In one of his prefaces, he says, "So far back in childhood lies the epoch, that I am really unable to say at what age I first began to act, sing, and rhyme." There is a playbill, still extant, of a performance at Lady Barrowes' private theatre, where one of the attractions set forth is "An Epilogue, 'A Squeeze to St. Paul's,' Master Moore." The bill is dated 1790, and Master Moore was then ten years old. Referring to his happy home life and to the fostering care of his parents, he gratefully adds:-"To these different talents, such as they were, the gay and social habits prevailing in Dublin afforded frequent opportunities of display; while, at home, a most amiable father, and a mother such as, in heart and head, has rarely been equalled, furnished me with that purest stimulus to exertion-the desire to please those whom we at once most love and most respect. It was, I think, a year or two after my entrance into college, that a masque written by myself, and of which I had adapted one of the songs to the air of Haydn's 'Spirit Song,' was acted, under our own humble roof in Aungier Street, by my eldest sister, myself, and one or two other young persons. The little drawing-room over the shop was our grand place of representation, and young now an eminent professor of music in Dublin, enacted for us the part of orchestra at the pianoforte.” He continued to write verses for The Anthologia, and, afterwards, for other publications. His sister's musicteacher taught him to play on the pianoforte; he learned Italian from Father Ennis a priest; and picked up French, from La Fosse an emigrant acquaintance. In 1798 Moore narrowly escaped being involved with Emmet and others in a charge of sedition. He, without doubt, sympathized with their cause, and anonymously wrote two articles, one a poem and the other a fiery letter, in favour of the movement, for The Press—a revolutionary paper started towards the end of 1797 by Arthur O'Connor, Robert Emmet, and other chiefs of the United Irish conspiracy. His mother, coming to know of it, bound him by a solemn promise never again to contribute to The Press, so that, afterwards, when he was hauled up and examined before Fitzgibbon, the vicechancellor, he owed his escape from danger to his having given heed to her warning voice. His father, having saved a little money, now resolved to send his son to London to prosecute his law studies. In the same year-1798-which saw so many of his companions exiled or dead, Thomas Moore graduated as B.A., and, bidding adieu to his native city, set out for London, where, early in 1799, he entered as a student at the Middle Temple. His mother, we are told, gave him no trouble in carrying bank-cheques to the metropolis, but in good housewifely fashion carefully sewed up the gold guineas with a blessed scapular in the waistband of his pantaloons. CHAPTER II. IN LONDON SOCIETY-ODES OF ANACREON-LITTLE'S POEMS. Moore had already translated the Odes of Anacreon, and shortly after settling in London he fortunately was able to arrange, through Dr. Hume, one of his earliest friends, with Stockdale of Piccadilly, for their publication in a quarto volume. The young student and Bachelor of Arts, now returned home to Dublin. On his next visit to England, through another early and kind friend, Joe Atkinson, he was introduced to Lord Moira; for he well knew that, in the then transition state of literature, the success of any publishing venture was largely dependent on the obtaining of a good name for patron; and, so far, the poet was still, in common with others, a dependent; although, later on in life, he was in a position successfully to dictate to, and, independently, arrange with his publishers, on his own acknowledged merits. Lord Moira, the Duke of Bedford, the Marquis of Lansdowne, and the Prince of Wales became subscribers for this work. To Lord Moira he owed his introduction to this select circle; and the Prince of Wales permitted the dedication of the Odes to himself. The volume was published in 1800, when the poet was just of age. He at once became the fashion. Those were the days of supper parties, and even then wit was rare and valued accordingly. Lord Moira, Lord Holland, and Lord Lansdowne were his friends. Moore's star was rising, and the literary world was full of the praise of the young poet. The authorities of his college, however, did not subscribe for his work. Moore retaliated by calling them "a corporation of boobies, without even sense enough to thank heaven for anything like an effort of literature coming out of their leaden body." From this volume of translations we select the following ODES OF ANACREON. ODE XXXV. Cupid once upon a bed Of roses laid his weary head; Luckless urchin, not to see Within the leaves a slumbering bee; The bee awak'd--with anger wild The bee awak'd, and stung the child. Loud and piteous are his cries; To Venus quick he runs, he flies; "Oh mother!-I am wounded throughI die with pain-in sooth I do! Stung by some little angry thing, Some serpent on a tiny wingA bee it was-for once, I know, I heard a rustic call it so." Thus he spoke, and she the while Heard him with a soothing smile; Then said, "My infant, if so much Thou feel the little wild-bee's touch, How must the heart, ah, Cupid! be, The hapless heart that's stung by thee!" ODE XXIV. To all that breathe the air of heaven, She fenced with wreathed horns his skull; To man she gave, in that proud hour, Be thou but fair, mankind adore thee, Smile, and a world is weak before thee! ODE XV. Tell me why, my sweetest dove, Curious stranger, I belong Songs of passion through the air. Far from rugged haunts like these. |