Morning journal and courier., 1893-05-13

quietly entered the House of Commons ir
 London, and gravely took his seat in psrl
 smeut, amid such cheers as never before
 or since made the great structure trembl,
 to its very foundations.
 feel sure that one-aftsr enjoying the
 glories of the BlAokvster with those of tts
 sweet and murmurous tributary, the Av.
 beg, and after a tramp from old Donerails
 town, set like squslid gipsy encsmpmsn,
 amid gorgeous natural environs, to the
 level tract where stand the ruins of XII.
 colman castle, the Irish home of the poe,
 Spenser-would agree with me in pronoun.
 cling the place one of the loneliest spots in
 all Ireland. 4 vast vale surrounds 1t: nu,
 ss far ss the eye can reach there is scarce
 ly sign of human hsbitation. The once
 noble forests have disappeared Only one
 little lake to the south can be seen; and
 searching in vain for sight or sound O!
 human activity or nesrness, only the gray of 6 far horizon edge settles leAdenly down upon the Waterford mountains to the east, the heights of Kerry to the west, the Nagle mountains to the south, and the
 Bsllyhovra hills to the north. It is said that from the top of the castle @ view of above half the breadth of Ireland was once commanded. If there was compsn.
 sAtion in that in Spenssr's time, 1t could hardly be found now.
 kiloolman, or Gill Colman in Irish,
 means Colman'a Church. There were
 above sixty saints Colmsn, and any of
 these, to one's liking, may be taken as the patron saint of this particular townland locality. The castle, as the ruins indicate, however remote its date of construction, must have been one of strength and i'm portance. Historically it Is known to have been originally one of the great Earl 0f naeu,npata Ca3 portion of the great qusdrsngulsr keep is in good state of preservation for about thirty feet from the ground; one of it's side walls, showing 8 nobls window, rises solidly and firmly for perhaps twenty five feet above this: and a massive seusre fsnking tower still lifts its rough old walls to probable height of seventy feet. It must have been a weird and dreary place for one of Spenser's fine nature.
 But three things of the grsvest impor- tance to poet, prince or peasant, came to this man in his eleven years of practical punishment here, between 15s7 and 1899. The first of these was the christening and exalting influence of absolute self-denial. The second was in his wcoing and marry ing @ woman ''of mean birth," who was so loyal, sweet and good, that Spenser never knew an unhappy hour on her &C., count during his life, more power to wo- men ''of mean birth" for it The other was in his visits to and communions with his noble friend, Raleigh, at messy old Youghsl, few miles distant upon the sescoast. Raleigh, genius and poet that he himself was, generously recognized the greater poets true greatness; warmed his heart with sunny hospitalities; sustained his doubtful dresmings with s strong and heartsoms friendship; and h 1889 bodily took the timorous Spenser to London; introduced him to the queen; and that very year saw the publication of the first three books of Fserie Queen
 These three good fortunes, despite bitter straits on the one hand, snd, on the other, Irish "rebellions" Of such start ling frequency that every far line of trees, like trembling silhouettes against the ho- rizon, undoubtedly took on the form of Desmond and Tyrone avengers, made him sing ss no English poet before his time had ever sung And iu these true things of his life lay the compensations; for the later days of poverty in London, where, as the sequel proved, English indifference was more fatal than Irish ssyagsry. brought him nothing gave the loyalty of his com paniou "of mean b.rth;" and he WAS al lowed to die in want in the land he had more infinitely honored. than any other who ever lived in it, save Shakespeare There is but little here 10 remind ot SPen- ser now. So desolste Is cid hticolmsn and devoid of surr~.tf~- Association The region rouudsbout, that the pilgrim hither --sst r,-rtercs bring Spenser along in his heart, and build almost the entire fabric of life, home and hsunts from bis own loving fancy Only one real and sweet thing Is here which will always remain ss n revealing tho r.diars. of ths poet'r gem tie presence. Thst is the near little river. Awbeg, the "Mulla" of his joyous verse; more joyous and melOdious svex> ss it sings of him who sung, on its se1ny, besuteous way to the Blsnkwatsr and h. sea
 There is nothing more beautiful in all Ireland than Cork city, set in stnne and terrace again.t her leEfy heights, and the river Lee, which, ItHi-as io 'hs mystic depths of weird, wild, Gougane Bsrra. st the .dsa of Kerry. waucers through lovely glens and sunny vsles to where the city aud tide meet, and then bleudiug with the sal. water, sweeps through the most giorious and ptclure'qn estuary in the world, down past Queens town to the sra But this has been re peatedly told by word-pAinters galore. My own recret longing led me first and lsss t",