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My common respiration of the air
A free, a cheerful, and an open joy.
My spirit, like the feather in my cap,
Dancing unto the music of the breeze,
From every small and trivial circumstance
Felt the sweet stir of pleasure. Now-but I
Can bear with all the rest: I do not hope
(For at mine age the elasticity

Of the young soul is gone) to feel again

The bounding pulse of life in my warm heart;
All that I ask of thee is that thy prayer,

Thy medicine, or thy conjuration, win
One dreamless slumber for me.

Other passages of no little poetic merit might be quoted, but Montoni, as a play, had but indifferent success. The secondary characters were ill sustained, and to this circumstance was attributed at the time the little effect which it produced. It must be owned, however, that there is a want of variety and relief in the general tone and colouring. The gloom of supernaturalism alternates only with that of sordid crime, and there is too little development of the better natures that shadowily come and go upon the scene.

Montoni was first performed on the 3rd of May, 1820, and does not appear to have been repeated more than three or four times.

It was about this time that Mr. Banim submitted his play of Damon and Pythias to Mr. Sheil, who saw

in it at once much to praise, but likewise the necessity for many and extensive alterations. Their acquaintance had commenced some time before. While on circuit, the name of the future novelist had been mentioned to Mr. Sheil as that of a young man of much promise, who, without the ordinary advantages of higher education, had already evinced signs of considerable literary power. He had composed a volume of poems possessing no little merit; and upon his subsequently asking the opinion of Sheil regarding a work of more pretension, to which he had devoted much care, the latter offered to lay it before Sir Walter Scott, with whom he had himself recently become acquainted, and to ask for the young author the benefit of his judgment and advice. Sir Walter returned a kind and encouraging answer; and soon afterwards, through the intervention of Mr. W. H. Curran, a bookseller named Warren was induced to purchase the copyright, and to undertake the publication of the poem. Sheil was much delighted at this result; and happening to be in London at the time, two promissory notes for the amount agreed on were placed in his hands. The transaction is alluded to in a letter written some time after, apparently on the eve of circuit, in which he says, that in consequence of his departure for Water

ford, and fearing that Banim might come to town before his return, he had left Mrs. Sheil one of the bills he had got from Warren, in order that it might be delivered to him.

Banim's next effort was the play above referred to, in which he begged of Sheil to make whatever alterations might be necessary. These, after some hesitation, the latter undertook, upon the understanding that the work should be considered as their joint production. A large proportion of the entire was in consequence rewritten. It is still a matter of doubt what passages are to be ascribed to each. The fine scene in the fourth act, where Damon takes leave of his wife and child, is believed to have been written by Banim, while the greater part of the third and fifth acts seems to bear the impress of a more nervous hand. When completed, the play was produced with great éclat, and was well received whenever it was performed. The story includes little more than a single incident; but the grouping is highly picturesque, and the dialogue full of feeling and animation. The copyright brought one hundred guineas, and the performance about double that sum. A disagreement unfortunately arose between the joint authors, the origin of which, like that of most foolish

quarrels, it were difficult to assign, and hardly worth while to investigate. It is, perhaps, enough to say, that Sheil received a hundred pounds as his share; and that the dispute caused an estrangement of many years. It never led, however, to any alteration in the tone of generous praise with which he always spoke of Banim's powers as a writer; and there are undoubtedly more than one of his novels which fully justify the opinion. In the course of years, when, on the current of their diverse fortunes they had drifted far apart, Banim found in the literary associate with whom he had foolishly quarrelled, the same ready sympathy and desire to render him service which he had experienced in earlier days.

CHAPTER V.

1821-1823.

Controversy with O'Connell-Law and Literature-The Fatal Dowry-The King's Visit to Ireland-Plunket and SaurinBirth of his son-Death of Mrs. Sheil-Sketches of the Irish bar-Charles Kendal Bushe-Tragedy of The Huguenot -Sketch of Saurin.

MR. SHEIL had hitherto enjoyed little political popularity. He had started in public life on the side of the Vetoists, and nothing had occurred to detach him from the more moderate party. By taste and inclination he was naturally drawn towards persons of the class who are apt to incur the reproach of being fastidious, and of lacking earnestness in political affairs. The members of the old Catholic families who occasionally took part in the public proceedings of the body, were looked upon by the multitude with coldness, and by adversaries with contempt. There

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