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KEE

haste; it has, therefore, by no means super- seded a new and scholarlike translation of Keating, which is greatly wanted. Keating's authorities are still almost all acces- sible to us, and should be collated for the correction of his text. Two excellent MS. copies of the original Irish, by John Torna O'Mulconry, a contemporary of Keating, are now in the library of Trinity College, Dublin."

Eeegan, John, the author of several poetical pieces of great beauty, was born in 1 809, on the banks of the Nore, in the Queen's County. He received a hedge- school education, and was all through life essentially a man of the people; In a short notice in the Irishman of October 1876, it is remarked : " All the different phases of Irish passion— the fierce outbursts of anger the muttered tone of contempt — all the deep and heart-rendering sorrow of the people John Keegan was master of all! Not a side of the Irish character was there that he did not probe and understand. From the sweet mood of love murmured in the eventide over the milk-pail, to the violent words of animosity at the faction fight, there was not a page of the Irish character that escaped the keen eye of Keegan." Several of his verses wiU be found in Hayes's Ballads of Ireland : " Caoch the Piper," and " The Dark Girl at the Holy Well," are amongst the best. Keegan died in 1849, aged 40, when on the point of publishing his poems in a col- lected form.

Kelly, Hugh, a dramatist, was born at Killarney in 1739. Having received a tolerable education, and served his time to a stay-maker, he went to London, where before long he obtained employment as a scrivener. In 1762 he began to write for the press, and was entrusted wdth the management of the Ledger and other minor periodicals. His satire of Thespis attracted the attention of Garrick, who brought out for him his first comedy of False Delicacy, which had great success. A writer in the University Magazine says : " "We may thank our stars that the de- generacy of modern taste has utterly repu- diated this vapid sentimentality. At the same time let it be fully admitted that none but an accomplished and elegant mind could have conceived and written this comedy." His second work, although of equal merit, met a far different fate, in London at least. Kelly had rendered him- self unpopular as a government hack- writer, and for several nights Drury-lane was turned into a "bear-garden" by the de- termination of Wilkes's friends not to listen to the play, and the wish of the

author's friends that it should be heard ; while the desire of Garrick and Kelly that it should be withdrawn was not lis- tened to. Kelly brought out several other plays, many under an assumed name, and they were mostly successful. The writer from whom we have previously quoted, remarks : " On summing up his pretensions as a dramatic wi'iter, we perhaps strain a point in his favour when we place him in the middle rank of the second class." It must have been a bitter enemy who when asked if he had hissed one of his plays, replied: "How could I? a man can't hiss and yawn at the same time." Desirous of more settled employment than authorship, he entered at the Middle Temple, and was studying law when he was cut off after a few days' illness, 3rd February 1777, aged 37.

Kelly, Michael, distinguished as a musician and vocalist, was born in Dublin about 1764. "5° He early showed decided musical talents, and when but eleven was able to play the most diffi- cult sonatas on the piano. Eauzzini, who was then singing at the Rotunda, gave the lad some lessons, and advised his father to send him to Italy to perfect his musical education. Accordingly he set out provided with a letter of introduction to Sir William Hamilton, who procured an entrance for him to the Conservatory of Music at Naples. There he made the acquaintance of Aprile, then the foremost singing master in Naples, and was soon qualified to make his debut as first tenor at Leghorn and at Florence. This success procured him engagements at Venice and other places in Italy, and ultimately at Vienna, where he became a favourite with the Emperor Joseph 11. Mozart wrote for him the part of "Basilio" in Nozzi di Figaro. Having obtained leave of absence from the Emperor, he went to London in 1787 with the cantatrice Storace, and in April appeared at Drury-lane in English opera. He decided not to return to Italy, and continued as first tenor at Drury-lane, and afterwards as musical director, singing occasionally at the ItaUan Opera, at the Haymarket, and at royal state concertos. He composed or adapted upwards of sixty pieces of music. In his latter days he appears to have reverted to his father's business of wine merchant, and Sheridan facetiously proposed that his sign should be : " Michael Kelly, composer of wine, and im- porter of music." A writer in the Imperial Dictionary of Biography remarks: "Kelly, though a shallow musician, had a highly cultivated taste. His own airs,_ though slight, are always elegant; and his know- 271