rubicund face; his wrapping daily, it never caufes a moment's coat, according to the old Irish col- difpute: whereas, if I had two young tume, faftened with a fkewer, the gentlemen ftudying in it, my Homer flecves unoccupied, and the collar of would be a bone of contention to his fhirt thrown open; combined them from morning till night.' Inwith his Greek and Latin quotations, deed Thady endeavoured continually his rich brogue, and affected dignity, to imprefs us with an idea of the to render him a finished character. fubordination and civilized manners Having reprimanded his pupils for of his fcholars, and we faw nothing their want of good manners, he wel- that in the leaft degree contradicted comed us with a look and air that his affertions; he affured us that the feemed to convince us, as well as labourer who earned but fixpence a them, that their dereliction from de- day, would fooner live upon potatoes corum proceeded not from any defi- and falt, than refuse a little learning ciency of precept or example on the to his child. I have,' faid he, part of their mafter. He then apo- above twenty boys who are come logized for the abfence of his firft clafs, from diftant parts to me, who begged who, he faid, he intended fhould their way, and who are now mainhave confrued fome of Homer for tained among the poor of the neighus; but that they had gone to cut bourhood, who, far from confiderturf for a poor diftreffed family in the ing them a burthen, were fo eager neighbourhood, and that for that day to have them, that to avoid jealousy, the Trojan plains were refigned for I was obliged to have lots drawn for the bog. It was but the other day them; the boys indeed are grateful, (faid he) they built up that cabin and make the best returns they can yonder for a poor old widow, and I by working early and late for their gave them a holiday for it and my patrons when not engaged with me.' blefling into the bargain." Having procured a holiday for his pupils, we now take leave of Thady; and if to be a school-mafter, it is requifite to be more or less than man,' as Le Sage declares, Thady certainly conceived himfelf the former, as he detailed the merits of his feminary, and the claffic progress of his difciples.'

dery, while their eyes were fixed onthe vifitors; and three tall fellows were.. endeavouring to read all at the fame time out of an old tattered volume of

en floor of the academy. The next fanctum fann: there is my

The interior of Thady's cabin perfectly correfponded with its external afpect. It was divided into two apartments, which boafted no other furniture than an old deal table covered with copy-books and flates, and a few boards placed on ftones which ferved as feats to the young ftudents. fome of whom were poring over the Seven wife Mafters of Greece; others, vainly held a Cor- muft sonclude.

With this, our extracts and our criticifm of thefe interesting volumes

ORIGINAL

ORIGINAL POETRY,

Ode, for the New Year, 1808.

Pugnatum fatis eft, gladüs in mutua ftrictis
Vifcera, fat pingues undarunt fanguine campi,
Nunc fupereft duris Martem compefcere vinc'lis,
Indignantem et mordentem rabido ore catenas-
E quando fia, che bella Pace amica

Con aureo piede a noi s'entorni, e il freno
Marte mordendo, il fier fuo corfo arrele?

NOW let harmonious mufic found,
And kindly hail the infant year;
Let mirth thro' ev'ry vale rebound,

Let mirth in ev'ry note appear :—
Soon fhall Eolus' ruffian train
Give o'er to fweep the raging main,
And founding billows ceafe to roar:
Soon calmly flow the glaffy feas,
Scarce ruffled by the gentle breeze,
And fondly court the shore !

And foon bright Sol with milder fway,
Shall kindly usher in the spring,
And fondly chear the fmiling day,
And bid the tuneful vallies ring.

Oh thus would heav'nly Peace, once more,
Triumphant on Britannia's fhore,

Her ever-fav'rite throne, appear :-
Oh! deign, kind vifitant, to smile
Propitious, on thy lovely ifle-
Wipe off affliction's tear.

And thus would that fell demon, war,
With famine, woe, and pain combin'd,
With paffing time recede afar,

And fome more friendly region find.
O, lovely Peace! affume thy throne,
Let curfed difcord now be gone

Hence from thy lovely darling plains;

Let awful, dark oblivion bind
Th' invet'rate foe of human kind
In adamantine chains.

Too long alas! has famine shed

It's baneful influence o'er the land;

Too long has defolation dread

Triumph'd at tyranny's command;
And now, alas!, too long we hear
The widow's groan-the orphan's tear
Too long bedews the forrowing plain :
Enough we know of civil gore,
O, heavenly deity! once more,
Affume thy placid reign,

Long then fhall plenty bless the land,

Her coafts with grateful commerce smile;
And long fhall freedom, hand in hand,
With arts and fcience grace this isle;
And proudly shall the mufes raife
Thee heroes deeds-the patriots' praife,
And ever-meritorious fame:
And loudly to the shores around,
And hills and vallies fhall refound
With GEORGE's mighty name.

Clonmell, Jan. 1, 1808.

D. HICCEUS.

For the Ancient Hibernian Magazine.
The Limerick Beauties-of 1808.

for beauty is their own;
The feeling heart, fimplicity of life,
And elegance and tafte: the faultless form,
Shap'd by the hand of harmony; the cheek,
Where the live crimson, thro' the native
white,

Soft-fhooting o'er the face diffufes bloom,
And every nameless grace; the parted lip,
Like the red-rose bud moist with morning
dew,

Breathing delight ;- -the fnowy fwell-
ing breaft:

The look refiftlefs, piercing to the foul, And by the foul inform'd, when dreft in love,

She fits high-fmiling in the conscious eye!

Mifs D-k-n. G's-ft. THE lovely young D-k-n has long Been faireft of the fairer throng; Her shape-her air-her all confpire, To make the gazing world admire !

Mifs O'G- -y. G's-ft.
Fair is O Gy,—charming maid !
In all the pride of fpring array'd;
Bleft with the pleafing means t'obtain
O'er man a lafting-fure domain !

Mifs K-g-1. G's-ft.
K-g-1 thy form-thy lovely mind,
Like adamant our fenfes bind;

Such beaut'ous look-such innate grace,
Attend thy fpeech-thy steps-thy face!
Mifs R-v-s. Do.

Let Mira all her charms difplay,
My heart difdains the feeble ray;
For all that's bright and gay I find
In fair R-v-s form-in fair R-v-s

mind!

Mifs R-f-d. Do.
R-f-d's majestic sweetness too,
With rapture num'rous lovers view ;-

Her proper ftature gives delight,
And ftrikes the heart as foon as fight!
Mifs M-ch-n. Do.

Slight is the wound which Chloe gives,
More fierce the glance from M-ch-n's
Who lees her, loves; yet loves, and lives

eye :

We fee, we love-but oh!—we die!

Mifs O'B-n. Bing-S-h-ol, Do.
But ah! my mufe is much too weak
Of this enchanting nymph to speak
In Ann ten thoufand charms are seen,
A modeft-with an angel-mien !

Mifs T--n. Do.

Lovely as fancy can exprefs,
With fweet fimplicity of drefs;
And wears no brilliants but her eyes!
Who colly trifles can defpife,

Mifs D-ne. Do.
Fair D-ne! efteem'd among thy fer,
Of ev'y grace and gift poffeft;
Renowned for all that's great and kind,
Beauty and wit, with worth combin'd!
Mifs M. D-ne. Do.
Margret's charms with fweetness join'd,
Exprefs the beauties of her mind;
Her breath fweet as Arabia's groves,
Where every sweet fpontan'ous roves !
Mifs E. D-ne. Do.
Whilft dear Eliza's air and mien
Might vie with thofe of Cyprus' queen;
For in the dance fuch grace does thine,
As makes her gefture all divine.—

Mifs F. D-ne.' Do.
But how fhall mortal pen defcribe,
Sweet Fanny's cheeks with crimson dy'd?
Who with fand th' artill'ry of her eyes?
Who can view her without furprize-

Mifs A. W--1. Do.
But oh! what language can display,
Fair Anna's mind and lovely ray?

Το

« السابقةمتابعة »