By the Bev. W. II. Hitchcock. 



253 



on the cartoons in the chapel windows; but Moore laughingly 

 assured him afterwards that he was not so touchy about S. Peter as 

 he supposed. Politically no doubt he would iu these days have been 

 a strong Gladstonian. He has been described as " Ireland's Patriot 

 and Poet," and was determined " to maintain Irish liberties and 

 Irish interests at all risks, and against all Ministers." But though 

 fully accepting the opinion of the Whigs, he cordially hated the 

 Reform Bill of '32. Mr. Hughes, in the rashness of boyhood, 

 ventured to say at the breakfast table, " O'ConneH's power and 

 perseverance will win Repeal by and by." " Never," said Moore 

 emphatically, " England will never bear that severance ! " 



And now a word as to his musical talent, and especially his 

 " Melodies." Musically he was self-taught — like many others he 

 threw away the opportunity of a musical education. We elders 

 well know how almost impossible it was at the public schools of a 

 past generation to cultivate music. So with Moore — he refused to 

 learn scientifically; but eventually, his natural taste for music, 

 combined with a perfect ear, enabled him to play his own accom- 

 paniments, and occasionally to compose. It is to be regretted that 

 he has not left us more of his original musical compositions ; for 

 where words and music well out from one and the same source the 

 stream is doubly refreshing. It may be, however, an open question 

 which is the higher order of composition — whether to adapt music 

 to words, as in the case of our great masters of oratorio, Cathedral 

 services, anthems, and the like ; or to compose words for written 

 music. In the case of his melodies Moore adopted the latter 

 alternative. Having selected a well-known Irish air, he thoroughly 

 mastered it at the piano, and persistently carried its refrain with 

 him, until he became so thoroughly imbued and saturated with its 

 character, that his genius supplied the corresponding sentiment in 

 poetry ; and the touching lament or patriot song was no sooner born 

 than it found itself wedded to an Irish melody. 



But the great charm of his music was derived from his perfect 

 management of a sweet and soft tenor voice. " His voice [we are 

 told] ,a little hoarse at times in speaking, softens into a breath like that 

 of a flute while singing." By a lady familiar svith its tones it is 



