The Spirit of the Nation

Volume 1

THE

SPIRIT OF THE NATION.

BY

THE WRITERS OF THE NATION NEWSPAPER.

SECOND EDITION, REVISED.

DUBLIN:

PUBLISHED BY JAMES DUFFY,

25, ANGLESEA-STREET.

MDCCCXLIV.

DUBLIN: JAMES DUFFY, 25, ANGLESEA-STREET.

PREFACE.

---

We offer this little volume—the materials of which have been taken from the “Nation” newspaper—freely and confidently to the people of Ireland, as the sole object of its publication is their benefit. Such a compilation was only projected after there were frequent demands for it, which will acquit the authors of vanity, as its price will fully absolve the publisher from any desire of gain in the transaction. A book that neither contemplates praise nor profit is a genuine novelty, and will, we expect, receive the “Cead mile Failte” which a stranger never asks from our countrymen in vain.

We commend it especially to the Repeal Reading-rooms and Teetotal Societies. Such of the songs as go to popular airs ought to be constantly practised by those bodies. They will find very profitable and pleasant singing for the millions among them. The other pieces may be read or recited at public dinners and soirees with scarcely less advantage. The English minister who planned the Union had a great respect for the influence of songs on a people; in which, we think, he exhibited more sagacity than in handcuffing two strong, angry men together to strengthen their connexion. However, as there is a difference of opinion on this point, it will be a pleasant test of his wisdom to knock one of his nuts against the other and see which of them will crack first.

It may be observed, that we have spelled some Irish words that occur in this volume somewhat differently from the usual method, that usual method being whatever way English writers thought fit to spell them for us. We have consulted the best Irish scholars, and adopted their orthography, which we expect will become general. We would be ashamed to mispell Latin, English, French, or any other foreign language, and, in the name of common sense, why not our own? It is quite as comical a blunder to write "Faugh a Ballagh" for "Fag a Bealaċ," as "Parley-voo" for "Parlez-vous," if we only thought so.

We believe there is nothing further to say, but to wish our friends a keen relish for the good things which we set before them.

 Trinity-street, Dublin,
   May, 1843.

∵ A second series of the “Spirit of the Nation,” being Political Songs and National Ballads by the writers of the “Nation” newspaper, is now ready. All applications must be made to the Publisher, James Duffy, 25, Anglesea-street, as, in future, the publication will be conducted in his establishment.

CONTENTS.

 

---

 

Names of Pieces.	Airs.	Authors' Signatures.	Page.
Ourselves Alone	Mrs. Casey	Slievegullion	1
The Men of Tipperary	Nora Criena	The Celt	3
Sonnet		E. N. Shannon	4
The Munster War Song	The Old Woman tossed up in a Blanket	Shamrock	5
The Monopolists' Lie		Theta	7
Grainne Ṁaol	Grainne Ṁaol	H———	8
Fag a Bealaċ		Black Northern	11
Epigram		Terræ Filius	12
O'Connell		T. C. D.	13
The Exterminator's Song	I am the Gipsy King.	Gracchus	13
The United Irishmen	The Siege of Belleisle	Fermoy	15
The Vow of Tipperary	Nora Criena	The Celt	16
Father Mathew		—————	17
Epigram		Black Northern	18
What's my Thought like?		M. P.	19
The Grave of Bric		J. M. C.	20
The Nation's First Number	Rory O'More	Terræ Filius	22
Epigram		Terræ Filius	23
Nation's Valentine	Molly, my Dear	Shamrock	24
Epigram		Terræ Filius	25
Lament for the Brave	Savourneen Deelish	Montanus	26
Epigram		S———	26
New Natural Philosophy		Terræ Filius	27
My Land	The winsome wee thing	The Celt	28
The Song of Ulster	The Yeomen of Bucks	Black Northern	29
Song for Irishmen	Gramachree	Cuchcullin	31
A Traveller's Testimony		Theta	32
Lines on a Rock		R. G.———	32
Awake and lie Dreaming no more	Savourneen Deelish	J. Coen	34
Tyrol and Ireland		Theta	35
Death of Owen Roe	The last rose of Summer	The Celt	36
Epigram		T. C. D.	37
O'Connell		Astrea	38
The Coquette		Gracchus	39
My Grave		The Celt	40
The Ulster Septs	Castle Tirowen	Cuchcullin	41
Dalcassian's War Song	Fag a Bealaċ	M. J. M'C	43
The Curse of the Renegades	Garryowen	Theta	44
The Saxon Shilling	Paddy Carey	K. T. B.	45
Irish War Song, 1843	Minstrel Boy	W———	46
When Britain first	Rule, Britannia	The Celt	48
The Memory of the Dead	Auld Lang Syne	S———, T.C.D.	48
Western War Song	Meeting of the Waters	Shamrock	50
The House that Paddy Built		M. P.	51
Punchification		Terræ Filius	54
The Leinster War Song	Araby's Daughter	Shamrock	55
The Botanic Gardens		W. M. Downes	57
Erin our Own	Corravoth Jig	Fermoy	58
The Voice of the Nation	Black Joke	Slievegullion	60
Portrait from the Peerage		Gracchus	61
Epigram		Terræ Filius	62
Song of Sorrow		Black Northern	63
The Saxon Massacre		M. J. M'C	63
O'Sullivan's Return	Cruiskeen Lawn	The Celt	64
The Extermination		Shamrock	67
The Clanconnell Warsong	Roderich Vich Alpine	M. J. M'C	68
The Death of Sarsfield	Logie O'Buchan	The Celt	70
The Trampled Land		H———	70
Boyhood's Years		Clericus	73
Literary Leisure		Black Northern	74
The Spirit of the Times		Black Northern	74
The Irish Catholic		Slievegullion	75

Volume 2

DUBLIN: JAMES DUFFY. 25, ANGLESEA-STREET.

PREFACE.

---

When we ventured, within a few months after the “Nation” was started, to reprint the Poetry of it, we did an unprecedented thing, and one said to be of doubtful prudence. The Newspaper to be sure had succeeded, but it seemed a trial ruinous to these verses and injurious to the paper to expose its weekly miscellanies to the test of permanent criticism. “They are light cavalry,” said a friend; “they have charged famously for once, you’ll find them jaded hacks when wheeled again into line.” We trusted, them and published.

Yet their success has surprised us. We hardly hoped that their popularity could extend beyond our own class and country. But the Tory has praised them more than the Liberal, the anti-Repealer as much as the Nationalist, while their success in foreign countries has at least equalled their success here. Mr. O’Connell thought the ballads “very good,” Mr. Shaw “most able,” Mr. Butt “inspired.” The Irish press thought them excellent for Ireland, but the Morning Post said they were “superior to anything they had supposed to exist at present;” the Leeds Times thought them “great achievements,” and the Tablet called them “the music of the battle-field.” To ascend higher, the Dublin Review says, they are “vigorous and bold,” “fitted to grasp the nation;” the Quarterly found in them “great beauty of language and imagery,” and Fraser declared that though they are “mischievous” it “dare not condemn them they are so full of beauty.”

The First Part of the Spirit of the Nation has gone through two editions here; has been bought by men of all creeds and kinds, from the peasantry to the peerage, the soldier and policeman to the Quartermaster-General, from Tom Moore to Thresham Gregg.

The American papers regularly reprint our verses week by week, and a large edition of the Spirit of the Nation has been issued in New York, and sold throughout the United States, and Canada.

Our little book of rhymes has been circulated enough, and praised enough, then, fully to justify the novel course we took in reprinting them, and the authors may be content with their fame.

This register of what occurred as to the first part is our justification for printing a second. Whether the praise we have got or shall get be deserved or not, sure we are that whoever gives the people of Ireland a lyric literature racy of the soil, reflecting its scenery and manners, blended with its history and panting with its hopes, will marshal them to independence in an array which prosecutions cannot encounter nor armies overthrow. National lyrics to be perfect should be linked with music, that the people's heart knows and beats to. This union we hope to see effected, but whether our verses are worthy of such an alliance time alone can tell. We shall say nothing more.

 Trinity-street, Dublin,
   November, 1843.

∵ The Prose "Spirit of the Nation" is being prepared for the press.

A series of sketches of distinguished Irishmen, by the same hands, will also be published shortly.

CONTENTS.

 

---

 

Names of Pieces.	Airs.	Authors' Signatures.	Page.
The Voice of Labour	Weep on, weep on	The Black Northern	1
Song of the Volunteers of 1782	The Boyne Water	The Celt	3
Young Ireland	Fare thee well, my own dear Love	Slievegullion	5
Epigram		Brutus	6
The Battle of Beal-an-ath-Buidh	And doth not a meeting like this	W. D——	7
Song for July 12th	As vanquished Erin	J. Ff——	9
An Arms' Bill Ballad	Farewell, but whenever you welcome the hour	Anon	10
Hymn of Freedom		Brutus	11
The Anti-Irish Irishman	The Irishman	H. H——	12
The Arms of '82		Brutus	14
Stand Together	Highland Laddie	Beta	15
The Squire's Complaint	The night before Larry was stretched	Anon	16
The Gathering of Leinster, 1643	Cailin das crutheen na mbo	Shamrock	17
The West's Asleep	The Brink of the White Rocks	The Celt	19
The Wexford Massacre, 1649		Brutus	20
The Union	Alley Croker	Slievegullion	21
The Songs of the Nation	Sheela ni Guira	W———	23
The Forlorn Hope	Cruisgin Lán	O'K———	24
The Voice of Tara	The Rose Tree	W———	25
The Muster of the North, 1641		The Black Northern	27
The Slaves' Bill	After the Battle		31
Song of the Irish Army, 1689		Jacobite	32
A Voice from America		Festis	33
The Peasant Girls	Come, chase that darling tear away. (French Air.)	Anon	33
Steady		Shamrock	35
The Gathering of the Nation		J. Ff———	36
The Lion and the Serpent. A Fable		Shamrock	38
Erin Aboo	They may rail at this life	Brutus	39
Song of the Penal Days. (Translated)	Chreevin evin	W———	41
A Rally for Ireland. May, 1689		The Celt	42
The Irish Arms' Bill	'Tis believed that this harp	W. D———	44
The Invocation	When through life unblest we rove	J. S. O'S———	45
Paddies Evermore	Paddies Evermore	Slievegullion	47
The Shan Van Vocth, 1176		Eiranach	49
Epigram		The Black Northern	50
The Harp of the Nation	Molli a Stór	W———	51
Ninety-Eight	There is nae luck	W———	52
The Men of Twenty-Five	When my Old Cap was New	J. K———	53
A Rude Repeal Melody		J. S. O'S	54
Epigram		The Black Northern	54
The Vision		Shamrock	56
A Health	Sally in our alley	J. Ff———	58
Devil may care	Head of Denis	J. K———	59
Adieu to Innisfail	Cruisgin Lán	Shamrock	60
English Schools and Irish Pupils		Patricius	62
English and Irish Eyes	Jock of Hazeldeen	W. M———	64
Epigram		T. C. D.	65
The Patriot's Wife	Whene'er I see those smiling eyes	Clericus	66
Winter		Shamrock	67
Epigram		Brutus	68
Love Song	How sweet the answer Echo makes	The Black Northern	69
The Rath of Mullaghmast	Weep for the hour	Shamrock	70
Young England to Young Ireland	Sail on, sail on	Serle	72
The Irish Maiden to her Lover		Lesbia	74
O'Nial's Vow		Eiranach	75