par ma naissance, ni mes relations, je puis dire que je m'y intéresse avec un cœur Irlandais, et que j'ai conservé plus que le nom de mes pères. Cela seul me fait espérer que mes petits voyageurs ne subiront pas le triste noviciat des étrangers. Puissent-ils remplir leur mission sur le sol natal, en agissant conjointement et toujours pour la cause Irlandaise, et amener enfin une ére nouvelle pour cette héroïque et malheureuse nation :-le moyen de vaincre de tels adversaires s'ils ne font qu'un ? "Vous dirai-je, Monsieur, les doux moments que je dois á vos ouvrages? ce seroit répéter une fois de plus ce que vous entendez tous les jours et de tours les coins de la terre. Aussi j'ai garde de vous ravir un tems trop précieux par l'echo de ces vieilles vérités. "Si jamais mon étoile me conduit en Irlande, je ne m'y croirai pas étrangére. Je sais que le passe y laisse de longs souvenirs, et que la conformité des désirs et des espérances rapproche en dépit de l'espace et du tems. "Jusque-lá, recevez, je vous prie, l'assurance de ma parfaite considération, avec laquelle j'ai l'honneur d'etre, "Monsieur, "Votre trés-humble servante, Of the translations that have appeared of the Melodies in different languages, I shall here mention such as have come to my knowledge. Latin.-"Cantus Hibernici," Nicholas Lee Tor re, London, 1835. Italian.-G. Flechia, Torino, 1836.-Adele Custi, Milano, 1836. French.-Madame Belloc, Paris, 1823.-Loeve Veimars, Paris, 1829. Russian.-Several detached Melodies, by the popular Russian poet Kozlof. Polish.-Selections, in the same manner, by Niemcewich, Kosmian, and others. I have now exhausted not so much my own recollections, as the patience, I fear, of my readers on this subject. We are told of painters calling those last touches of the pencil which they give to some favourite picture the "ultima basia ;" and with the same sort of affectionate feeling do I now take leave of the Irish Melodies,-the only work of my pen, as I very sincerely believe, whose fame (thanks to the sweet music in which it is embalmed) may boast a chance of prolonging its existence to a day much beyond our own. DEDICATION ΤΟ THE MARCHIONESS OF HEADFORT. Ir is with a pleasure, not unmixed with melancholy, that I dedicate the last Number of the Irish Melodies to your Ladyship; nor can I have any doubt that the feelings with which you receive the tribute will be of the same mingled and saddened tone. To you, who, though but little beyond the season of childhood when the earlier numbers of this work appeared, lent the aid of your beautiful voice and, even then, exquisite feeling for music, to the happy circle who met, to sing them together, under your father's roof, the gratification, whatever it may be, which this humble offering brings, cannot be otherwise than darkened by the mournful reflection, how many of the voices which then joined with ours are now silent in death! I am not without hope that, as far as regards the grace and spirit of the Melodies, you will find this closing portion of the work not unworthy of what has preceded it. The Sixteen Airs, of which the Number and the Supplement consist, have been selected from the immense mass of Irish music which has been for years past accumulating in my hands; and it was from a desire to include all that appeared most worthy of preservation, that the four supplementary songs which follow the Tenth Number have been added. Trusting that I may yet again, in remembrance of old times, hear our voices together in some of the harmonised airs of this Volume, I have the honour to subscribe myself, Your Ladyship's faithful Friend and Servant, Sloperton Cottage, May, 1834. |