第1章

AnobleHuguenotfamily，owningconsiderablepropertyinNormandy，theLeFanusofCaen，were，upontherevocationoftheEdictofNantes，deprivedoftheirancestralestatesofMandeville，Sequeville，andCresseron；but，owingtotheirpossessinginfluentialrelativesatthecourtofLouistheFourteenth，wereallowedtoquittheircountryforEngland，unmolested，withtheirpersonalproperty。WemeetwithJohnLeFanudeSequevilleandCharlesLeFanudeCresseron，ascavalryofficersinWilliamtheThird’sarmy；CharlesbeingsodistinguishedamemberoftheKing’sstaffthathewaspresentedwithWilliam’sportraitfromhismaster’sownhand。HeafterwardsservedasamajorofdragoonsunderMarlborough。

Atthebeginningoftheeighteenthcentury，WilliamLeFanuwasthesolesurvivorofhisfamily。HemarriedHenriettaRaboteaudePuggibaut，thelastofanothergreatandnobleHuguenotfamily，whoseescapefromFrance，asachild，bytheaidofaRomanCatholicuncleinhighpositionattheFrenchcourt，waseffectedafteradventuresofthemostromanticdanger。

JosephLeFanu，theeldestofthesonsofthismarriagewholeftissue，heldtheofficeofClerkoftheCoastinIreland。HemarriedforthesecondtimeAlicia，daughterofThomasSheridanandsisterofRichardBrinsleySheridan；hisbrother，CaptainHenryLeFanu，ofLeamington，beingunitedtotheonlyothersisterofthegreatwitandorator。

DeanThomasPhilipLeFanu，theeldestsonofJosephLeFanu，becamebyhiswifeEmma，daughterofDr。Dobbin，F。T。C。D。，thefatherofJosephSheridanLeFanu，thesubjectofthismemoir，whosenameissofamiliartoEnglishandAmericanreadersasoneofthegreatestmastersoftheweirdandtheterribleamongstourmodernnovelists。

BorninDublinonthe28thofAugust，1814，hedidnotbegintospeakuntilhewasmorethantwoyearsofage；butwhenhehadoncestarted，theboyshowedanunusualaptitudeinacquiringfreshwords，andusingthemcorrectly。

Thefirstevidenceofliterarytastewhichhegavewasinhissixthyear，whenhemadeseverallittlesketcheswithexplanatoryremarkswrittenbeneaththem，afterthemannerofDuMaurier’s，orCharlesKeene’shumorousillustrationsin’Punch。’

Oneofthese，preservedlongafterwardsbyhismother，representedaballooninmid-air，andtwoaeronauts，whohadoccupiedit，fallingheadlongtoearth，thedisasterbeingexplainedbythesewords：’SeetheeffectsoftryingtogotoHeaven。’

Asamerechild，hewasaremarkablygoodactor，bothintragicandcomicpieces，andwashardlytwelveyearsoldwhenhebegantowriteversesofsingularspiritforonesoyoung。Atfourteen，heproducedalongIrishpoem，whichheneverpermittedanyonebuthismotherandbrothertoread。Tothatbrother，Mr。WilliamLeFanu，CommissionerofPublicWorks，Ireland，towhom，asthesuggesterofSheridanLeFanu’s’PhaudrigCroohore’and’ShamusO’Brien，’Irishballadliteratureowesadelightfuldebt，andwhoserichlyhumorousandpassionatelypatheticpowersasaraconteurofthesepoemshaveonlydoubledthatobligationintheheartsofthosewhohavebeenhappyenoughtobehishearers——toMr。WilliamLeFanuweareindebtedforthefollowingextractsfromthefirstofhisworks，whichtheboy-authorseemstohavesetanystoreby：

’MuseofGreenErin，breakthineicyslumbers!

Strikeonceagainthywreathedlyre!

Burstforthoncemoreandwakethytunefulnumbers!

Kindleagainthylong-extinguishedfire!

’WhyshouldIbidthee，MuseofErin，waken？

WhyshouldIbidtheestrikethyharponcemore？

BettertoleavetheesilentandforsakenThanwaketheebutthygloriestodeplore。

’HowcouldIbidtheetellofTara’sTowers，WhereoncethysceptredPrincessateinstate——

Whererosethymusic，atthefestivehours，Throughtheproudhallswherelisteningthousandssate？

’Fallenarethyfairpalaces，thycountry’sglory，Thytunefulbardswerebanishedorwereslain，Somerestingloryontheirdeathbedsgory，Andsomehavelivedtofeelafoeman’schain。

’Yetforthesakeofthyunhappynation，YetforthesakeofFreedom’sspiritfled，Letthywildharpstrings，thrilledwithindignation，Pealadeeprequiemo’erthysonsthatbled。

’Oyes!likethelastbreathofeveningsighing，Sweepthycoldhandthesilentstringsalong，Flashlikethelampbesidetheherodying，Thenhushedforeverbethyplaintivesong。’

ToMr。WilliamLeFanuwearefurtherindebtedfortheaccompanyingspecimensofhisbrother’sseriousandhumorouspowersinverse，writtenwhenhewasquitealad，asvalentinestoaMissG。K。：

’LifeweretoolongformetobearIfbanishedfromthyview；

Lifeweretooshort，athousandyear，Iflifewerepassedwithyou。

’Wisemenhavesaid“Man’slotonearthIsgriefandmelancholy，“

Butwherethouart，therejoyousmirthProvesalltheirwisdomfolly。

’Iffatewithholdthylovefromme，Allelseinvainweregiven；

Heavenwereimperfectwantingthee，Andwiththeeearthwereheaven。’

Afewdaysafter，hesentthefollowingsequel：

’MydeargoodMadam，Youcan’tthinkhowverysadI’m。

Isentyou，orImistakemyselffoully，AveryexcellentimitationofthepoetCowley，Containingthreeveryfairstanzas，WhichnumberLonginus，averycriticalman，says，AndAristotle，whowasacritictentimesmorecaustic，Toanicetyfitsavalentineoranacrostic。

Andyetforallmypainstothismovingepistle，Ihavegotnoanswer，soIsupposeImaygowhistle。

Perhapsyou’dhavepreferredthatlikeanoldmonkIhadpatteredonInthestyleandafterthemanneroftheunfortunateChatterton；

Orthat，unlikemyreverenddaddy’sson，Ihadattemptedtheclassicalitiesofthedull，thoughimmortalAddison。

Ican’tendurethissilenceanotherweek；

WhatshallIdoinordertomakeyouspeak？

ShallIgiveyouatropeInthemannerofPope，OrhammermybrainslikeanoldsmithTogetoutsomethinglikeGoldsmith？

OrshallIaspireonTotunemypoeticlyreonThesamekeytouchedbyByron，Andlayingmyhanditswireon，WithitsmusicyoursoulsetfireonBythemesyoune’ercouldtireon？

Orsay，Ipray，WouldalayLikeGayBemoreinyourway？

Ileaveittoyou，WhichamItodo？

ItplainonthesurfaceisThatanymetamorphosis，ToaffectyourstudyYoumayworkonmysoulorbody。

YourfrownoryoursmilemakesmeSavageorGayInaction，aswellasinsong；

Andif’tisdecreedIatlengthbecomeGray，ExpressbutthewordandI’mYoung；

AndifintheChurchIshouldeveraspireWithfriarsandabbotstocope，Byanod，ifyouplease，youcanmakemeaPrior——

ByawordyourendermePope。

Ifyou’deat，I’maCrab；ifyou’dcut，I’myourSteel，Assharpasyou’dgetfromthecutler；

I’myourCottonwhene’eryou’reinwantofareel，Andyourliverycarry，asButler。

I’lleverrestyourdebtorIfyou’llanswermyfirstletter；

Ormust，alas，eternityWitnessyourtaciturnity？

Speak——andoh!speakquicklyOrelseIshallgrowsickly，Andpine，Andwhine，AndgrowyellowandbrownAse’erwasmahogany，AndliemedownAnddieinagony。

P。S——You’llallowIhavethegiftTowriteliketheimmortalSwift。’

Butbesidesthepoeticalpowerswithwhichhewasendowed，incommonwiththegreatBrinsley，LadyDufferin，andtheHon。Mrs。Norton，youngSheridanLeFanualsopossessedanirresistiblehumourandoratoricalgiftthat，asastudentofOldTrinity，madehimaformidablerivalofthebestoftheyoungdebatersofhistimeatthe’CollegeHistorical，’notafewofwhomhavesincereachedthehighesteminenceattheIrishBar，afterhavinglongenlivenedandcharmedSt。Stephen’sbytheirwitandoratory。

Amongsthiscompeershewasremarkableforhissuddenfieryeloquenceofattack，andreadyandrapidpowersofreparteewhenonhisdefence。ButLeFanu，whoseunderstandingwaselevatedbyadeeploveoftheclassics，inwhichhetookuniversityhonours，andfurtherheightenedbyanadmirableknowledgeofourowngreatauthors，wasnottobetemptedawaybyoratoryfromliterature，hisfirstand，asitproved，hislastlove。

Verysoonafterleavingcollege，andjustwhenhewascalledtotheBar，abouttheyear1838，heboughtthe’Warder，’aDublinnewspaper，ofwhichhewaseditor，andtookwhatmanyofhisbestfriendsandadmirers，lookingtohishighprospectsasabarrister，regardedatthetimeasafatalstepinhiscareertofame。

Justbeforethisperiod，LeFanuhadtakentowritinghumorousIrishstories，afterwardspublishedinthe’DublinUniversityMagazine，’

suchasthe’QuareGander，’’JimSulivan’sAdventure，’’TheGhostandtheBone-setter，’etc。

ThesestorieshisbrotherWilliamLeFanuwasinthehabitofrepeatingforhisfriends’

amusement，andabouttheyear1837，whenhewasabouttwenty-threeyearsofage，JosephLeFanusaidtohimthathethoughtanIrishstoryinversewouldtellwell，andthatifhewouldchoosehimasubjectsuitableforrecitation，hewouldwritehimone。

’WritemeanIrish“YoungLochinvar，“’

saidhisbrother；andinafewdayshehandedhim’PhaudrigCroohore’——Anglice，’PatrickCrohore。’

Ofcoursethispoemhasthedisadvantagenotonlyofbeingwrittenafter’YoungLochinvar，’

butalsothatofhavingbeendirectlyinspiredbyit；andyet，althoughwantingintherareandgracefulfinishoftheoriginal，theIrishcopyhas，wefeel，somuchfireandfeelingthatitatleasttemptsustoregretthatScott’spoemwasnotwritteninthatheart-stirringNortherndialectwithoutwhichthenoblestofourBritishballadswouldlosehalftheirspirit。Indeed，wemaysafelysaythatsomeofLeFanu’slinesarefinerthananyin’YoungLochinvar，’

simplybecausetheyseemtospeakstraightfromapeople’sheart，nottobethemereechoesofmedievalromance。

’PhaudrigCroohore’didnotappearinprintinthe’DublinUniversityMagazine’

till1844，twelveyearsafteritscomposition，whenitwasincludedamongstthePurcellPapers。

Toreturntotheyear1837。Mr。WilliamLeFanu，thesuggesterofthisballad，whowasfromhomeatthetime，nowreceiveddailyinstalmentsofthesecondandmoreremarkableofhisbrother’sIrishpoems——’ShamusO’Brien’(JamesO’Brien)——

learningthembyheartastheyreachedhim，and，fortunately，neverforgettingthem，forhisbrotherJosephkeptnocopyoftheballad，andhehadhimselftowriteitoutfrommemorytenyearsafter，whenthepoemappearedinthe’UniversityMagazine。’

Fewwilldenythatthispoemcontainspassagesmostfaithfully，iffearfully，picturesque，andthatitischaracterisedthroughoutbyaprofoundpathos，andanabundantthoughattimesatoogrotesquelyincongruoushumour。

Canwewonder，then，attheimmensepopularitywithwhichSamuelLoverreciteditintheUnitedStates？FortoLover’sadmirationofthepoem，andhisadditionofittohisentertainment，’ShamusO’Brien’owesitsintroductionintoAmerica，whereitisnowsopopular。Loveraddedsomelinesofhisowntothepoem，madeShamusemigratetotheStates，andsetupapublic-house。Theseaddedlinesappearedinmostofthepublishedversionsofthepoem。Buttheyareindifferentasverse，andcertainlyinjurethedramaticeffectofthepoem。

’ShamusO’Brien’issogenerallyattributedtoLover(indeedwerememberseeingitadvertisedforrecitationontheoccasionofabenefitataleadingLondontheatreas’bySamuelLover’)

thatitisasatisfactiontobeabletoreproducethefollowingletteruponthesubjectfromLovertoWilliamleFanu：

’AstorHouse，’NewYork，U。S。America。

’Sept。30，1846。