Page:The best hundred Irish books.djvu/12

 and confidence of his readers. The next place must be assigned to De Beaumount's brilliant and powerfully interesting "Ireland; Social, Political, and Religious," and the third to Newenham's invaluable "View of Ireland," &c..

Mr. Henry Grattan's " Life of Grattan" is a book of great value; and Wyse's "Catholic Association" is the best account we have of the struggle for Catholic Emancipation, though M'Cullagh Torrens's "Life of Shiel" should be read in connection with it.

Three excellent books must not be forgotten—William Parnell's "Apology for the Irish Catholics," Sir Henry Parnell's "Penal Laws," and Scully's "Penal Laws."

The other works which occur to me, and most of which deal rather with social than political Ireland, are Wakefield's "An Account of Ireland," a book of the' highest authority and greatest interest; Bicheno's "Ireland and its Economy," "Lady Morgan's Patriotic Sketches," "Absenteeism," and "Memoirs."

In 1842 a systematic effort was for the first time made to supply the Irish people with a popular literature. It is often asked what have the Young Irelanders done? It may be answered that they at least tried to make the people read and think. Their work certainly was not in every respect of the best. They were not historians; they had not time to be historians. But, at all events, they attempted to create an historical taste. They tried to teach the Irish people that they had a country with no ignoble past; and it must be stated that, whether all they wrote on historical subjects will bear the test of modern scientific investigation or not, no sentiment in prose or poetry escaped from them which was not pure and noble. "The Library of Ireland," "The Spirit of the Nation," Davis's "Poems" are certainly calculated to make the Irish people rebels. They are not calculated to make them self-seeking or sordid. Of the writers in the "Library of Ireland" the palm must be awarded to Darcy M'Gee ("Art M'Murrough,") and to John Mitchel ("Hugh O'Neil"). Of the poems in the "Spirit of the Nation," "Who Fears to Speak of '98" is the best. And of the poets by whom to Gavan Duffy was surrounded in the Nation, to Clarence Mangan stands second to none among the men, and "Speranza" is certainly entitled to the first place among the delightful warblers of her own sex. In writing of those who have sung about Ireland, it is not necessary to mention the immortal name of Moore: but I may call attention to the admirable "Lyrics of Ireland," edited by Lover—a little book that deserves to be widely known. The mention of Young Ireland suggests "Madden's United Irishmen," which is, of course, a standard authority on its subject.

Of the books for which Young Ireland was not responsible, a foremost place must be given to Kay's "Social Condition of the European People"—a work of scientific accuracy, and conscientious labour, and the Irish chapters of which are among the most valuable contributions to Irish social and economical history.. With respect to Mr. Kay we may at once state that his last work, "Free Trade in Land," cannot be omitted from a list of the best books about Ireland. It is replete with facts which have an important bearing on the great unsolved problem of Irish discontent—the land. Coming to a later period, Mr. Mill's "Ireland and England" is one of the best pamphlets written about Ireland. Nassau Senior's "Essays relating to Ireland," Mr. Godkin's book on "The Land War in Ireland," and Mr. Butt's "the Irish People and the Irish Kind" are excellent in every way. Mr. Charles Greville's the "Past and Present Policy of England towards Ireland" is a work of unquestionable historical value, written with great care, and in an impartial and thoughtful spirit. M'Lennan's "Life of Thomas Drummond" must be mentioned, if not for the excellence of the work, for the excellence of the subject. The defects in Mr. M'Lennan's book are not due to the author's want of sympathy with the subject, or want of capacity to do it justice, but from the absence of sufficient materials. A great life of Drummond cannot be written until access is permitted to the papers at Dublin Castle in his time, and this access cannot be allowed for at least another fifty years. The mention of Drummond suggests Madden's "Ireland and its Rulers" where a good sketch of the great Scotch-Irish administrator is given. No one desirous of reading all the best things that have been written or spoken about Ireland should neglect to possess himself