The Irish standard., 1886-05-01
struggle. Ryan lived for about fort
night after. Lord Edward died of his

~~-~
wounds on the 4th Of June, 1882
| have dealt at much length with Mr.
Ryan's case because. as said, accuracy
even in the small details Of a great
event is of Importance alike to the his
torian and to the student Of history.
The latter are greatly indebted to Mr..
Fitzpatrick for having with great pains
ascertained definitely that the betrayer
Of Lord Edward Fitzgerald's hiding
place to the Government was Higgins,
the ''Sham Squire" In the same way,
and to give completeness TO every
point of the great tragedy of Ninety
eight, a certain interest does attach to
the name of the individual who was in
strumental in effecting the capture Of
Lord Edward Fitzgerald. Yeomanry
Captain Ryan seems to have performed
an office which certainly cannot endear
his memory to Irishmen with a courage
in which the two chief instruments OF
the raid was lacking, and he sacrificed
his life in the discharge of his task:
The whole rage of Irlsh historical lit
erature can hardly afford a more de-
lightful or a more melancholy volume
than Thomas Moore's Memoirs of Lord
Edward Fitzgerald. Written on that
principle which governs all the best
biographies, it tells it's story largely in
the words of its own hero, and where
these most inevitably are wanting it
calls in the aid of contemporaries to fill
the void. Thus the book has, in a
great measure, all the defnable charm
which must belong to autobiography,
and where this is missing we get from
the letters and writings of these who
were themselves actors in or specu]a-
tors of the age that realistic impression
which is the highest quality of history.
In Moore's fascinating pages the wild,
checkered, heroic life loses nothing by
being recorded by a poets pen. From
the first page to the last the fortunes of
the greatest of the Fitzgeralds are fol-
lowed with the appreciative sympathy
of man Of genius. The eager boy fed
his spirit with all the details of the mil
itary art, and he writes joyously to the
mother who was so long the dearest
con6dante of all his thoughts, hopes,
and ambitions about''a very pretty sun
vey Of the fields around the Garonne"
which he has made. II have tired you
now pretty well by my boastings, he
adds, simply, ':but you know [ have al
ways rather a good opinion Of whatever
l do While still very young he joined
the army and' entered upon the career
of adventure which was destined to end
so tragical]y while still in the flower Of
his age.
His life for some years ran much on
those two themes of war and love which
are popularly supposed to be the chief
emotions ofa soldiers mind. All sorts
of fair women fit across the pages Of
his letters to his mother. Shadowy
presences to us, dim ghosts Of those
last century beauties who fred the
warn heart and chivalrous soul of the
young Geraldine! Miss Sandford,
1.-THE charming girl, very pretty, with a
great deal of wit, and very sensible and
good-humored," appears early in his
correspondence. ''It I had had time"
he declares, II should have fallen des-
perately in love with her." Then came
the American War and his own brave
deeds. Some years later he is convinced
that he is devoted to Lady Catherine
Mead. Lord Clanwilliam's daughter,
who afterwards married Lord Powers
court: and of the fair Kate he writes
very sweetly and sadly to the invariable
recipient of all his condolences and all
his joys and SORROWS, his mother. ''Pret-
ty dear Kate" is, however, gradually
obliterated from his memory by another
passion which influenced him profound
lv, but in which he was doomed to dis
appointment. He fought absence and
forge5fulness in America where he be-
came member of the Bear tribe Of In
dams, through the good graces of the
Chief of the Six Nation. But it took
him long enough to be cured of his
hearts sorrow.
It was in Paris that Lord Edward
first met Famela, in Moore's word,
:'the adopted. Or, as may now be said
without scrnple, actual daughter Of
Madame de Genlis by the Duke of Or
leans" Paris was full Of excitement
to Lord Edward. The revolutionary
fever was at it's height, and, carried
away by it, Lord Edward solemnly re-
nounced his title at a Republican ban
quet and insisted upon being addressed
as Citizen Edward Fitzgerald. This
and his marriage to the daughter OF
Philippe Egalite, reused English anger,
and Lord Edward was removed from
the roll of the British army. Then
came his life in Dublin. his impasslon-
ed championship of his Oppressed coun-
try, his adhesion to the United Irish
men. his plans for revolution, which,
but for the Vaccinations of traitors,
promised every chance Of success, and,
finally the fight in Thomas street, the