The life of samuel lover

Contents

PAGE

Introduction . . . . ^ . . . xvii

Chapter I

7797 — iS/o. — Ireland — Lover's Birth and Family — A delicate Child with a good Mother — The Effect of her good Teaching — Disturbed time of his Infancy — His first Public Impressions — Marlborough Green and its Riding House — Beresford's Inquisition ; its Floggings and its Signboard— The true view of the Rebellion — The Grotesque that mingled with its Terrors — The Burning of Beresford's Bank-notes — Lieut. Hepenstal, the " Walking Gallows " — The Conduct of the English Soldiery — The Outrage on Lover's Home — His Impressions and his Patriotism — Lover, a Rebel at Sixteen — Music, the first of his gifts to stir itself — His early attempt Tat Execution— The Spell of Moore's Genius on Lover — Master Samuel's Education — A Dame School, and the Teacher's Prize Marks — A Boy's Academy and Overwork — Lover's Visit to the Country — His enfeebling Sensibility — Loss of his Mother and its effect — Nature his Consoler, and, at her hands, his speedy invigoration — Other uses of his Visit — Its Influence on the coming Artist — Painting, his second gift to develop, and the most important in the future — Probable unfolding of his sense of Colour — Another effect of this Visit — His first Acquaintance whh the Peasantry — Rural Pleasures as well as Uses — Country Labours sustained by Song — The Ploughman's Air to his Cattle — Seed-time and Harvest — Pleasures nearer Home — The Farmer and the Wild Duck — A Proof of Re-invigoration. Master Samuel and the Ghost - - . .

iv Contents.

Chapter II

yAGE

1810 — 18 18. — Restored Health and Return to Dublin — Lover's Boyhood — His Gaiety and Enjoyment — His Contact with the Dublin Populace — Characteristics of their Humour — Specimens — History of Dublin connected with his own — Picture of the City at Three Periods — Belligerent and Uproarious — The Liberty and Ormond Quay Boys — Their Contests and Excesses — The Trinity College Students, the gi-eat Patrons of the Drama — The Immunities of the College Court — The Debtor and the Pump — The Bucks of Dublin — Pinkindindies — Sweaters — Chalkers — Buck English and Buck Sheehey, &c. — Dublin's second and fortunate Period — Improved Society and Manners — Its Senate and its Stage — Its Decline and lavish Extravagance — The Reign of reckless Dissipation — Coaches and Six on the Grand Drive, &c. — A Third Picture of Dublin — Its Bankruptcy and Gloom — Effect of the Rebellion — Effect of the Union — Absenteeism — Increased Taxation— Decay of Trade — Their Influence on the future of Lover — He begins Life as a Stockbrokei-^ His unfitness for Business yet love of Work — The Outbreak of his Talents — His Father's Terror and Endeavours at Repression — The Conflict and its Climax — Lover's Resolve to quit his Home and become a Painter — The Difficulties of the Attempt — His want of Money, want of a Market, and also want of Art — Nevertheless his courageous Venture — Its Sustainment and Result - - - - - - - - - 17

Chapter III

18 IS — 18 18. — Lover's Outset in Life — Its Date — His three years' Study as an Artist — Its Mystery — -How he Worked and how he Lived — - Alleviation of his Labours — Lady Morgan's Comment on his History — His debut in Dublin as a Painter — Sketch of Irish Art — Its want of Antiquity, and why — Its Attachment to a Capital — More Imperial than Patriotic — Dublin Architecture chiefly English — Irish nevertheless in Spirit — Trinity College, the Custom House, the Royal Exchange, &c. — Irish Sculpture — The Merits of Smythe and Hogan — The " Ino and Bacchus" of Foley — Macdowell's "Eve," &c. — Irish Music — Its strange Deficiency — Its Glory connected with her Bards — Ireland has no great modern Musical Genius — Balfe, Rooke, and Vincent Wallace, Founders of the Romantic English Opera — Irish Painters : their Variety — ^Jervas, the friend of Pope — Barrett, one of the Founders of the Royal Academy — Barry, the protege of Burke — Modei-n Artists : Sir

Contents.

i'AGB

Martin Archer Shee, Mulready, Danby, Maclise, O'Neil, Nicol, &c, — Irish Miniature Painters : Robertson, O'Reilly, Coraerford — Irish Art Institutions : The Dublin Society, the Royal Hibernian Academy, &c. — Revival of Dublin's Prosperity — Return of distinguished Society, and Renewal of a Tribunal of Taste — Lover's outset as a Marine Painter — First attractions of Water-colour — His admiration of the Irish skies — His Studies of their Traits and Changes — His gradual Preference for Miniature — Its Popularity in Ireland — Its Extinction by Photography — Its Contrasts to the latter — Contrast of Miniature and Portrait — Miniature, the favourite of the Emotions — Formerly an addition to Irish dress — Comerford, its ablest Painter — His Refinement and tecTinical Excellence — Lover's Merits by his side — Plis marked Individuality — His Vivacity and Gaiety — His advance to Grace and Sentiment— -His second and more important stage, that of Dignity and Elevation — His Paganini Picture, &c. — Lover's Success in Miniature a striking proof of his love of Art - - - - - • - - 41

Chapter IV

1 8 18 — 182$. — The growth of Lover's other Talents — His debut in Literature— The "Gridiron," his earliest Comic Story — The "Moore Banquet " — His First Appearance as a Song-Writer — His Song, " The Poet's Election ; " its Origin ; its Lines on Southey — Lover's Success in Private Society — The Great Favourite of his Time — His Social Talents and Characteristics — His Popularity in England — The Irish Life of the Past Century a Phenomenoi. in Modeni History — Its Mingled Refinement and Barbarity — Its Feudal Sentiment and Humour —The Model Landlord of the time ; his Carnival Existence ; his Duelling and Drinking — Dublin the Centre of this peculiar Life — Its Mirth and Eccentricity — Buck Whalley and his Famous Wager — • Beauchamp Bagenal, and his Mad Adventures — Its Affairs of Honour and Convivial Excesses — The Darker Features of the Period — The Abduction Clubs, and their Cruelties — The Career of Higgins, the " Sham Squire," Felon, and Magistrate, a Romance of Rascality — The Offset to these Features — Exemplary Landlords and Refined Society — Lord Cloncurry's Eulogy — Distinctions of Irish and Parisian Circles — Humour and Sympathy of the Former — Also Higher Moral Tone — Estimation of Women, &c. — Dublin Life in the time of Lover — Its Soberer Character and Improvement — Its increased Taste and Intelligence— Its Elegant Circles — The Lefanus, &c. — Its Surviving Eccenvi Contents.

tricity — Jones the Sculptor — Butler the Architect — Brophy the Dentist — His Capital Stories — Anecdote of the Marquis of Wellesley — Butler s Paganini — ^Jones's "Love, Farewell "—Dublin Literary Eccentrics — Richard Shiel and his Recitations — Lady Morgan — Maturin — His Plays and Romances — Strange Habits and Forgetfulness — His Retort on a Practical Joker - - - - - - - 64

Chapter V

J 82^ — iSsy^. — Lover's Merits as a Song- Writer — Characteristics of his Genius — History and Nationality of Songs — Their Uses, personal and public — Position of the Song- Writer — A Burns, a Moore, &c. — Lover's Place amidst Modem Minstrels — Like Moore, a " Songster of Society" — His Lyrics of Irish Peasant Life — Their Aim ; to vindicate the Peasant, and conciliate English sympathy — ^The Lyric Literature of Ireland — Its Marked Peculiarities — Prolonged Use of the Native Tongue— Deficiency of Ballads — Their Earliest Specimens — Tickell's Colin and Lucy, &c. — Pamell and Goldsmith— Modern Anglo-Irish Writers — The Tme Authors of the Irish Ballad : Griffin, Calanan, &c. — Ferguson's "Forging of the Anchor "^The Songs of Ireland all National — Originating with the Bards — Their few Remains — Carolan, the Irish Anacreon ; the last true Bard of Ireland— His Successors, the Hedge Schoolmasters — Owen Roe O' Sullivan, &c. — The classes of Irish Songs, and the proportion found in the Gaelic — The old Irish Peasants' Love Song, Molly Astore, &c. — Carolan's Songs of Society, Gracey Nugent, &c. — The Bacchanalian Lyrics — Their wild Festivity, Carolan's especially — His Planxty Stafford, Planxty Peyton, &c. — Explanation of their Ardour — The Jacobite Songs of Ireland — Their Contrast to those of the Scotch—The Fair Hills of Ireland, the Shane Bui, &c. — The Orange Songs of Ireland — Earliest Specimen — Lilliburlero, its vulgar Doggerel, yet reputed Influence — Better Specimens eventually — Col. Blacker's Battle of the Boyne — Lyrics of the Volunteer Movement — Lysaght's Our Island and Eulogy on Grattan — Songs of the Insurrection — Dr. Drennan's When Erin first rose — Moore's Melodies — -An Epoch in the National Minstrelsy — Their Characteristics — The True Song- Writers of Ireland : Griffin, davis, Calanan, Waller, Lover, &c. — Their Power and their Variety — Deficiencies in Irish Song — Nothing Pastoral, little Sporting, and nothing Military or Naval — The Boat?nan's Hymn — The Comic Song of Ireland the youngest of its progeny, and why — Earliest Specimens

Contents. vii in the Last Century : Garry Owen and the Rakes of Mallow, the Sprig of Shillelagh, The Boys of Kilkenny, &c. — English Counterfeits and Caricatures — Irish Humour owing to Irish Drink — Pat, a Reprobate or Savage — The Slang Songs of Ireland — -Lover's disgust at the popular Favourites, and resolve to neutralize their Influence — His prompter, Lady Morgan — Rory O'More, the establishment of a new School of Comic Love Song — Its Great Success in union with its Air — A previous Rory O' More indited by Dr. Drennan — Lover's group of Comic Love Songs Hibernian to the core, and the true basis of his Lyric fame — Their probable fulfilment of his Aim — Specimens of their Humour and Feeling : Molly Carew, The Widow Machree, Live in My Heart and Fay no Rent, Kitty Maclure, Sec. - - - - 87

Chapter VI

/<S'.?7 — iSj2. — Lover's Marriage — Its Happy Character — His First Love — Its Advantages — His Commonplace Book — Its Contents — A Sarcasm of Curran's — A Joke of Chief Justice Bushe — The Good Memory of Sir Walter Scott — The Literary Ambition of General Wolfe, &c. — Club Life in Dublin — The Burschenschaft — Charles Lever — The Glee Club and its Patrons — Anecdote of some of its Members : T. Cooke, Alexander Lee, Rophino Lacey, M. W. Balfe — The latter's Humour — Lover's first Drama — The Graunweal. — 1828. His Secretaryship to the Royal Hibernian Academy — Its limited Fame. — 1830. Develop ment of a new Talent — Lover as a Caricaturist — The Tithe System ol Ireland attacked with Satire — The Irish Horn Book — Its Editor, "Jonathan Buckthome " — Its Illustrator, Samuel Lover — Character and Force of his Illustrations. — 1832. Collected issue of his Tales and Legends — Arrival in Dublin of Paganini — His Celebrity and his Appearance — Lover's Miniature of the great Violinist — His Conversational Talent — Its effect on Paganini — Aspersions on the great Musician, his Penuriousness, &c., rebutted — His well-known Generosity to Hector Berlioz — His Devotion to his Son — Plis Confession upon the point — Tribute to his Genius by the Musician Mori - -116

Chapter VII

183^ — 1836. — The Paganini Miniature at the Royal Academy Exhibition — Miniature Painting m England — Its great Exemplars, Sir William viii Contents.

PAGE

Ross and Mr. Thorbum — Caricatures of Paganini— A Violinist painted in Character — Personal Attacks and Exaggerations — Nature versus Popular Fancy — Estimate of the Miniature — Eulogy on its Violin by Wilkie, Chantrey, and Sir Martin Archer Shee — Lover's resolve to remove to London— Proposed Miniature of the Princess Victoria — A trying Disappointment — Lover versus Hayter — Lover's activity in London — His introductions to Society — Malibran and " The Loan of a Gridiron" — Sydney Smith and "Rory O'More" — Lover's greater popularity as a Song-writer and Composer— Comparison of Painting with Poetry and f Music — Greater attraction of the latter — Madame Vestris the introducer of his new Songs to the Public— Poetic standard of a Lyric— Specimens of the new Series : What will you do. Love? Call in vain, Cupid's First Dip — The Songs of the Superstitions — What's in a name ? -.....- 136

CHAPTER VIIL

1836 — 1838. — Lover's Merits as a Novelist — Preliminary Survey of Irish Fiction — Its two Classes : Romantic and National — The Sentimental Romance of Lady Morgan : St. Clair, Ida of Athens, &c. — The Historical of Grattan and Croly : The Heiress of Bruges, Salathiel, &c. — The Purely Imaginative of Maturin : The Fatal Revenge, Mebnoth, &.C. — Distinctions of the National Character — Miss Edgeworth its first Illustrator — Her Deficiency — The old Irish Gentry : their intensity— The Protestant Gentry : their Comic Romance — Lady Morgan the Founder of the National Fiction — The Irish Peasant — His Intensity unbroken by his Sufferings — His Vindictiveness and Misery — Griffin, Banim, and Carleton his Vindicators — Banim's object, Catholic Relief — Lover's object as a Tale- writer identical with that of his Songs — The Peculiarity of Irish Fiction — Its Novels belong to the higher classes, its Romances to the lower — As a whole, a Mirror of the Past — The Novelists of Ireland — Miss Edgeworth the least National— Her Merits and Defects — The Painter of the Upper Classes only — Deficient in the native Temperament, the Key to the National Character— Her Anglo-Irish Stories: Ennui, The Absentee, &c. — Her Failure to sketch the Peasant — Castle Rackrent and Rosanna — OrmotuI, her best work, and its admirable " King Corney " — The tme Basis of her Fame: Belinda, Patronage, &c. — Lady Morgan a great Contrast — -Her true Irish Temperament, with all its Merits and its Failings — A supposed Irish De Stael — Her Excellence as a Novelist — Her O'Donnell

Contents. ix

PAGB

and Florence Macarthy : their Character Painting ; their Dialogue ; their Fashionable and Middle Life ; their Peasantry, Macrory, O'Leary, Shane, &c. — Her Comic Invention: the Mock Trial and the "Jug- Day " — Her Political and Party Warfare— Her chief Adversaiy, J. W. Croker — Alleged Causes of his Enmity — Her ultimate Revenges — Her Witticism on Croker — Charles Lever the Last true Irish Novelist — His two Classes of Stories, the Effei"V'escent and the Observant — His Comic Romances — The Irish Smollett — His Second Class of Stories, Tales of the Decay of Landed Families : The Knight of Gwynne, The Martins of Cro Martin, &c. — Their Gallery of Portraits — Their Wit, Thought, and Observation — Their striking Dramatic Scenes — Charles Maturin's one Novel, Woman, or Potir et Contre — Its Subject, Power, and Painfulness - - - - - - - 1 55

CHAPTER IX/

1836 — 1838. — Irish Fiction continued — National Romance Writers — Gerald Griffin — His superior Genius — His Romance of Life — His Dramatic Power — Ireland's Dramatic Eminence — State of the London Stage —Griffin's Gisippits — Mr. Macready — Irish Actors — English Fiction — The Minerva Press — Griffin's impulse to National Romance Wnting — ^His Sphere the Middle Classes — His first attempt, Holland Tide — Its Characteristics, Humour, Moral Sympathy, &c. — The Collegians his Crowning Effort — Its Variety and Art — Conception of its Hero — His Crime and his Remorse — Its Incidents : The Stageen Race, &c. — Its Characters : Mrs. Cregan, Eily O'Connor, Hyland Creagh, &c. — Rapidity of its Production — John Banim and the Romance of the Peasantry — His sterner and intenser Genius, The O'Hara Tales — Their Popularity — The Misery of the Irish Peasantiy — Banim's Pathos — The Nolans and Peter of the Castle — Michael Banim John's Associate — Crohoore of the Bill-hook, &c. — Banim's best Work The Conformist, an Illustration of the Penal Code — William Carleton the greatest Painter of the Peasant — The Prose Bums of Ireland — His Traits and Stoties — The Ulster Creaghts — Carleton's Character Painting : Sally Macgowan, Parra Sashta, Hycey Burke, &c. — His Pathos — Fardarougha his greatest conception — Val M'Clutchy, Emigrants of Ardhara, &c. — Black Prophet, a Tale of the Famine — His Clarionet, an Irish Paid and Virginia — Samuel Lover — Aim of his Stories — Distinctions of his Humour — Its Refinement in his Songs — Its Robustness in his Stories — His Legends and Stoiies — Their Popularity — Their Mode of

Contents.

treating Fairy Mythology — King O 'Toole and Little Fairly — " The Gridiron " — Kishogue, Barney O'Reardon, &c. — His Novels — Roty O'More — Rory the Ideal of the Irish Peasant — His Handy Andy, Prince of Blunderers — Its Characters : O'Grady, Murtoch Mui-phy, &c. — Its Incidents — Lover's Effect on his Contemporaries, Bianconi and Miss Edgevvorth — Charles Young his " Special Public" - - - i8o

CHAPTER X.

1836 — 1846. — Lover's Settlement in London — Notice of him in " Blackwood " — His Reception in English Society — His want of Egotism — His Social Inspirations — Wits of Society, and Humorists — Lover's Pleasantry : two Instances — Lover's Labours as a Dramatist — The Olympk Picnic, a Christmas Novelty — The Beau Ideal and Liston — Rory O'More and Tyrone Power — His Operettas and other Pieces — The Value of his Irish Dramas — Power his best Interpreter — The Merits of the latter as an Actor — His Literary Talent and his Humour — His Rejoinder to Charles Kean — Lover's further labours as a Painter — Portrait of the Moulvie Ishmael Khan — Of Lord Brougham as Lord Chancellor — David Roberts' comment on his Nose — Portrait of Thalberg, the Pianist — His admiration of Lover's Music — A Portrait Painter's Drudgery — Lover's Likenesses of Children — His Miniature of Russell Moore, the son of the Poet — His Etching a new Talent — Its Cost — His weakened Sight, and Abandonment of Painting — The Rise of Photography and End of Miniatures — Lover least known as an Artist — Why? — Private Life of Miniatures in comparison with Oil Paintings — Lover's Literary and Social Life — Connection with " Bentley's Miscellany" and the "Dublin University Magazine" — The Dinner to him at Grillon's — Friendly Assemblies under his own Roof — Mrs. Jameson — -Miss Landon — Tom Campbell — Charles Young —David Roberts — Dr. Croly — Father Prout — Ingoldsby Barham — Douglas Jerrold — The Latter's Witticisms on Albert Smith, George Robins, etc. - - - - - - - -2IO

CHAPTER XL

1836 — 1846. — Lover's Merits as a Composer — A Writer of Melodies — Their Importance— The Testimony of Haydn and Rossini — The National Melodies of Europe — The Celtic and the Gothic — The Mourn-

Contents. xi

PAGE

fulness of those of Ireland attributable to its History — Lover commences as an adapter — His Original Compositions — Their Variety Under the Rose, The Land of Dreams, etc. — Their Simplicity of Structure— His Words and Music simultaneous — Co-exertion of Three Talents — The True Nature of the Song- Writer — The Descendant of the Bards, who combined Verse and Music — Modern Songs ordinarily Poems — The Real Song- Writers of Modern Times : Beranger, Burns, Dibdin, Moore, and Lover — -Three of these Composers — -All Adapters of Native Airs — Lady Morgan the Earliest Adapter of the Irish — ^The Mechanism of Song- Writing — Lover's Comments on the Subject — The Greatest Poets not always the Best Song- Writers— Moore and Bums the Great Exemplars — -Perfection of Moore's Words — Burns' Musical Sympathy — Beranger as a Song Adapter — Lover's New Venture with the Public — An Irish Entertainment — His Precedents — Samuel Foote and his "Tea Parties" — Charles Dibdin with his Songs and Stories — George Steven's Lecture on Heads — The Elder Matthews and his "At Homes" — Intended Z>«^«^ of Thomas Moore — Lover's Debut and his Success — The Elegance of his Entertainments — Profitable Tour and invigorated Health — Resolve to Visit America, the El Dorado of the Artist— The Tide of Emigi-ation — Characteristic Stories of the Time ----..... 230

CHAPTER XII.

1846, 184J. — Visit to America — Its Threefold Object: Songs, Sketches, and a Book — Arrival in New York — Washington Irving, N. P. Willis, Bryant the Poet, i&c. — Climate of America — The Great Heat — Transitions— Dryness cause of premature Decay — Obstacle to Drawing — The Highlands of the Hudson — New York — The " Empire City " — Its French Aspect — Boulevards — Awnings — Post Advertisements — Its Pavements — Its Mosquitoes the Doiianiers of the Western Coast — Boston and its English Aspect — Its Anglo-Saxon Faces sharpened by a Rigorous Climate — The Athens of the Union — Emerson, Longfellow, &c. — The Poet's House — Washington's Head-quarters — Visit to Plymouth Rock — National Glory and Local Entei-jjrise — Lover's Debut at Boston — Its Cold Audience — His Surprise — English Reserve Intensified by Climate — The New Englander of the Streets an Englishman Indoors — New England Humour an offset to its Temperament — Its Characteristics — First Importers : Matthews, Hackett, and Sam Slick — Old as the Pedlar of the Colonies — A Universal Genius — His xii Contents.

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Sharp Practice and Inventions : Horn Gun-flints and Wooden Nutmegs — His Munchausenisms — " Force of Imagination" — The Indian Summer— Lover's Lyric — New Haven and the ' ' Judge's Cave " — Tradition of the Three Regicides — Death of Mrs. Lover — Departure for the South — Philadelphia the Quaker City — Baltimore in the State of Merryland — Washington an Architectural Anti-Climax — Its Capitol — Its Poetic Aspect — Winter in America — Its Severity and its Offsets — Skating — Recollections of the Hudson — Its Sleighing and its various uses — Lover's View of it Matrimonially — His Song Slaying the Deer ........ 249

CHAPTER XIII.

184^, 1848. — The South — Richmond — Southern Society — The Aristocracy of the West — Their Visitor and Critic — Contrast of Virginians and Carolinians — Testimony to the latter by Achille Murat — The Black Features of the South — The Negroes — Their Stupidity — A Waiter's aids to Sleep — Specimens of Negro Humour — The Irish antipathy to Negroes — A Darwinian Justification — Travelling in the South — Cars and Taverns — City Hotels — Their old Colonial uses — Insecurity — Considerate Landlords — "Revolvers to be had at the Bar" — Southern Habits — Horsemanship — Old Sayings as to the Carolinians — Southern Vegetation — Savannah — Its Shade and Ventilation — Its Woods— Their "Cathedral Aisles" and "Cobwebs" — Journey to the West — The Old American Stage-coach — The "Corduroy Road" — Condition of Travellers who ride over it — Improvement on Byron's Lines in The Corsair — Macon and its Indian Reminiscences — Embarking on the Alabama — Its noble flow — The Song it prompted — Arrival at New Orleans, the "New York of the South" — Its French Origin and Aspect — Its Cathedral and its Levee — Contrasts of New Orleans — Its Summer Solitude — Its Winter Gaiety^Its Wealth and Growth — Its Foundation — A City built on a Raft — The old French Citizen of New Orleans — Loss of Vivacity by Residence — Their Plantations in Louisiana unchanged since their first Settlement — Pleasant Features of Creole Life — Its Shadows — The Creole Girls bom to dishonour — Sketching at New Orleans, and Song- Writing — The Alabama — Henry Clay's Eulogium — Sail up the Mississippi — Its Grandeur and its Monotony — Drinking and Gambling in its Steamboats — The Riyer an unsuspected Revolutionist — Its low Banks — Variety of Climate, &c. — Memphis — Lover's Apostrophe — The Region of the

Contents. xiii

PAGE

Future worshipping the Past — The Inundations — Their Sublime Effect — A Domestic Incident — The Dove-cot — The Ohio and its Contrasts— Old Kentuckian Character and Humour . . . . 273

CHAPTER XIV.

184^, 1848. — Canada — Niagara — Difficulty of Describing it — The Sense it gives of the Infinite — Lover's Impressions on seeing it — His Sketches of the Falls — Difficulty of Drawing them — N. P. Willis's Illustration, and Byron's in " Childe Harold" — Our Age of Science — Niagara Weighed and Measured — An Index to Cosmogony — Our Age of Sensation— Niagara Burlesqued and Utilized — The Boat and its Load of Victims— Sam Patch and his Three Leaps, etc. — The Lake of a Thousand Islands — Its Beauty and Tranquillity — Its Romance of the Rebellion — The " Queen of the Thousand Islands " — The St. Lawrence — Various Estimates of it — Its Human History — An Irish Account of the Battle of Prescot — Descent of the Rapids — Force and Danger of the Current — The Longue Sault and the Grand Rush — Advantages of Steam — Its old Conveyance, a Canadian Bateau, suggesting the Wild Horse of Mazeppa — Montreal and its Surroundings — Sail down the St. Lawrence — Its Animation — Varied Life upon its Banks — Its old French Settlements — Christianized Indians — Quebec — Its Towering Position — Attractions of its Neighbourhood — The Falls of Montmorenci — Indian Village of Loretto — Effect of Cold on the French Character— The Pent-ujj " Habitan " another Laplander — His Seigneur an Arrogant Recluse — The Down Easter and the " Habitan " — Lake George and Trenton Falls — A Second Visit to New England — The Fogs upon the Coast — Effect upon the Town of Portland ; also upon its Seamen — Story of a Nantucket Skipper — New York in the Winter — New Year's Day — The Sleighing — The Horses' Funeral Peals — Social Characteristics — The Ferry Boat and its Initials — The Philosophy of Accidents — The Purity of English Speech — American Sympathy with Irish Suffering — The Excursion to the Great Lakes — The Route by the Juniata — Its Penalty — The Canal Boat — Detroit, on Lake St. Clair — Its Love of Music, and its Signboards — Lover's Discovery of his Great Mistake — No Scenery about the Lakes except round Sault De Marie — Bad Weather and Discomforts — The Red Man of the Lakes — The Grounding of the Steamer — The Story of a Bouquet —Niagara Revisited — Departure for New York and England — The Character of the American Visit — Lover's highest Compliment ....---. 294 xiv Contents.

CHAPTER XV.

PAGB

1848 — 1868. — England — Lover's new Entertainment — Death of his elder Daughter — His second Marriage — Cessation of his Entertainments, and Settlement near London — His new and leading Occupation, Landscape Painting in Oil — Its Difficulties as compared with Water Colour — His greater Mistake in not adopting Figure Painting — His other Occupations, Entertainments for Vocalists and Musical Dramas — The Sentinel of the Alma and Macarthy More — Libretti of Operas for Balfe — Constituents of a Libretto Writer — The Dramatic Element his greatest — Opera History an Illustration — The Classic and Romantic Eras — Eugene Scribe the greatest Librettist — Lover's last Dramatic Eff"ort — The Queen's Bounty. — 1856. Lover as Editor and Critic — The Lyrics of Ireland. — 1858. Wanting in the Songs of Moore : Additions from Swift, Goldsmith, and Sheridan — What constitutes an Irish Lyric, Authorship or Nationality ? — Reasons in favour of the Latter — Merits of Lover's Additions and of his Labours as an Editor — Two cases of Disputed Authorship, Savourneen Deelish and The Exile of Erin — Lady Morgan the Author of the former, and the claim of G. N. Reynolds in respect to the latter. — 1859. The Burns Festival — Its general Celebration — Prize Poem proposed by the Crystal Palace Company — Lover's Satire, Rival Rhymes, in the manner of the Rejected Addresses — Advantages possessed by the Writers of the latter — Lover's Mistakes in his Title and Pseudonyme — Merits of his Satires — Imitation of Campbell ; also of Father Prout — Travesties of Milton, Longfellow, and Macaulay — Merit also of the Prose Pieces — Tupper, Thackeray, and Brougham. —1859. Rise of the Volunteer Movement — Lover a Volunteer — Labours on Finance Committee and at Drill — His Service to the Movement by his Songs — His Country Life and Established Health — His Surrender of London Society. — 1864. The sudden Failure of his Health — Necessity for a Milder Climate — Trial of the Isle of Wight and Jersey — Lover's closing Days — His Suffering and Regrets — His Sustainment under his Affliction— His Patience, Cheerfulness, and Pleasantry — His renewed Labours and occasional Enjoyments — His Amiability and extraordinary Strength. — 1868. His last Anniversaries of Marriage-day and Birthday— His last Illness and Death — His Burial at Kensal Green — The Tablet to his Memory put up in St. Patrick's Cathedral - - . . . 319