Irish Jesuit Province

Letters of Thomas DavisAuthor(s): Thomas DavisSource: The Irish Monthly, Vol. 16, No. 179 (May, 1888), pp. 261-270Published by: Irish Jesuit ProvinceStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20497722 .

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( 261 )

LETTERS OF Th1O)MAS DAVIS.

TiElt following letters fron- Thomas Davis to Johni Edward

Pigot have beeil put inito our hands. Thouglh written more

than forty years ago, they will still lhave a keen interest for all

who love Ireland(I in any degree approaching to thlat in which thoso

two men loved her. Of Davis there is no need to speak. Withiln

the compass of a slhort life lie, di an inmperishable work. The new

soul whiel lie, beyoncd all his friends aiid fellow-labourers, helped

to bring into Ireland is the most vital faet of the Ireland of to-day.

There is scarcely an IrislL youtlh whlose maind the prose and poetry of Davis liave not helped, directly or inldirectly, to form.

Of Jolhn Pigot, on the otlher hanid, comparatively little is known.

The verses in Tue Spirit oif t/e Natioin, under wlieh the signa

ture of Fermoy is wrrittell " Tis the greeni, oh! the green is the colour of tlhe true," * and" Oh, Irishmein, never forget 'tis a foreign er's farm your own little isle," have excited the admiration of

many fromii their daslh and movement, and still more from their

musical rlhythmus and perfect adaptability to singing. It is eYi dent th,at tlhe writer was, like MIoore, a musician w\ith a trained ear

for harmony. Besides these songs, tllo world in genleral knows

little of hinl. Yet, of all the Young Ireland party nlone was more

fervent in his feelilgs, anld nione was mole prized and beloved lby his fellows.

1ie was borni in the year 1822, at ICilwortlh, ini the county of

Cork. lie was tlhe sonl of David Richlard Pigot, thle eminent lawyer, who was afterwardls, for mnaniy years, Clhief Baron of the

Exchlequer. lie became inmbuiedl witlh the. principle of Irish nationality when lie was a youtlifuil student at, Triniity College, at

a time wlhen O'Coninell was permittingc, the Rtepeal Question to slumber in abeyance, and long, before Younig Ireland had any

collective existenice. At that time the College Historical Society had not been received back witliin the walls of Trinity College. It existed and flourislhed as anl external anid independent society. Davis and Jolhn B. Dillon were sucecessively presidents of the Society. John l'igot was onle of its prominent members, and with Dillon anld Davis, though several years their junior, he became

* By an unfortunate error this famous song is attributed to Mr. Denny Lane, in

the fine volume recently published by Mr. Daniel Connolly, of New York, * '

The

Household Treasury of Ireland's Poets."

VOL. XVI., No. 179. May, 18888 18

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262 T/e Iris/ lont/tly.

united in ties of the closest friendship, cemented, as was natural, by identity of political views. It has been truly said that a man's character is better known from the letters written to him than from those written by hiim. These letters of Davis bear testimony, not only to his personal affection for the man, but to the completeness of the confidence he reposed in him. He finds what he expects, a loyal co-operation in all that was being projectedI and done for the

revival of Irish literature and music. In the latter, especially, Pigot's assistance was invaluable. Ile was a musician, both by

nature and training. For Irish nLusic lhe had a perfect passion,

anid to him, in conijunction with anotlher dear frienld of Davis,

William Elliott hLudson, is due the reproduction of so maniy of the

old airs of Ireland, in uInioni with the words composed by the Poets

of Young Ireland. And not in music alone, but in all the arts, his

taste was higlh and refined, as well as carefullI eclucated. He

devoted much time and tlhought to the establishment of the National Gallery in Dublin, whiclh, uinder its present admirable management, lhas turned out so great a scecess, as well as to that

of the Irislh Academy of lMusic. Oni subjects conlnected with music and art lie coiltributed manay valuable essays to The XAationi,

amongst otlhers a biograplhy of Mozart, whlieh drew downi the warm eulogium of Johii Mitchel. Nor cani we refrain from ex tracting a passage fromi the pref ace to Euigenie O'Cnirry's " Lec

tures on the Manuscript MKaterials of Irish History." Amongst

others whom hle th'anks for thie assistanice they rendered him, he

names: "My dear friends, Johln Edward Pigot, M.R.I.A., and Dr.

Itobert D. Lyons, M.ltI.A., fr-om whomn I received most valuable

assistanee in the plan anid originial preparationi of these lectures,

and to the former of wlhom I owe, in additioni, the untiring devo

tion of the vast am-louLnit of timiie anid trouble ilnvolved in the task

his frienidship undertook for inie of correcting tlle text, anld prepar

ing for anid passinig thirouigh the press, the whole of this volume."

John Pigot was marked by great industry and capacity for

labour, and was thlorouglhly grounded in his profession of a barrister.

He did not, lhowever, achieve success il Ireland, a result which may,

in some degree, be ascribed to the distrust which is said to exist

against lawyers who are supposed to have tastes and pursuits

outside their profession. In the year 1865 he left Ireland for

India and practised at the Bar in Bombay, where such an amount

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Letters ot Lltoomas Davis. 263

,of bulsiness flowed in upon him that, in the space of a very few

years, he had laid by a large sum of money, the interest of which

was sufficient to malke provision for himself and his wife. This

was all lie sought for. Ile returned to Irelaiid in tlhe year 1870,

with lis feelings and aspirationis for his country quite unchlanged, but, unhappily, brin-ginig witlh him the seedls of disease which the

climate of India, a-nd his laborious life there, had imiplanted, and

to whichl he succumbed in the following year. Ile ladl married, in

1851, Miss Prendergast, whose name appears more titan once in the

following correspondence. The first brief note, wlhich bears the earliest date, shows the practical interest he took iii all Irish undertakings. It is the only one of the series wlhiel is addressed to " My dear Pigot," who had become " My dear Jolhn" before

the next letter was written. This note is interesting also from its

date, a maonltlh before the beginiling of Il/t Nalioi. Clareneo

Mangani's welcome to " the Nlotio',s' First Numnber" fixes that

memorable date:

'I'Tis a great day and gloriolus, 0 Public, for youl,

This October Fifteenth, Eighteen-Forty-and-Two."

Has it ever been noticed that the birtlhlday of Il/ INation aind the

birthday of Thomas Davis came together? Ile was born at Mallow,

October 14th, 1814, and diedl in DuLblil, September 16tll, 1845: .so that lie lhadl julst finished his 28th year when T/ec Na,ttiion was

born, ald Thie Na/iou was niot three years old whieni lie died. Of

the othiers of the three D's who founiided tlhat famioIs jouirnal Duffy

was two years younger, and Dillon some moniths older.

1)erryaghy, Lisblurn, 29th Augusit, 1842. DEAR lPIGO-I forget what it wCas I pronmised to write about, and

therefore it caii't be much miatter. I shall do all I can for the l).M.M.,# and am quite as anxious about its success as anyone. You do wisely in writing for (i.e., possessing) the Dublin Journal, and, if I can, I

shall be htappy to thlrowv in soimebthing too. OIn the 20th Sept. we shall gossip about all this.

In haste, yours, Tuco-A.s DAvIs.

Bantry, 8th Septemnber, 1843. MY DEAR JonN--I got anid burnt your note, you raslh frienrd of

mine. You and I will, I truist, meet in October, then will be time

enough to talk over the future. As youL have not got the Shule Aroon, * The Dbubbi Mlont/ly Magazine, which succeeded [lse Citizen.

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264 Tic Ir,is/I llo)it/ily.

I send you one wlhiel I lhave this momient written from a carrier, a great fellow w%lho sings and would do iimore.

If I were on top of yoonder hill It's there I'd sit and ery m-y fill,

An(d it's every tear wouild turn a mill,

Go de tu imavourneon slan, Shaleu, s1halel(, shlle agra, Shule go succur agus shule a gloom,

Shule giig 11n durrus aguls ail a gloomii,

G(o do, tai jiavourneen slauin.

If I coutl(l onlY cure? lmly WOe, Since tlho lad of imiy heart froi]a imc didi go.

I'll dlye my petticoats, I'll (lie tlemo - red,

Aind round tle : worldI I'll beg m-y bread, UIntil m11y parients shall wish mIel deadl.

C/torues.

I'll sell miiy roclk, I'll sell mly reel, And if mly flax were spun I'd sell my whleol, To buy miiy love a swordI of steel.

C /oruis.

I haV etried to give yOut Let pronoe auciationj' "l- ''parients, &c." Thelre are, it seemis, 1m1ore0 verses,S but the 0o110 13ut niow mily love is goneo to France,' wNvas never heiard by m1y iniformianit.

Lane is writing o3ut a ballad on Ceimn an Feiglh battle. Get Mliss Pendergastt to silng it " in remteimibrantce of iiie." I truist she andI hier family and yours are wcll.

I was at Cape Clear yesterday iIn a hooker. I havoe seent muclh to admire, and somI1e plic(es wN\0orthy to live iIn inl Corlk, but the Cape is neither sublinme IIor beautiful beyond thie comm1ii1on1 necessities of aiL Atlantic Island. It is crawling w)ith people, anid is niot savage Inor sweet enough for im1e. In fact I have inet nothing of the mnerely stern kind in Cork equial to l)onegal.

Introdue me descriptively to Hogan. 4 I heardI miiuclh of him front Dr. Murphy, the B3ishlop of Cork, and I've takeni a stronig likinig to himi.

* Considering the inevitable tendency of oral tradition to corruption, the version

of this song which Davis got from his carrier is, on the whole, wonderfully correct.

It is given at page 232 of Mr. Ualliday Sparlings "Irish Minstrelsy," recently

published in the shilling "

Canterbury Poets" series, which copies it from Duffy's Mallad Poetry.

t The lady whom John Pigot afterwards married.

1 The celebrated Sculptor.

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Letters Of Tlomas Davis. 265

I wislh you were here to tale down word and music froni every

second persoin I meet. I'm going to dinio witlh a very fine fellow, Father Tom Barry, and hlave iono more tinmle to write. Rememl:ber mie

to Wallis. Is his heart so hard, or are hiis joints so rusty, as to look

idly on inow ? Do you kniow anyone in Limerick worth miiy Lnowing ?

Tralee, 1 7tl Selteniber. Arrived here to-niighlt. I got your notes. I amii content if tlhe

things be- (lone. I aimi vainl eniouigli to sup)l)ose tltat they will tire executing sooIier tlhani I slhall in designing-thus we, can all worlk in our own ways. I spent tlhe night beforet last at Ierrynane. My directioni to tlhe 21st is Limerick.

Youirs in tlhec faitlh,

30th Pecell)erl, 1843t.

DEAIt Jo1N- Lane,`: wouil(l feel ol)lige(l by your enabliiig hin to get

the volumiies of Ilansard witlh Plulk et's speeches, before Monday nigit. Your note about Mr. was late. WVlat kind(l of nimi is Jolhn Maher,

Val's lheir ? Let mie knlow. Write at once to 1)oheny about thle threatenied invasion. I shiall leave w-ith y-oit to-do)- tlho Carolain, &e., or perlhps taleo tlelmi to Miss Prendergatst. Pray donl't forget or

postpone anytlhing. Ever youirs, T. 1).

[Wheni the followvinig letter was written Johni Pigot wlas at Boat logne engaged in Ihis legal studies.]

SUiidSay-, 214th Mlarcl, 1844.

MIY DEAn JoiHN-I lhavo just received yolours of the 21st. Yout will

prefer a lhasty letter now to a possibly ftill ono in a miionthl. Mly aiuntt's death wns a severe blow to miiy famlily, aiil now I'ni sorry to say mlly sister is laid ul) w ith an affection of hier chlest, got from long attendance on and anxiety about miiy auint, of whomii slhe -was devotedly fond.

Still I am working away larder than ever. Smlitlh O'Brien is here1, and thoughl coldl in imanner, is truo, friendl)- and laborious. lIe and

I and some others are xvorking up anll mtannier of political informllation for Association Reports, and so we hope to imiake every Repeal AVarden know tlle statistics of Government, andtl theo strul'ctutre of all public (Ie

partmeents, &c., &c. These are preparations for self-ruile. I have

analysed the Arnmy anid Navy Ordnance,, and Commiiiiissariat Estimnates.

The rest will b1 done at once, so fromii this you'll apprehend that palrt of our system. Theo neW associates' cardst are to have a sunlmary of

M Mr. Denny Lane of Cork.

Of tlle Repeal Association.

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266 The Drish .AIontdly.

Irish statistics, and a map of Iroland of same size. Every interesting

Parliamentary paper is reported on. All the cardshave been changed (without my consent or opposition) upon the policy of "I submitting to oven the semnblance of law" or auttlhority where it a hias a jailor's key.

The Irish Reform Club was got up because some one proposed the Lord MLaayor at Stephen's Green, aind tlhen toolk down his name, falsely fearing lie wouldl be black beanied. Of course this is between us.

Ani attempt to use it for Whiggery will be made, anid I'll take care that it shlall fail. Ditto as to O'C. and the whole of the English sympathy lhumiibug. Covent Gacrden was not respectable with Tom

Duncombe in the cltair, &c. I have no fear, for I feel I and otlhers

whlo are truie lhave imuch power, enough to save the cause. I believe thereo will be a sentence. Daffy is not well, b)ut Stokes

was consulted as to your fears tand leo has nloIne. M1rs. Duffy is very lelicate. A'Nevin, l)illon, aind Lane are out of town, thlerefore no

suppers goinig. I gave 1)illon your letter. Ile was called on suddenly to speak for prisoners at Castlebar, and succeeded famniously, I'm told. le says not, but you kinow him. Hudson lhas written music for '98,

Fag a Ilealac, &e. The Spirit is to be re-issued in six parts, the size of AMacaulay's B:allads, witlh a niew anid aai old air in eaclh nulimber.

Of course 'twill be kept for you. I have got notliing but prolmiises from I)r. II. YOuLr mi1Usic book is safe.

I aiii gladl you. are working at law, 'twill lhar(leni your miiind-be

si(les, you are boundl in duty to worlk at it. I) - l)upetit Tlhonars ; he is as bad as an English robber. I wishl you wouldl try mu111sic to thel " AMcii of Tipperary." You

utnderstand it, andi( lhTudson does liot. Make up your Frenclh. I wish I couldI speak it.

O'C. lias (lolie hImiiself and the present agitatioil vast injury, stiU you see mlly spirits are no wtays depressed.

Believe me, ever yours.

(Private). VWednesiday, 17tll April, 1844. DEAR JoI[N-Inclose(l is a sprig of ivy froimi over thle grave at

]Ioldenstowiin'.- Grany and I were there to-day, anid tire first Irish monu ment to him will be put on hiis toimib oIn Sunday next at lhalf-past eleve:n.

Thie mionumient you kniow is a plaimi black inarble slab, very nassive, ,on it are to be tlie words

TJIEOBALD WOLFr1E TONE

lBorn 20th Juiie, 1763; Died 19th Novemiiber, 1798,

FOR IRIELAND.

* The Grave of Wolfe Tone.

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Letters of Thomas Davis. 267

I like the inscription though 'tis miniiie. It says enouglh for tlhis, and

perchaneo enough for all time. Tlhe reason of its being put down now

is that Mrs. Tone wrotQ to say she wished it. I1er letter is plain and

heroic; better than ever a wolmlan of Sparta wrote. She says she had

wished and lhad lhoped to have done this last offieo, and to lhave laid

her bones besides hiis, but tlhe infirinities of 76 ycars prevent lher. Yours, Ti1OATAS DAVIS.

61 Baggot-streot, 8t11 May, '44.

MY DEAR JOIIN-I w%rite to you miuerely to ask lhow you are and

what you are doing. I h-iave had a dash of scarlatina, but am con

valeseent, aind I liope to be out in two or thtree days. The worst

annoyance, is that I canniot shake } hands with nmy friends for fear of

infeeting thom. I siuppose you see J. O'Hl. often. Tell hfim that thlree several per

sons whlo worship his " Dear Lanud" are displeased witlh " Crilmson

lied," and that he ought to alter it. Also say that the coneluiding

line of I is first veirse is bad English-it slhould run " his glass "

not "your glass." lint tlhen "' your " is a far better singing word, so

let himii write forthwith to I to shift thle line, so as to secure

the Enrglislh a:nd smoothness. I tlhinik tle) two last linles in verse one

would sinlg better and read better thus tlhai a?S at l)resent

'4 But you miian, a trtue m11anl, Will fill youLr glass withl its."

I h;ave the first proof sheet of Ist part of the neow edition!0 on my

,desk. The mniusic is very well dcloe, anId the piaper and letter-press

are supoerl. Notlhilng like themii have bee 1 attem1pted here before.

Have you imusieked Tipperary ? ytea or nay.

O'C. is in spunk aiid spirits, and( very civil these times. Our Par

liamlentary Comiinitteet is working admirdably. I lhave 100 pages of

their reports laid by alrealy. In another week I'll lhave aniotlher 100.

Whei Parliament rises we Care to publish the " Statistics of Ire

land,") witlh llmaps, &C., &C.

MJy l)or sister conitinuiies duangerously ill. She is at Enniskerry.

Your translation of Venedy ^ was corrected by Anster. I believe I shall go to London in the summiiier, but amii not sure. I fear you and

I would idle eaclh otlher cruelly there.

My latest project is a ballad poetry hiistory of Ireland-not a con

* Of the " Spirit of tlhe Nation."

t Of the Repeal Association.

+ Herr Venedy, a German democrat, who visited Ireland in this year aild wrote

-a treatise on the Irish question. He was, as might be expected, very cordially

received by the Young Irelanders.

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268 T/ec Irish Monit/lly.

tinuedl metrical chronicle, but a rosary of ballads by everyone who couldl write onleI. T calculate that a fitlth of such a work or more has beein done. Wouldl it niot bo the nmost potent and imperishable of books if well done. Besides it could be continually improved by tlhe insertion of new or the re-writing of ol0( ballads.

AWhy donit yout -write ? Ibrlae 'force' drive J. O'il. to write. It is cruel of him Inot to do so.

I wish he'd write- oni Aug]hiim or C-lontarf, or anything down to the rent, if lle'd but write. I , too, is inleXCLsable, Onle poomt now is wortlh tweilty to be brought out in five years. Ilave you heard

W. J. Fox, thoe negative) P'antheist of Finsbury ? You will See him cleverly sketched in the next Aaito)i. ITo is well wortlh llearinc'

I'll write to y-oui sool aga in if you'll a nswer all I've asked you here.-Ever yOLuS, T. ID.

61 la-ggot-street, Sundaly 12th, Vtlh.

DmEx.n JoiiN-I got youtr note. I had written the (lay before to

you at 3 Quetien's-square. HaveI y-out got nmy letter ?

W. E. IT. * lhas w ritten music to thie M Men of Tipperary." If you lhave done any music for it, pray send it. Enclosed is the version of' " The Vow" wlhiicl I propose to l)rint in tlhe new editioni. Tlhe former Vow is unwise. S?end it back to m-le stayillg wlhichl of each of th1e- four

variously written phrases youi like. I lhave re-written the two first verses of Owen 1Poe, or 1nithevr a line in verse 0110, utid tlhree lines. in

verse two. Tlho dialogueo before was complex anld unnatural, aild thle

rlhytlhm i nil. Now the seconid verse belongs entirely to the messenger,

wlho states in so-me (letail lhow Owent died, havinig before the ballad

opens just toldl thlat Ow^eni was dead, l)oisone(l by the English. The

wlhole first verse belongstotthe lafnenter. Tell mew hat you and Jolni

O'Hagan thliilk of this change, an(l tell miie at once.

Do yo u wislh aily clhange iii the, " Eriln " except to hlave the, four

Irish wsvords " go leor Cand stor' spelt riglhtly. Let mLe kInow in. two

days. Also sencd me the music, witlh piaiio accompaniment, as 'tis to

be printed so. Tlhe proofs look b0eautiful ! Dr. IT. has given miie no music, and I'll write no mlore till I hear,

froIl yOU.-Yolurs, T. D.

Makeo JohnII OTT. w-rite.

23rd May, '44. DEAR JofNx-I did nlot forget y,ou or your rights. None of us have

yet paidl oUlr quotas. The, toml-b is not set up. It was taken to

* William Elliot Hudson, an enthusiastic student and munificent patron of Irish

music and antiquities, of whom some particulars are given at page 201 of the*

fourteenth volume of this Magazine (1886).

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Letters q/' Thtomse Davis. 269

Bodelistown, and all the parties were to have gone down to lhave lent

a hacnd in placing it over the so4 where lie lies; but sonie of the

'Conspirators' " coun-sel objected to its being dlone just then; so it

was postponed and will, I think, not be dlonie, till the end of June.

Do not speak of any of these facts.

My poor little sister lhas not mended miiiel. She says slhe is better.

,God grant it, but I doubt, anid so (loes her miedical attendanIt. The

wind is very lad for lher. I'll write to you about tlhe mnutsic reports, &c., in a day or two.

If J. 0'l1. is writing songs, miiake him do so to Irish airs, for wlich

no good words are extant. Smith O'Brien wanlts, as sooni as the " Spirit of tlhe Nation" is

-out, to re-issue theo songs anid milusie of the " (Citizen." After that

Spilrit of te ( Citizen'' a re-issiue, of Bi 1111tinlg7, wiith new Words, would be sublime. Iii goinlg to try an air or two, aild bew (1 -d to

.your objections against my mietre! ! T. P.

Make Prouit balla(lize for us.

Ttiesday 28tlh, Yth., '44.

DEAt Joiix-Thanlks for your fteling about my sister. She is, at

last, something better, and, as thte improvement hias boen gradual, I

have good hopes for h:er now, poor soul.

IHere are tltree more reports. The proof of thle first of ml-y financo

reports was given miie to-day. I have, niot been idle, all things consi dered, for, after all, a man must rest somnetim!es, andl I lhad a relaxed

throat, anti some debility after my illness.

I got the ?1. I dare say youi'll be witlh uis wlen tlho stone is laid.

The newspapers will tell yodlu tlhe political events. Your Whig

friends are wrong. There is, at last, a dogge(d spirit in this country

which will tell in any way we have to use it. The only daniger is that

the sudden news of O'Conniell's iinprisonmtenlt, wlthiclh was not expected,

may cause some petty rows. But it is so late in the week that, though he will probably be sentenced to-morrow, lie will not be in

gaol bofore Saturday or Monday, ancl meantime we'll lhave warned

them and make thelim sulleil, not raslh. O'Brien and I are in particularly good spirits. If Wyse and his

federalists would work as we're worlking all mi1ight enid quietly in our

favour in two or three years; but the chances are in favour of a more remote and sterner ending. I hope the former.

O'C. and Duffy are in good health antI spirits, and they are the most important.

Tell mie how you are.

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270 Tlhe I-is X Mon thly.

61 Baggot-street, 9th Juno, '44.

DEA11 JOIFN-I find your fatlher will not go to London for a weelk at soonest. Will that be soonI eno-ugh to send the MS.? I got part of it fromn Walter and part fronL John Dillon, who speaks as self

reproachfully of not having written to you as if he were in hell for it. Yet, otherwise lie is niot so utterly lazy as he was. The prisoners have two largo gardenis, a sitting-rooai and bed-roomi eaclh, constant

visitors, good health andl goodl spirits. The last we all have. Wo have played our gamoe -well aind out-nianm-.uvred the governmlenit, and, as far as I can ju(dge, wne are, an over-match for themn. But 'tis " a longo, cry to Loch Awe," as tlhe Scotch say, andl i'm in ll0o lhurr. I

need not say I amn busy at (verytiligo bat sptech-makin, whicll I

resolutely avoid and so shalll continue.

AMy sister is better, but still very weak. l)uffy says yolur song is

highL treasonl at least, bat Ill rcea(l it with1 huii to-mlor}row again1. I). is cortainly better since, the keAy tu1rnled(I Oll ]iI11, but l1e got a cold from dining in a big tent which they set uip iI1 one, of theo gardenlls. Just

thiink of their audacity7 thley had a tricolour flag at the hlead of tlhe telnt, till thLe governor of the, ja1il struckl it

Matters are gloriouis in Ulster. Tlhe Belfast WNlhigs comLing out at

last. ThLe '98 drop is in themti yot, God bless tlhemii thlerefor! Wlhat is J. O'II. at ? His is tlheo p1i for this time.

Don't say hLow well off ou-r friends are. A1l anxiety for themn is

over, so wo can miove on1 withi lighlt hearts. Henlry Girattan and Alexander Mt'Carthy conilo to-inorrow, andl we

shall lhave a great day. We are organising tlhe rent systelml, an(d niie thin1ks 'twill i)e sutre and ail)ple hencefortlh.

Get Kane's ''Induitstrial Resources," 'tis alnmost all it slhould be. The translation of Joinville will be imiost w-elcome. I am very glad to

hiear your account of it, for certainlly sonici of the bits I saw seenmed

vulgar anid piratical. I trust you are stronger B Believe me, whlo have tried it, that

'tis flat folly to b reckless about hlealtlh, as you are too prone to be.

Dl)o, dear Jolhn, take care of yourself. To say nothing of Rathmnines,

you have nmuch to (lo for yoiur country, if for nothliing else.

Youir Ammainia lhas been somnewhat ill, and AMiss P. seems constantly Liling. Scold her for niot mnanaging hter liealtlh seimntifically.

WA'lhen do you propose to collne over?

In lhaste, yours, T. 1).

(uT bew COb 6teed.)

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