The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1888-04-28
Here moss-grown trees expand the smallest

Or lazy lakes, unconscious Of & flood,
Whose, dull brown Naiads eyer sleep in mud.
Goldsmith says the "Epistle" is one
Of the finest compliments that was ever
paid to any poet and adds that Parnell's
'Ssplenetic and untIue'' description Of
his residence in Ireland gave much Of
fence to his neighbors, who considered
they could supply him with learning and
poetry without an Importation from
Twickenham (the residence Of Pope,
amid whose pleasant shades On the banks
Of the Thames, Parnell spent many day.
Gas his fortune" writes the Rev. John
Milford, .another biographer, "was hand
some and his disposition liberal, his
manner Of life WAS elegant and even
splendid. He had 40 great value for
money, and indeed he SO far exceeded
his fortune as to leave his estate some
what impaired at his DEATH As soon as
he collected his rents he went over to
England, where the friendship OF Pope
always received him with open arms, and
where the wit and good hunnos OF Gay
and Arbuthnot and the fascination al
.Belingbroke' society repaid him foZ his
weary months Of solitude at Clogher and
Eiuglas.''
In l712 his wife died, and the sad
event caused turning point for the
worst in his life. Swift, in his journal
to Stella, August Oath of that year, SAYS
st am heartily sorry for Poor Mrs. Par
nell's death. She seemed to be an ex-
cellent good-natured young woman, and
/ believe the poor Lad is much afflicted,
they appeared to live perfectly well to-
gether.' Detection OF spirits followed
the blow, and he is said to have become
Incorporate aud careless in his habits
for the rest OF his life. In 1716, through
the interest Of Swift, be got the yicarage
Of Finglas, near Dublin, worth at the
time, according to Goldsmith, 94o0 q
year, and ''such notice." writes Dr.
Johnson, "fron such man 1.-THE Arch
bishop Of Dublin, DIR. King inclines ME
to believe that the vice Of which he has
been accused was not gross, or not no.
torious.'
| The poet died the following year
aged 81.
p.E. johnson, critioising Parnell as q
poet, writes---s The general character OF
P1arnell IS not great in extent Of oompre-
lension OF fertility os mlnd-of the title
that appears still less his own. His
ryaise must be derived from the easy
| sweetness of his diction; iii his verses
there is more happiness than pains; he
is sprightly without effort, and always de-
lights though he never ravishes; every
thing is proper, yet everything seems
; casual. y
| Chester isare old city OF Chester
lis ono Of the most delightfully."- inter
estlng spots in the three kingdoms, with
its old Roman walls, it's quaint houses,
ornam ezted wish grotesque wood cary
ing, and the magnificent prospect Of
country which surrounds it. But TO
Irishn1en. Chester has an interest apart
altogether from it's historic and anti
| quarian and scenic associations, for, in
the first place, Gladstone lives there;
and in the second, it was che scene OF the
most daring and sensational incident Of
the N'enian movement--tlle contemplated
attack on Chester Castle and the capture
of it's 80, 600 stand of arms for use III Ire
land: and thirdly Thomas Parnell. Arch
deacon Of Clogher, is buried in one of
its churches.
How did Parnell come to be buried in
Chester? The old city has always been q
resting place TO travellers between Ire
land and London, but it was much more
50 IN former times than il is i'll these
days Of fast railway services. Well in
the month Of July, 1717. Par,oe!l was On
his way from London to Ireland stopped,
as usual, at Chester for rest-but he
never left il. He was stricken with a
mortal illness, died there, and was in
TERED in tho old church Of the Holy and
Undivided Trinity, in Trinity street.
The exact spotin which thepost is buried
is. I am sorry to say, unknown. No
monument WAS erected to mark the
place, nor was even tablet erected IN
the walls Of the church to indicate his
interment within its precincts. The
probability is that the poet died alone
unattended by any Of his relatives or
triends--in one OF the local hostelries;
and, when buried, the fate Of many
another person Of genius befell him,
everything about him was forgotten for
years, and when subsequently interest
in his works aroused interest III the man
himself, it was too late to discover his
last resting place.
The old church was pulled down in
1865, and the present handsome struc-