The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1901-06-01

notice. There is no doubt but that he
was cruel and sarcastic in his writings,
never happy unless he had a side
thrust at some one, for example, &C.
accusing Moore of plagiarism, or throw
ing ridicule on DiOnysius Lardner, still
we must remember that the greater
part of his reliques were written when
his disposition was soured on account
of the mistaken path Of life he had en-
tered upon. AS priest he never re-
turned to his native city, but remained
in London and on the continent. For
a very short time, believe three years.
he discharged ecclesiastical functions,
when captivated by Bohemian life he
threw in his lot with those "who loved
that land Bohemia" DR.. Maginn, who
had been editor of Frazer's Magazine
since it's start in 1880, and anxious to
help along a fellow citizen and one
suited to his own convivial sentiments,
no doubt pressed Prout into it's SER
vices. DR.. Maginn was one of the most
lovable of men, possessed of fine feel
ings and endowed with the rarest
genius. His knowledge was marvel
lous; whether in the role of poet, novel
list or essayist, he could occupy an hon
ored place, whereas as wit he was
second only to Prout himself. AS a
proof of his wonderful versatile mind
it may be adduced that the University
of Dublin conferred upon him the de-
gree of LID. at the early age of TWEEN
ty-two years. He had one misfortune,
he was too fond of drink, which, des-
pite his manifold gifts, hurled him
down the precipice. He died in the
year 1912 after being arrested short
time previously for debts contracted
some time previously.
James Clarence Mangan, the 'Poe of
Ireland was great admirer of Ma
ginn's. He alludes to his tragic end in
his own autobiography, his poem en-
titled the "Nameless One" as follows:
"And he fell far through that pit
abyssmal,
The gulf and grave of Maginn and
+ Burns,
And pawned his soul for the devils
dismal stock Of returns.
1t is easy to see why Mangan loved
Maginn so dearly. They were both
victims of the same fury, although the
instrument whereby the goddess exc
cuted her direful work in the case of
either individual was different, Maginn
having fallen victim principally to
whiskey and Mangan to opium. The
following is Mangan's eulogy on Ma
ginn's writings: "Maginn wrote with
out labor and without limit. He had.
properly speaking, no style, or rather
he was master of all styles, though he
cared for none His thoughts literally
gushed from his brain in overfowing
abundance. He flung them away as he
flung himself away in the rotous eX-
uberance of his heart and his spirit.
He cast the rich bread of his intellect
upon the waters but he did not find it.
again after many days, or if he did it
came back with the properties of
poison. For all intents and purposes
of posthumous renown ne has lived in
vain. His name, like that of Keats,
has been writ in water, or more prop
erly in gin and WATER" These lines
we're written after Maginn's demise in
| lS42, and it is curious to note that
they We're written by one drifting in
exactly similar manner. Mangan
never wrote line for an English mag
azine, whether he regarded English
magazines as not impartial enough or
whether he wanted his genius only to
be recognized by his own people, it is
hard to say. He wrote principally for
| the Comet where Sheehan, the Philan-
der of Beatley's Miscellany, dealt very
rudely with him. He also gave his
services to the Dublin University Mag
azine, where his translations from the
German appeared. He also wrote for
the nation, his name being associated
with that grand galaxy of distin-
guished writer's, patriotic to the hearts
core, that shed lustre between 1910
and 1850 on the name Of Ireland Sir
Charles Gavan Duffy has written a
complete account of them in his "Four
Years of Irish History and from it
we can gather that Mangan held an
honored place amongst them. Before
the Nation was started any Irishman
who wanted to make living by litera-
ture had to submit his work to English
literary criticism. Such was the case
with Gerald Griffin, Maginn, and I'M
doubleday Father Prout, who, on aban-
doning the active work of the clerical
life, was thrown upon his pen as his
sole means Of subsistence, but Man.
gan could never be induced to let his
thoughts be aired on English soil. 1t
was only very lately that Englishmen
understood that Ireland had produced
such man. John Mitchell, who wrote
Clarence Mangan's biography, says,
"Iangan was not only an Irishman,
not only an Irish papist, not only an
Irish papist rebel, but throughout his
whole literary life he never deigned to