Ixxxvii 



ther's consent, it was an ex post f ado piece of courtesy, his 

 marriage having taken place in February, 1757, nearly a month 

 anteriorly to the letter, when Mr. Kirwan was in his twenty-fourth 

 year. 



Although it appears from Mr. Kirwan's letter to his brother, 

 that prudential motives had some influence in the choice of a wife, 

 we find that he manifested but little caution in the manner of car- 

 rying his intentions into effect, and but little care about property 

 during the subsequent part of his life. Previously to his making 

 proposals, he had been splendidly received by the relatives of the 

 lady, who was sister to Sir L'lick Blake, and daughter of Sir 

 Thomas Blake, of Menlo, in the County of Galway. He was enter- 

 tained with French wines and the choicest fruits of the country. 

 In the moments of festivity he asked the young lady the startling 

 question ; the answer may be inferred from the fact, that they were 

 soon after married; and they lived for eight years in uninterrupted 

 affection. 



His brother's prediction, that before the honeymoon was out he 

 would repent his marriage, was not altogether without some prospect 

 of being realized, for, the morning after his wedding, Mr. Kirwan 

 was arrested and thrown into prison. His wife, it is true, was 

 entitled to £4000 fortune, but until after the sale of the estate she 

 could procure no ready money ; she had incurred some liabilities, 

 and thus her husband became responsible to the creditors. Mr. 

 Kirwan remained in prison until his agent sent him the money. 

 The recovery of this fortune was a subject of litigation even after 

 his death, it having been made a part of the marriage portion of 

 one of his daughters ; but it was eventually recovered. 



Mr. Kirwan resided with the Dowager Lady Blake, his mother- 

 in-law, for several years after his marriage, at her seat at Menlo. 

 Here he was enabled to indulge to the utmost his taste for study ; 

 he collected an excellent library, and fitted up a laboratory, where 

 he often spent eight hours a day. 



Besides the immense stock of learning which he had acquired 

 at the Jesuits' College, he was at the age of twenty-three acquainted 

 with as much chemistry as was then known. He extended his 

 researches to new discoveries, but his zeal was checked by an 



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