The Lament of the Emerald Isle |
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Common terms and phrases
Amid ancient arms bard battle beam beauty bless blush bower brave breath bright Carolan charm cheer Clonmacnoise Danes dear divine Doctor Johnson Dublin Duke of Leinster e'en EMERALD ISLE ERIN ERIN's ev'ry fairy bower fame fate fire flame fled foreign genius glories glow gold grace grave green hand harp heart heaven hero holy honour immortal Ireland Irish isle Killarney King Leinster light lone Lord lyre melody minstrel monarch Morrogh mountain mourn Munster muse nation nobility noble o'er Ollam once Ossian patriot Picts piety poem poet pride prince PRINCE REGENT pure regal reign round rude ruin sacred Salisbury plain says scene shade shame shameless band shed shew sigh sight Sligo smile soil song sorrow soul spirit splendour Stonehenge strain sublime sweet sword Tacitus Tara tear thee thine thou throne tomb tongue virtue warrior wave wild wing
Popular passages
Page 221 - I must do it justice : it was a complete system, full of coherence and consistency ; well digested and well composed in all its parts. It was a machine of wise and elaborate contrivance ; and as well fitted for the oppression, impoverishment, and degradation of a people, and the debasement, in them, of human nature itself, as ever proceeded from the perverted ingenuity of man.
Page 216 - And sure it is yet a most beautiful and sweet country as any is under heaven, being stored throughout with many goodly rivers, replenished with all sorts of fish most abundantly, sprinkled with many...
Page 204 - His speeches, when he first entered the house of commons, were very brilliant, very figurative, and far more remarkable for that elegant, poetic taste which had highly distinguished him when a member of the university than any logical illustration or depth of argument But as he was blessed with great endowments, every session took away somewhat from the unnecessary splendour and redundancy of his harangues. To make use of a phrase of Cicero, in speaking of his own...
Page 195 - ... now you stand like elves, at the door of your own pandemonium. The armed youth of the country, like a thousand streams, thundered from a thousand hills, and filled the plain with the congregated waters, in whose mirror...
Page 150 - And what has the church to expect? what is the case of Dr Kirwan ? This man preferred our country and our religion, and brought to both, genius superior to what he found in either. He called forth the latent virtues of the human heart, and taught men to discover in themselves a mine of charity, of which the proprietors had been unconscious. In feeding the lamp of charity, he has almost exhausted the lamp of life.
Page 190 - ... of the seventh century, numbers, both of the nobles and of the second rank of English, left their country, and retired out of England into Ireland, for the sake of studying theology, or leading there a stricter life. And all these (he affirms) the Irish, whom he calls Scots, most willingly received, and maintained at their own charge, supplying them also with books, and being their teachers without fee or reward. A most honourable testimony, not only to the learning, but likewise to the hospitality...
Page 187 - Mary lost, would love? their wonted grace; All would I give to snatch her from the tomb, Again to fold her in my fond embrace ! Desponding, sick, exhausted with my grief, Awhile the founts of sorrow cease to flow ; In vain I rest, and sleep brings no relief ; Cheerless, companionless, I wake to woo.
Page 141 - In twentyfive different rencontres, and twenty-nine pitched battles, did he engage his Danish and other enemies, and victory always attended his standard! But if he was terrible to his enemies in the field, he was mild and merciful to them in the cabinet, and, during his whole reign, a single act of cruelty or injustice cannot be laid to his charge.
Page 199 - On examining this subterranean wonder, it was found to be a complete gallery, which had been driven forward many hundred yards to the bed of coal : that it branched off into numerous...
Page 167 - Mis wisdom was practical and prophetic — remedial for the present, warning for the future; he first taught Ireland that she might cease to be a despot. But he was a churchman. His gown impeded his course, and entangled his efforts, — guiding a senate, or heading an...