The Irish standard., 1888-03-10
IRISH GRAVES IN ENGLAND.
REV. ARTHUR 0'LEARY.
BY MICHAEL M'DoSAGH.

The subject Of this paper Is row go
little known that many readers will pro-
badly begin by asking who is the Rev.
Arthur O'Leary? Lady Morgan has
described him as the Catholic Dean
Swift, but his claims to such title are
very slender. He was franciscan
Friar. born in Cork county, who, during
the last Quarter Of the eighteenth CEN
tury aud for few years of the opening
OF this century Was prominent Ill Ire
land as pulpit orator, polem7cal writer
and Lu,Dorist. IN the little that is
knoxn Of him now he IS seen IL the lat
+ar character only. a few bon mo's OF
hi, st7}, live. and are known to many
who huou nothing OF their author. Two
Of them. which ole perhaps most fire.
nuently quoted ale Of polem1cal ma
fure, and they show their author to have
heau possessed of keen and cutting
bnt good ilnmored wit. lie was ar
guirg-o..e story gots--with Protest.
ans Clergyman Oh the doctrines OF tile
t;ntbolic Church in relation 70 the pun
iajyoent Of the wicked in j future state,
and the minister having expressed his
ros,,akau disbelief III the existence OF
Pureator7, O'Ieary wound up the dis
custom by retorting, Faith, ny dear
sir, you may go farther and fare worse
On another occasion Protestant friend
gaii to him, "Have you heard the news?
The bottom has fallen out OF furgatory
and ali the Papists have been preclplta-
ted into hell tThe Lord save rs, " re-
;,ined (>'I.eary, <'what a crushing the
,ts,y pcotestar1s must have got"
Another specimen of his wit, Of differ
emit kind, is also worth quoting. At q
meeting to consider the disabilities OF
the Catholics, Lord Petre, an English
Catholic peer, who presided, had occa~
sion to coll Father OI1eary to order.
'tMr. OLeary,' said LIE, Il regret
much to see tilat you are out OF order. "
IL thank you cor your anxiety. ny lord, "
said the witty fyiar, fbut ! assure you
was never in better health in my lie. !"
A capital story teller, too, OIeary's
company was mach sought after IN all
clrclys of society, and he was admitted
member CT the monks Of the Screw
commercial club, in which all the
GREAT lions Of She day agured. AS
speci1nap ol his powers OF invention, l.
quote the following from *'Barrington>s
Personal Sketches the worthy author
Of which appears to have accepted the
story as gohpei truth
"One nnecdote in particiar I rernem~
bo,. Coming from St. Omer (O'Iea1y
sold us> he stepped a few days to visit a
brother priest in the Down Of Boulogne-
Sur-Mer. Here he heard Of q grea5
curiosity which all the people were run
ming 10 sea- curious bear that some
fisherman had taken at SEE cut OF a
wreck. IT had sense, and attempted to
uttera sort of lingo which they called pa
sois. but which nobody understood.
O'I4earv gave his six sous to see the
wonder. which waa shown at the port
by candle light, and was very odd kind
of animal no doubt. The bear had been
taught hundred tricks, all to be per
formed ut the keepers word OF COM
maud. 1t Was late in the evening when
VLearT saw him, and the bear seemed
sulky. The keeper. however, with a
short spike at The end of pole, made
him move about brjskly. He marked
OH the sand what O'Clock it was with his
paw, and distinguished the men and
women in a. very conical way-in fact
our priest was quite diverted. The
beast at length grew tired; the keeper
his him with pole; he stirred little,
but continued quite sullen. His mas
ter ccaxed him-no, he would not work
It length the brute of keeper gave
him two or three sharp pricks with the
goad, when he reared eutmost tremend-
,ouslv, aud, rising Oh his hind legs, swore
st bis tovineutors in very good Irish :
O'Leary waited no longer, bat went I'M
rnediately to the Mayor, whom he in
formed that the blackguards of fisher
man had sewed up poor lrishman i'll a
bearsk,n, and were showing him for six
sous This civic diguitary. who had
himself seen the bear, would not believe
our friend; but at last 0 'Leary prevailed
on him to accompany him to the room.
Upon their arrival the bear was stall
upon duty, and O'Leary stepping up to
him says-aaude tina hawn, Pat ? How
do yoa do, Pat)? Slanger a manugouth
(Pretty we'll, thank you), says the bear.
The people, were surprised to hear how
plainly he spoke, but the Mayor direct
~ ordered him to be ripped up, and
after some opposition aud good deal
of difficulty Pat stepped forth, naked,