The Irish standard., 1886-11-27

view speaks thus of Edmund Burkss.
'In 1850, Burke (being then 2l) came for
the first time to London, to do what so
many Of his lively young countrymels
are still doing though they are begizs~
ming to make q grievance even of tl,ais
eat his dinners at the Middle Temple.
and SO qualify himself for the Bar.
Certainly that student was iu luck w1ts
found himself in the same mess vitIs
Burke, and yet SO stupid are meu-so
prone to rest with their full weight oEa
the immaterial and slide over the es-
sential-that had that good fortune
been ours we should probably have BEEN
more taken upwith Burke's brogue tlissxs
with his brains. Burke came to Lorl-
don with cultivated curiosity, and III
no spirit of desperate determination Io
make his fortune. That the study OF
the law interested him cannot be doubt
ed, for everything interested him, par
ticularly the stage. Like the sensible
[rishman he was, he lost his heart to
Peg Wellington Oh the first opportunity
He was fond Of roaming about tl1ea
country during. it is to be hoped. vaess~
tion time only, and is to be found Nrri&
ing the most cheerful letters TO his
friends in Ireland, ali Of whom ;sre peg
suaded that he is going some day to 5sss
somebody, though puzzled to surn1isss
what thing or when, so pleasantly does
he take life from all sorts Of out-of- this
way country places, where he lodges.
with quaint; Old ls,ndladies. WHO wo1s
der naturally why he never gets drunk
and generally mistake him for an au-
thor until ne pays his bill. When il
town he freQuonted debating societies
in Fleet street and Coyent Garden, ana
made his first speeches; for which pnh.-
pose he would unlike some (ebaterss
devote studious hours in getting up the
subjects to be discussed. THERE'S gol Il
reason to believe that it was in this.
manner his attention was first directed
to India. He was at al times q greac
talker, and, DR.. Johnson's dictum not
withstanding, a good listener. He waa,
end]essly interested id everything-jxa
the state Of the crops, in the last play.
in details Of all trades, the rhythm OF
all poems. the plots Of all novels, ana
indeed in the course OF every manu-r-
facture. And so FOR six years lie wen&s
Up and down, to and fro, gathering i'll
formation. jmparting knowledge. ana
preparing himself. though he knew MOI.
for what. The attorney in Dubjin grew
anxious, and searched for precadents oEs
son behaving like this and rising teo
eninence. Had his son got the legal
mind? which. according to Keen Off,
server, chiefly displays itself by illus
tratjng the obvious, explaining the escf~
dent and expatiating OF the commo1l
place. Edmu1,d's S powers Of illustratio1s
and expauiation could not be ques-
toned; but then the subjects selected
for the exhibition Of these powers were:
far indeed from being obvious, evident,
or commonplace, and the attorneys
heart grew heavy within MIN. The pa
ternal displeasllre Was signifeu n the
usual manner--the supplies were cut
Off Edmund Burke, however, was ns,
ordinary prodigal, and his reply to his
fathers expostulations took the un9x
pected and unprecedented shape Of "a
second and enlarged edition Of his
treatise on the Sublime and Beauti
full which he had published in 1856 at
the price OF Is. Burke's fatI1ev
promptly sent the author Il bank biEf
for el00; conduct on his part whiczg,
considering he had sent his SOD To
London aud maintained him there for
six years to study law, Was i'll my judg-
nae,,t nOt b sllhlirne and haa11tifi1l y