Page:The best hundred Irish books.djvu/51

 Madden's “United Irishmen." Of the rest 1 shall add, as Mr. Webb suggests, “ Giraldus Cambronsis.” I thought carefully over this writer, but decided on omitting liim, for ho seems to me to liave been remarkably <lislionest. Mr. Webb is aware of the state- ment made iu Nicolson’s “ Irish Historical Library” that Cambrensis destroyed all the Irish documents he is supposed to have used iu writing his history. If lie did this (and I should like Mr. Webb to dip into Nicolson and see the statement) one perhaps may be excused for having a prejudice against him. However, as Mr. Webb recommends Cam- brensis, and as we are unfortunately dependent on his book for the knowledge, such as it is, which we possess of the early Anglo-Norman period, I shall give him a place. Gilbert’s Papers relating to 1641 are useful materials for history, but I do not feel myself quite able to class them as a “ book.” Of course, Corn- wallis and Castlereagh shall have a place. Their omission, even on “accidental” grounds, was unpardonable. Temple’s “Re- bellion” is certainly a book to be read, but I do not see my way to placing it among “ The Best Hundred Irish Books.” I cannot agree with Mr Webb as to the rest of the books named by him under the heading “ Historical and Biographical,” but I desire to give pro- minence to these books because Mr. Webb mentions them, and I shall therefore set them down here.

Swift M‘Neil’s “ Irish Parliament,” Luby’s “O’Connell,” Maguire’s “ Father Mathew,’* Friend’s “Relief Report, 1846-1847,” O’Rourke’s “ Famine of 1847,” Pirn’s “ Con- dition and Prospects,” “ Speeches from the Dock,” M‘Carthy’s “ History of Our Own Times,” Sullivan’s “New Ireland,” Healy’s “ Why is there an Irish Land League?” Ferguson’s “ Ireland Before the Conquest,” Haliday’s “Scandinavian Dublin,” “Wars of the Gaedhil with the Gael,” and Dr John M‘Dowell’s “Civil War of 1641.” Of Mr. Webb’s ten selections of poetry I have named only four — Moore, Davis, Mangan, and “The Spirit of the Nation.’’ Mr. Webb is right in reminding me of Duffy’s “ Ballad Poetry” and Ferguson’s “Lays;” but Sullivan’s “Penny Readings” and Williams’s “ Poetry of Ireland,’’ and even D‘Arcy Magee, can be spared from a list of a “ Hundred best Irish books of Novels and Tales.” Mr. Webb men- tions nine, adding to Carleton, Miss Edge- woith, and Griffin. (mentioned by me), Miss Carey, Mrs Hartley, Miss Ferrand, and Misa Charlotte G O’Brien.

Under the title “ Music,” Mr. Webb names “Stevenson’s Moore’s Melodies” and “Joyce’s Ancient Irish Music,” books which certainly ought to be in every music-stand in tlie island. As “specially useful at the present time,” Mr. Webb selects “Fawcett’s Politi- cal Economy,” “ Local Government, in the Cobden Club Series,” “ Kaye’s Free Trade in Land.” “Smyth’s Lec- tures on the French Revolution,” and Sumner’s “Protectionism.” Of these I think Kaye’s “ Free Trade” is the most “useful.” Smyth’s “ French Revolution” is a book little known, I think; but it certainly deserves to be read, especially in conjunc- tion wuth the masterpieces of Carlyle and Michelet on that stupendous subject. 1 should beg to substitute Mill for Fawcett, and drop the rest. But generally Mr. Webb’s list deserves the attention to which everything coming from his hands is entitled, and if I cannot agree with liim as to the merits of all the books he sets down I sup- pose it is because “no two people could agree as to the same list.”

From Mr. Webb I pass to Miss Char- lotte O’Brien’s interesting list. I thank her for calling my attention to Mr. Joyce’s beautiful poem “ Deirdre,” which shall cer- tainly have a foremost place in my list. I can scarcely at this moment refrain from setting down the attractive iines with which it opens, and which fixes the reader’s attention at the outset — an attention which is not allowed to fi:ag until the close. Miss O’Brien also men- tions Mr. Joyce’s charming “Old Celtic Romances;” and I agree with her in giving it a prominent position. It may be said that there is less fiction in it than in some portions of “ Keating’s History.” It is one of the most pleasant and instructive books of “fiction” I have read. Of the other books in Miss O’Brien’s list, Daly’s “ Jacobite Relics” is a book that deserves to be known; and I regret that the limit which I have assigned myself — viz, to “ Books about Ireland,” prevents me from giving a place to Mr. Justice O’Hagan’s fine poem, “ Song of Roland.”

Space will not permit me to set out the other books in Mias O’Brien’s list; but what- ever works she recommends deserve the careful attention of all Irishmen.

Mr.Lecky’a ready reply is another proof of the practical interest he takes in all matters