But these are visions all like dreams, which with the morning flee: Adieu, adieu, thou faithless world, thou wert not made for me! "Oh, had I been a shepherd upon the mountain's brow, I ne'er had known those feelings that I experience now; My flocks had been my only care, from every other free: Adieu, adieu, thou faithless world, thou wert not made for me! "These toils will soon be over, my pilgrimage is past; The gates of heaven are open, redemption smiles at last; May all my enemies be blest, my wrongs forgiven be: Adieu, adieu, thou faithless world, thou wert not made for me!" He laid him down upon his bed, the threads of life were broke; His eyes seemed closed in death's dim shade, I thought he ne'er had spoke : Again, with faltering voice he said, 'twas life's last agony — "Adieu, adieu, thou faithless world, thou wert not made for me!" THE KILRUDDERY HUNT. Called, by Ritson, "the Irish Hunt," and printed by him in the second volume of his collection of English Songs (ed. Park. 1813, p. 184), is remarkable, if for no other reason, as eliciting Ritson's opinion of Irish songs. "With respect to the lyric productions of our now sisterkingdom, Ireland, the best of them have been generally esteemed and ranked as English songs; being few in number, and possessing no national, or other peculiar or distinguishing marks. Of these, however, the number is very few; and that which might be deemed the most exceptionable (the hunting song) may be well pardoned, on account of the superior excellence of its composition to most others on the same subject: this description of songs being, in general, as utterly void of poetry, sense, wit, or humour, as the practice they are intended to celebrate-whether it be the diversion of the prince or the peasant is irrational, savage, barbarous, and inhuman." The Editor is indebted to Mr. J. C. Walker, of Dublin, for the annexed map, which illustrates the topography of "the Kilruddery Hunt," the original of which was sketched by the Rev. James Whitelaw for the late Mr. Joseph Cooper Walker, in 1796, and was, most probably, intended for Ritson; although it would seem that Mr. Walker had, some years previously, made inquiries of Ritson respecting this song. Ritson, in a letter addressed to that gentleman on the 25th June, 1790, says, "The author of the Irish Hunt,' whose name you tell me you have been in pursuit of, was Mr. St. Leger, son of Sir John St. Leger, formerly one of the barons of the Exchequer; at least it is so said, in the Gentleman's Magazine' for April." Mr. Walker, in reply, informed Ritson † that "the * A memoir of this able and excellent man is prefixed to Whitelaw and Walsh's "History of Dublin," 2 vols. 4to, 1818. Note in "Ritson's Letters," i. 179. Edited by Sir Harris Nicolas. 1833. Irish Hunt' was written by T. Mozeen. It appeared in a collection of Miscellaneous Essays,' which he published by subscription in 1762. Chetwood gives an account of Mozeen." On the 14th December, 1790, Ritson writes to Mr. Walker- —" There is a collection of I know not what sort of poetry, in two small duodecimo volumes, by one Mozeen: can this be the author of the Irish Hunt?' If so, I must have been egregiously blind to their merit, and shall make it a point to give them a more attentive perusal. His name, I find (from the Biographia Dramatica'), was William, and he died after 1762. The song is indisputably excellent; and were my book likely to attain a second edition, I would be most thankful for any notes you might be pleased to communicate." This request, no doubt, led Mr. Walker to make further inquiries on the subject; and from letters addressed to him by Mr. Whitelaw, at the period that he sketched the map, the following particulars have been collected :— "He (Mr. Whitelaw) was of opinion that the Kilruddery Hunt' was the production of a Mr. T. Mozeen, and was published in London, 1762, 8vo. in a Collection of Miscellaneous Essays,' which contained, besides, a song in praise of John Adair, Esq. of Kilternan; also an invitation to Owen Bray's, at Loughlinstown.* "Mr. Whitelaw writes In 1744, the Inn at Loughlinstown was kept by Owen Bray, one of the heroes of the * The Editor finds all these songs in a little volume entitled “The Lyrick Pacquet, containing most of the favourite songs, serious and comic, that have been performed for three seasons past at Sadler's Wells," &c. By T. Mozeen. London, printed and sold by J. Dixwell, in St. Martin's Lane, near Charing Cross. 1764. Pp. 118. song, and was at that period one of the best houses of accommodation in the kingdom, in consequence of the singular attention of the host, who was a man of some education, of much plain, solid, good sense, and so remarkably obliging, that the neighbouring gentlemen frequently made parties to dine at Laughlinstown. Here particularly, from a similar motive-to promote his interests - were held the cock-fights, which, though now happily forgotten, were then a favourite amusement of this country. "Mr. Mozeen, a comedian skilled in music, lodged several summers at the inn, and particularly that of 1744; and the song in question came forth as the joint production of this gentleman and Owen Bray. But as Mozeen was not in the field that day-not being a sportsman, and as stout Owen Bray was a keen one, it was the general opinion that the song was the composition of the latter, and that the sole claim of the former consisted in having set it to music. The soul of the sportsman, indeed, seems transferred into the song. The topography of the scene is minutely accurate, and the language so perfectly sportsmanlike, that the major is confident it could not be the production of Mozeen.' 6 "The major," adds the Editor's friend, Mr. Walker, "I find to be Major Sirr, who is described by Mr. Whitelaw as his worthy old friend, intimate with the parties mentioned in the song, and particularly with the Earl of Meath.'* Mr. Whitelaw (1796) continues to write of the * Major Sirr went to Ireland, in 1757, with the Duke of Bedford. He was then a captain in Sebright's, the 83d regiment. Major Sirr was subsequently appointed town-major of the city of Dublin, and pratique-master of the port. He was high-sheriff of the county of L parties not one, I believe, survives. 'mighty hunter,' has earthed them all.'" Death, that Songs commemorative of a good day's sport are common in Ireland, and resemble " The Kilruddery Hunt" in enumerating the sportsmen, the ground run over, and the finale--a jovial dinner, with sometimes the description of a will made by the dying animal. A specimen of one composed about the close of the seventeenth century, although sadly messed by an ignorant transcriber, has been preserved in the British Museum among the Sloane MSS., No. 900, entitled "The Fingallian Hunting of the Hare," where the hospitality of St. Lawrence's Hall (Lord Howth's) is commended, and the sportsmanlike qualifications of Michael St. Lawrence and his companions are duly set forth.* The description of a " County of Limerick Buck-Hunt," in 1735, may be found at page 251 of this volume; and in singing the fame of an Irish fox-hunt, which occurred on the 1st March, 1833, the Dublin, and deputy judge-advocate-general of Ireland; and governor of most of the institutions of the Irish metropolis. He was the fath of the present well-known Major Sirr of Dublin. * In this song, the dying hare is thus made to settle her worldly affairs: "But in a fine mead, she being almost spent, She made her last will, ay, and testament. Cropt cur, with thee,' says she, I will not stay; Nor with true running Cutty, that shewed such fair play; And so Hector bore her, and ended the strife." According to another hunting song,— "When Reynard was taken, his last task to fulfil, He asked for paper, pen, and ink, to draw out his will," &c. |