The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1891-07-11
0'CORMAN MAHON'S LIFE.
The Wonderful Career of the Last
of the Knights
Errant.
HIS RECORDQAS A DUElL|ST.

Withal, His Record as Statesman
Will Brighten the Pages Of
Irish History.
In Berlin about fifteen years ago there
was dinner party, which those who
knew Of it regard as one OF the most
remarkable ever given. Not one of the
guests was man of particularly lofty
title, although all had titles and many
had decorations. Not one will go down
to future generations as the author of
any great political measure or the
ainisber of any great war. Perhaps all
will be forgotten ia generation OK two
unless their names are kept alive by
the genius of some writer OF fiction.
And yet the dinner was historic.
About score of guests were present
all men in old age, whose active life
was nearly if not all done. Each bore
"a name which every monarch or court
or military parsonage knew we'll.
Each was marked and an admired
man.
These twenty men, more or less, we're
the last of the knights errant, the final
remnant Of the age Of chlvalry. They
had fought under the skv of every
known country. They had slain men in
duels aifd were feared for their dex-
terity with sword and pistol. They
were famed wherever deeds of va]or
were known and pra ised for reckless
courage and swift and deadly prompt
ness in the face of any danger. A GEN.
tury before Europe had been full 1of
such men, Fifty years before the sight
OF them at any court or on any battle
field excited no comment. But one by
one these adventures had dropped of
and the changed methods of modern
governments had prevented their access
sions to their ralks. So these twenty,
nearly all that were in the world at the
time, had gathered together at dinner
to exchange tales of hair-breadth ad~
venture in all quarters of the globe and
to deplore the downfall Of the ancient,
acute and inlpetuous sense of honor.
Before they sat down there arose the
question, who should occupy the place
Of honor at the head of the table.
There were Spaniards, Italians, French
men, German, Russians, lrishmen, each
conscious OF his own proWess and
fame. Not one there who had not hi Oh
rep1te, who was not counted dangerous
before all men on the field of honor
and reckless before all men at the
cannon's mouth. One would think
that a fierce wrangle would have en-
sued among these hardy and doughty
gray boards. But no such wrangle
followed the question. With one ac-
cord they turned to one of their number
and said: LET him sit at the head Of
the table, he is frst.'' This man, who
was pronounced first of that company
of akventurers and free lances by the
company itself, stood SIX feet three in
bis stockings. Despite bis age he was
erect. and his slender form and broad
shoulders. that had endured 50 many
hardships, told that even in age their
strength was not departed. His hair
was snoWwhite, his face was handsome.
his Roman nose and flashing dark eyes
indicated force and determination.
This man was James Patrick O'Gorman
Mahon, better known as The O'Gorman
Mahon. He lived to see those with
whom he sat at that dinner and other
remnants of knight errant1y pass away.
And when he died, at Chelsea, on the
17th Of June, it was the last of the
knights errant who departed.
Those who have read Charles Lovers
novels or any Of the tales OF European
history in the eighteenth and early nine
teenth centuries will! recognize the type
at once. Gunpowder killed chiyalry,
but the corpse lived for several hun
dred years thereafter. During all the
eighteenth century the courts of Europe
were thronged with bold cavaliers who
had left their own countries for various
reasons and who were seeking their
fortunes in other lands. They fenced
like masters. They shot with deadly
precision. They permitted no man to
speak of or to them in terms of disres
pect. Their sense of honor was bal
anced to a brutal nicety. They spoke
all languages, fought with impartial
valor in all causes. Thev were to be
found wherever war threatened, and on
on the declaration Of peace they dis
appeared at once. OF these gentlemen,
SO attractive to the modern leader
whose life is laid among the dull de-
tails OF business. James Patrick O'Gor,
man Mahon, The O'Gorman Mahon,
was the last and the best. When he
died he had outliyed his generation
n1tY YEAR,. His i life is worthy Of more