Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

OF

Thomas Moore, Esq.

THOMAS MOORE, Esq., the Author of this Work, is the only son of a respectable merchant in Dublin, and was born May 28, 1780. From an epistle to his eldest sister, written from Norfolk, in Virginia, in 1803, we have reason to believe that his early years were distinguished by domestic enjoyment and happiness.

Mr. Moore acquired the rudiments of education under the late Mr. Samuel Whyte, of Dublin; a gentleman whose suavity of manners, and literary attainments were, at that time, extensively known and duly respected. Mr. Moore discovered such talent in early life, as induced his father to enter him at the early age of fourteen as a student of Trinity College, Dublin. Here he became distinguished not only for the highest literary attainments as a scholar, but as a patriot, enthusiastically devoted to the liberty and independence of his country. In November, 1799, Mr. Moore became a member of the Middle Temple; and in the course of the following year he came before the world as the translator of the "Odes of Anacreon," into English verse, with notes. Of this, it is enough to say that it is sufficiently elegant and fascinating. The same observation extends, with appropriate truth, to a volume of poems, chiefly amatory, published by our author in 1801. In reference to these poems and his Irish Melodies, Mr. Sheridan said of our author, "that there was no man who put so much of his heart into his fancy as Tom Moore; that his soul seemed as if it were a particle of fire separated from the sun, and was always fluttering to get back to that source of light and heat."

Of the various productions of Mr. Moore's pen, none have obtained a more deserved or more general commendation than his Melodies and National Airs. These are sufficient to immortalize his fame, and to place him in the highest rank of modern poets.

In his Memoirs of Captain Rock, Mr. Moore assumes the severer and more important duties of a politician; and has

traced the evils of his country, its misery, its degradation, and its crimes, to their real source. Some of its positions may be disputable; party feeling may have imparted a deeper colouring to its opinions; and the enthusiasm of a generous and patriotic mind may sometimes have hurried the writer into less cautious statements-but that it contains much sound truth, cannot be denied.

The Life of Sheridan, and the Epicurean, are the latest of Mr. Moore's works, and have both been received by the pubfic with acceptance and delight; and the present Volume is, at this moment, in the full glory of its high popularity.

Mr. Moore is not only a poet, but by his exquisite taste for music, which he has highly cultivated, has often given to his own verses all the magic expression of the most perfect harmony.-The late Dr. Burney was astonished at his musical talents, which he pronounced to be emphatically his own.

Mr. Moore is an excellent classical scholar, and particularly well read in the literature of the middle ages. His conversational powers are great; which, united with his modest, and unassuming manners, have opened for him a ready and welcome admission into the most elevated circles of the polite world.

The life of a man of letters is barren in incident; it proceeds in an even tenor, seldom to-day differing from what it was yesterday; and anticipating for to-morrow not more of change or difference. We have little, therefore, to add to our poet's biography; except to record that, on occasion of his visit to Ireland, in 1818, a public dinner was given to him, which was graced by a large assemblage of the most distinguished literary and political characters, the Earl of Charlemont in the chair. His health having been proposed by the noble chairman, Mr. Moore, after the applause had subsided, rose, much affected, and returned thanks in a neat and appropriate speech.

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors]
[merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors]
[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small]
« AnteriorContinuar »