The Irish standard., 1888-01-07

ceoQeQ. JOQf1 OlllOn, laCn0E OF IuS
young patriot Of the present day. was q
grand specimen Of the Spanish Irish
type, and the southern fire ran warm
through his veins. He was one Of the
most impassionate speakers of the gift
cd band, and no assembly could resist
the volcanic torrent OF his burning
words. These we're the orators Of
Young Ireland. Like the Gerondists,
they set up a lofty ideal for humanity;
to regenerate the people Of culture, no.
BILE aims, noble lives, and service Of sol
emn devotion to their country. . But
there was no Marat among them; they
had no plans of cruel vengeance and
plumber; they counselled no crimes;
their lives were as pure as their doc-
trines, and not shadow rests upon
their fair fame. As a poet describes
them. 80 we're thsy:
Souls Of hre like Columns pointing
Elamelike upwards to the skies,
Glorious brows which Gods anointinR
Consecrating altarwise;
Stainlesa hearts, like temples olden
None but priests had ever trod,
Hands ss pure as were the golden
Stavcs that bore the Ark ct God.
Yet these singers and scholars, these
brilliant young orators and writer's.
who showed to what he1ght Irish gen.
ius might raise if trained and guided.
with their ideal of nationhood and he
rcic means of action, were deemed more
dangerous by England than ey by the
assasin's knife; for enlightenment
meant independence.
Rut the selections in Mr.. Sparling's
work are not limited to one party or to
one theme. Every name OF note down
to the present day, and all political ten
denotes, with every chord that has vi
brated to Celtic sentiment and feeling,
will be found in the collection, making
this pretty volumne Of Irish minstrelsy
the most interesting and the most COM
prenensive compendium of national po-
etic genius yet given TO the public.
About twenty names will be found in
the list of poets. Among them Flor
ence Mccarthy, the translator of Calde-,
ron, and Sir Samuel Ferguson, the bard
and brehon, who took the rude legends
of early history and trans6gured them
by his poetic power into che stately
majesty of national epics; and John
Francis Waller, the sweetest living
lyrist of Ireland, who unites all the
subtle charm Of faultless form and ten
der grace with perfect melody. And
the wierd fancies Of Clarence Mangan
are not forgotten; nor the spiritual de-
licacy and fine touch Of William Alling-.
ham, nor the classic verse Of Aubrey de
We're, glowing in thought and carefully
chiselled. with well-skilled workman
ship, contrasting we'll with the rough
hewn rocks, Of Banim's powerful verse
streaked with rich veins of gold. And
we have the playful humor of Sam Low
er. that turns to music in the utterance;
and the pathetic beauty Of Lady Duff
erin's songs, like the we'll known 'l'm
Sitting on the Stile, Mary which has
been stepped in the tears of two hemls-
pheres; and the fierce defiance Of In
grams great poem, '.Who fears to
speak of '9S;'' while the strong min
strelsy of the fiery North is illustrated
by such ballads as Colonel Blacke's
famous 'Still Put Your Trust in God
My Boys, But Keep Your Powder Dry;"
and the stirring strains Of The Boyne
Water and "No Surrender" poems
still chanted at convivial meetings by
the strong Ulster men, who always
mean what they say and sing. Nor is
Dion Boucicault omitted with his In
tensely Irish grace, music, fun and
pathos. There are besides quite NUM-
Der of. the peasant and the street bal
lads, with all their floating and philoso.
ply and picturesque idiom correctly
given for the first time in a poetical an-
thology, such as '.The Wearing Of the
Green, . 80 dear to the popular heart;
the quaint and mystic Shan-von-Y 0cht,
with its mysterious aad cryptic mean
ing, and the rollicking humor Of such
ballads as The Night Before Larry
Was STREET tched, 3 with all its rich YER
nacular Dublin slang that recalls tho
most extinct race Of wandering blind
lHomers, Of lzazimas' was perhape the
Elastrepresentatiye
The total lamount thus far received.
lsby THE IRISH STANDARD as contribn-
|itions to the 50 cent fund Iis 5.lO|.
Thomas Gil Twas the at thus far. to g
Epayt tho fund The e. ah 9th; q q
81 Ihaxs 8 q iiYen prop lub licity