goes to school every day, and attends at other times a shop full of business. However if you will favour him with a hebdominal line, he will contrive a way to answer it rather than be deprived of your agreeable correspondence. Your sincerely affectionate friend,

What if you should send some 8 foot raillery too?

E. BURKE.

The burlesque of the next letter was provoked by some letter of Shackleton's which is not preserved, addressed to Burke as “Esquire.” Burke once or twice alludes to his nickname of Cowshed which he possibly received from his schoolfellows.

Honest Dick,

E. Burke to R. Shackleton.

Dublin, June 21, 1744.

Thursday, 'twixt 2 and 3 from my own bureau. You are hereby ordered to date your letter from the place you sit.

That letter of yours came by post to my hands, and if I could spare time on such business I dont know but I might answer it particularly; but as I have affairs of much consequence to trouble me, as you know (being wholly taken up with attending one thing or other which it is not material to tell you) since my election, it were needless to inform you of more than that I am well, as are all here; and that I desire you to be diligent in your business, take care not to let people lavish my substance, mind the hay, and inform me how the harvest goes on-if it be good they will be well able to pay the rents this year-and whether your wife spins better, for the last I received was extraordinary ill. Take care once more; be diligent and you shall see the effects of my munificence (an old coat or so); and on the contrary, if you turn out idle or dishonest, be sure to feel the marks of my highest displeasure, so as to be reduced once more to the wretched condition my extensive charity has taken you out of. I wrote more than indeed I intended, but because I find you careful and honest, I grant you this favour extraordinary, and hope that you will not grow conceited on it: nor assume airs that dont become men of your condition, for this and all the numberless favours and kindnesses heaped upon you by your imperious and haughty master, EDMUND BURKE, ESQ.

Answer this with humble submission.

P.S. Tell Tom Lawless that if I dont hear a better account of him than heretofore, he must no longer hope to have the honour of being my servant.

The foregoing I wrote as I am an Esquire. But this I address to you as I am your sincere friend, plain N. B. and therefore beg one favour of you, that is to burn the letter I sent you about J. B.1, and to inform me whether you shewed it to any one. I once more desire you to commit the paper to the flames, for reasons I will tell you when I have the pleasure of 1 Juliana Burke.

seeing you, which I hope may be shortly. The error about Dick's letter was insignificant, and I thought at first the mistake was mine, supposing I had directed both to R. S.: and on that foundation I built the Esquire, but was mistaken, and if it were right (for not liking, I tore it in pieces) I can't remember a word on't. I met Mr Ramsay twice walking about the College; he looked miserably, and told me he had no place. I saw Sands1 when I went last to receive your letters; he got one from you, and I was luckily at hand to testify the truth of your assertion that the mice ate the books in your own bureau. As to the Muses being glad, I believe it is a sham to deter me from compelling you, by the authority you have invested me with, to write such a poem as you are ordered to do. I would not, however, have anything forced; write burlesque if you will. I am sure you have an ample subject in so bad a piece as that I last sent you; and if you have a mind for a little more of the Muse's company, you must not study so hard. Omit it for a few days, for she is a whore that hates hard labour of any kind. Now I have stuffed my devil, I can write no more, but that I am, dear sir, your exceedingly humble servant,

COWSHED.

Excuse these dashes, for Garret is boxing my ears, and desires to give his respects to you.

The Star was an asterism you thief. Quid est logica !2

E. Burke to R. Shackleton.

Eight of the clock, Tuesday, June 26th, 1744. Dear Dick's agreeable favours of the 21st and 24th instant lie before me, which I will endeavour to answer as well as I can.

Sir,-The cause of my sending you that high and mighty epistle proceeded from your styling me "Esq." a title that I have not the least right to; but as you, the humblest of my humble servants, have been pleased to confer it on me, I should think myself highly blamable did I not make use of my just prerogative. Yesterday, about a couple of hours before I received your favour, I had the honour of meeting the Hon. Edward Sands, Esq. going to see the militia of the city reviewed (who made a very handsome appearance, and in my opinion could deal with an equal, if not a superior, number of French); so I saw Mr Sands a little too late, but you may assure yourself, as I see him very often, I will not fail to make all possible enquiries into the youth.

I have considered fully this affair of Peter and Peggy, and the more I consider it the more it surprises me; so that I don't wonder that it affords a matter of discourse to your town, since it gives me sufficient speculation unconcerned as I am in the matter, and distant from the scene of action. My opinion of the case I shall here give you. You know when first the rumour of Peter's having a correspondence with Peggy beyond that which subsisted between master and servant began to fly about. I began to have a sort of suspicious belief of the truth of the story, but as Peter exerted 1 Edward Sands-a schoolfellow of Burke's at Ballitore.

An astrological figure Burke had inserted in his letter to Shackleton-by way of "astronomical devilment."

himself strenuously in his own vindication, which joined to the winning behaviour of the man, removed all suspicion of his dishonesty from me, and I believe most people, thus was the matter hushed for a time; till the wise and all powerful Providence of God thought fit to disclose it (who seldom suffers any wickedness to be long concealed) by the birth of a child. And now to consider truly the affair we shall find that Peter W is really a very unfortunate man; most of the misfortunes which we daily hear complained of proceed either from our pride which suffers us to think nothing good enough for us, or from some imaginary evils, which our discontedness never fails to show us in the most glaring colours; but his misfortunes are of another sort which cannot spring from the abovementioned source, he is now accused of heinous crimes, fornication and murder, of which he cannot anywise get clear, he is forsaken by his friends, and by his folly rendered perhaps too deservedly odious to the world, abandoned to the taunts & reproaches of an uncharitable world-a cripple, with a couple of helpless children for whom or for himself he can scarcely have the least prospect of bread. Human sufferings call for human compassion. We should rather pity the wretched man than condemn him if we consider how easily we ourselves yield to vice-how strong temptation and how weak human nature. But I find that I am moralising, a thing I am incapable of & so shall say no more, but that the poor innocent children of the unworthy father deserve greatly to be pitied; and as I hear they have relations in good circumstances, I think they should be so charitable as to take them from the hands of that woman who was lately delivered. I beg of you as I am well assured of your friendship (I know you wont refuse) to acquaint me of Dick's behaviour, whether he is changed for the better or the worse, or whether he is as cross as usual, or whether he endeavours to please your father & those put over him etc. Impartially tell.

Night creeps on apace, so that though I have abundance to say I must here break off, ardently wishing for the happy time in which I shall see my friend, with whom I may et novas audire et reddere voces. I hope no longer time shall separate us than the middle of next month, and till then assure yourself that I will, and always will, continue your sincere friend,

E. B.

Pray send me a full account in the next of the proceedings of your court in the case of P. W. etc. Saturnia astronomica sunt aeterna. The enclosed deliver to Dick with my love, and his Mamma's blessing. Desire him to write to me. I can't send anything now1.

Seven o'clock, from my own room,
just returned from College.
June 29th, 1744.

Since I received dear Dick's last favour I happened to meet an old acquaintance of mine very unexpectedly and thus. After morning lecture as it's my custom, I walked with two or three of my acquaintances in the College Park, and sitting on the wall chatting about one thing or other, 1 From Shackleton MSS. in the possession of Mrs Pilgrim.

I saw one I thought I knew passing me, along with the Park keeper; he stared at me and I at him when we immediately knew one another to be honest Mr Noel and N. Burke. He told that he had lost his testimonium1, and was coming to get another if he could; he told me that your Academy was in a flourishing condition (in which may it long continue!) and that he was in some haste, and desired me to call on him that evening. I charged him not to disappoint me, knowing what an odd sort of a man he was. He did, however, notwithstanding my frequent admonitions and his frequent promises. I met him by chance next morning in Chequer Lane2; after taxing him with a breach of promise, he informed me that he was going that minute to the bishop to be ordained and was to pass some examination, for which he told me he was but little prepared, but desired me to come to him this day and he would tell me all. I went and was once more disappointed; thus you see I cant give you any certain account of him as yet. But have I not been too prolix and related trivial circumstances that I need not? I think I have, and been guilty of the same fault often before; but I wont transgress again, and will endeavour to be a little more concise for the future. I cant, however, help telling you for my life, that I sometimes see Mr Ramsey in the College, but I shall say no more of him. I must by this send what I hope soon to say by word of mouth. I desire to have my best respects to your father, whose goodness and care to me was boundless; but I will omit here all I have to say, because I shall better express to himself the remembrance I have of all his favours, a remembrance which only death will efface. No, I mistake; I will never be able to express myself, for when I would tell him the dictates of a sincere heart, I am dash'd, and look more like a silly calf than a grateful Scholar3. But let dear Dick be assured that, whatever my appearances may be, I am his sincere friend,

E. B.

When we recall the great conversational powers of Burke "in mixed company" which all authorities attest, it is interesting to see him in the first year of his college career expressing apprehension in the following letter that he will never through lack of confidence be able to make himself agreeable. It is evident that what disabled him was the "confined" character of the usual discourse upon the

1 Mr Noel was evidently a candidate for Holy Orders. For a very long time back it has been the general practice of the Bishops of the Church of Ireland to require the production of the Testimonium of the Divinity School of Trinity College, Dublin, from those seeking ordination. Mr Noel was probably Felix O'Neill, B.A., who was ordained according to the Records in the Diocesan Registry, Dublin, 28th June, 1744, by the Archbishop of Dublin for the Bishop of Kildare. He had obtained his Divinity Testimonium according to the Trinity College, Dublin, Records, 25th July, 1738, six years before. He had been an usher at Ballitore and had graduated B.A. 22nd February, 1736.

2 'Chequer Lane. From the old Exchequer the name of 'Chequer Lane was applied to a line of buildings commenced before the middle of the seventeenth century, now called Exchequer Street and Wicklow Street, extending eastward from George's Lane to Grafton Street.

3 See ante pp. 14-18.

'news, weather, and dress," and that even in boyhood he could not breathe in commonplace.

This letter is also of interest as the knight-errantry burlesque contained in it indicates that this was the period of Burke's life when he spent much of his time, as he stated forty years afterwards in the House of Commons, in reading the romances of ancient chivalry. Richard Shackleton, who appears to have been a somewhat impressionable friend, admired Juliana Burke and ventured on a flirtation with her, as we may gather not only from this and some other of Burke's letters, but also from Shackleton's poem Julia and Belinda in which he balanced the charms of Miss Burke (Julia) and Miss Fuller (Belinda), whom he afterwards married:

I'm in love with two-Julia fair, Belinda coy

All my am'rous hours employ1.

Probably Shackleton's anxiety about his letter coming to the hands of Burke's father is thus explained: Edmund tells him he had kept it safe, and burned it.

The commands which Julia (who, according to all accounts, was a merry maiden) laid upon Richard if he were to be her true knighterrant are almost a transcription of adventures narrated in Don Bellianis of Greece. The numbers of knights, soldiers, enchanters and magicians, the dimensions of the giants, the towering walls, the impregnable castles, the brazen gates, the bolts and bars to be encountered are none less or greater than those overcome by Don Bellianis and his fellow knights; and a voyage to the Island in the Caspian Sea, and a "taking of Egypt on the way" are to be found in the Famous and Delectable History of that hero.

In his introduction On Taste prefixed to the Sublime and Beautiful, which was written to a great extent when he was in Trinity College, Burke says:

So far as Taste is natural it is common to all...one man is charmed with Don Bellianis and reads Virgil coldly: while another is transported with the Eneid and leaves Don Bellianis to children. These two men seem to have taste very different from each other: but in fact they differ very little. In both these pieces, which inspire such opposite sentiments, a tale exciting admiration is told: both are full of action, both are passionate: in both are voyages, battles, triumphs and continual changes of fortune.

On the 27th November, 1787, in the debate on the Hessian Subsidy the King's Speech having stated that the King of Prussia 1 See the poem, post p. 164 and pp. 151, 153.