ANECDOTES OF CURRAN.

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From one of those Greek isles recently reillumed by the vigorous and fascinating poetry of the most original writer of this century, a beautiful Smyrnese lady, perhaps sister to the Bride of Abydos, lately arrived in Dublin. To the repose and softness of her eye, the finely turned oval of her face, there were added a languishment of air, and a richness of dress, peculiar to those delicious climates, from which time has not despoiled them of every thing by despoiling them of freedom. Such were her charms, that she was followed in the public assemblies and in the streets, by crowds of admirers. Walking in one of the squares, she was perceived by a friend of Mr. Curran, who instantly exclaimed, "Oh! there is the beautiful woman from Smyrna, I must leave you for a moment to see her. Shortly after returning, he found Mr. Curran, who said, "Well my friend, what say you, Quid tibi visa Chios, quid Smyrna?”

He was engaged on behalf of a plain tradesman, a citizen of Dublin, who had been ill-treated, where insult was added to injury, and where the man was horse-whipped, beaten down, and falsely imprisoned. He complained through Mr. Curran to a court of justice, and a jury listened to his tale of woe and of sufferings, which wanted not the colouring of imagination; it was most affectingly told by his counsel: he used no ornaments to dress out the victim which had already suffered so much. His appeals were deeply affecting, because natural. He gave up to the jury the case of an innocent and oppressed man in terms which were directed to the heart-the jury and the audience were touched but the client, who heard all, was so overwhelmed that he burst forth from a silence he had before been noticed for, into a sudden. exclamation, accompanied with tears: "Oh! my Lord, all the counsellor has told you is every word of it true, but till this moment I never knew I had been half so cruelly illtreated."

A hot fool, plunged into distress, was playing at billiards, and having wagered his only guinea on the success of the game, became tremulously anxious on the last stroke of the ball; perceiving the clock giving notice to strike one, as he hoped, and fearing some distraction, he paused for a moment; another and another succeeded, till the clock went insensibly on to twelve. Thus suspended, his irritation increased, he played and lost, and in his rage seizing the ball, drove it at the clock with such fury and force that he broke it in pieces: the owner sought compensation and obtained it. This being related in the presence of Mr. Curran, he observed "That the damage should be very small as the clock struck first."

An Englishman, visiting Dublin for the first, sat next Mr. Grattan at a civic feast, and found him as dull-as the place and occasion required. He was much disappointed; and seeking an occasion to meet Mr. Curran a few days after at dinner, not apprised of the unbroken intimacy and friendship which politically and privately ever subsisted between those gentlemen, indiscreetly observed, that Mr. Grattan, appeared to possess nothing striking in conversation, and to have exhibited nothing of those extraordinary powers for which he was so celebrated. Mr. Curran started, and replied, "Surely, sir, you cannot expect that the sun will be always found in its meridian: permit me, however, to ask you where you had the good fortune to have met this gentleman." On being answered, at a city feast; "Oh, yes it is very true: I comprehend it perfectly. Yet, take my word for it, my good sir, he is still a sweet bird, though he never sings but in his own climate."

Shortly after the establishment of our colony at Botany Bay, when the population was fast increasing, Mr. Curran in one of his speeches upon a criminal trial, observed, "that should the colony thrive, and become a regular civil government, what a pleasant thing it would be to have the laws administered by judges reprieved at the gallows; by justices who had picked pockets; by counsellors who had pleaded at the bar for their lives; by lawyers who had set the law at defiance; to see house-breakers appointed to protect the public property; highwaymen entrusted with the public money; rioters invested with commissions of the peace, and shoplifters to regulate the markets. Such, however, said he, were the original people of Rome; and such the foundation of the states of America."

A beautiful young woman of the name of Serjeant, whose father was an officer of a yeomanry corps in Dublin, happened to pass Mr. Curran in the street; struck by her beauty, he inquired of a friend who she was, and being answered, that she was the lovely Miss Serjeant whom he had seen ten years before at Cheltenham-"What, not married yet? then I suppose her father will make her a permanent Serjeant."

Mr. Hoare's countenance was grave and solemn, with an expression like one of those statues of the Brutus head: he seldom smiled; and if he' smiled, he smiled in such a sort as seemed to have rebuked the spirit that could smile at all. Mr. Curran once observing a beam of joy to enliven his face, remarked, "Whenever I see smiles on Hoare's countenance, I think they are like tin clasps on an oaken coffin."

ANECDOTES OF CURRAN.

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A gentleman of one of the scuthern counties in Ireland well known for a certain determination of mind, and unaccommodating strength of resolution, was perceived to be very active on some trial in which Mr. Curran was engaged; it was proposed to refer the case to the arbitration of this gentleman, as he was reputed to be an honest man: on the other side an objection was raised, founded on the known sternness of his character; and it was also remarked, that his iron leg was the softest part about him; "Oh, surely," said Mr. Curran, "that must be irony."

The printed speech of some young barrister* had been laid before Mr. Curran, and his opinion asked after he had carefully perused it. “Why,” said he, "there is much more of flower than figure in it-more of fancy than design it is like (as I suspect the mind of the author to be) a tree in full blossom-shake it, and you have them on the ground in a minute, and it would take a season to reproduce them."

An eminent member of Parliament, a leader of the opposition, being in the company of Mr. Curran, had heard him copiously and vehemently descant on the numerous grievances under which he represented Ireland to be labouring. This gentleman, became very urgent in his solicitations to get materials for some good speeches from such a source, rather imprudently requested of Mr. Curran to supply him with a list of these grievances, accompanied by such observations and details as he would wish to make upon them. Mr. Curran suspecting that there was full as much of personal interest as of patriotism in the request, declined gratifying it. Some friend asked him, in a few days after, why he did not comply with the earnest desire of the person alluded to. "No," said Mr. Curran, "I have no notion whatever, at my time of life, nor indeed at any, to turn hodman to any political architect."

A barrister of the name of Going had, among other pleasantries, a favourite story, which he so agreeably exaggerated every time he told it, that at length it became too monstrous for belief. He was charged with this in presence of Mr. Curran, who observed, that the story was not the worse for being enlarged, that it was an excellent story, and had the merit of proceeding like Fame-"Nam ires acquirit eundo,” i. e., “it gathers strength by going."

Charles Phillips, his future biographer.-M.

Speaking of the supineness of Government, while the fire of rebellion was not yet extinguished, but raked over, he observed they were like the silly sea-boy, who thought that during the time he slept, the ship ceased to

move.

In Parliament, on the debate of an important question, involving some of the deepest interests of his country; perceiving the House to be very thinly attended, he rose, and after many arguments and observations, he at length demanded in a commanding tone of voice of the Speaker—“ Where are the members? have they not been summoned? It seems then," said he, "they are not forthcoming; perhaps at this very moment, they may be found chained in couples in the kennel, or under the management of the ministers' secretary."

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Enthusiastically fond of music, he perceived at a rehearsal, one of those Roderigos or foolish gentlemen, who haunt concerts and oratorios, busy and bustling, ordering and disordering everything: vexed with the popinjay, he observed to a friend-"Mark that fellow, he is like the fool who blows the bellows for the organist, and because he does so, he thinks it is himself who performs the instrument."

Speaking of the profession of the law, he compared the hope of success to the gamut of the musicians; he said one should gather his strength and begin with the low notes; and this he illustrated by saying, "It reminded him of a cunning barber, who began his trade by shaving a beggar, in the hope that one day or other he would rise to shave a duchess."

Walking one evening in autumn, in Saint James's Park, accompanied by Mr. Charles Phillips, celebrated equally for his eloquence as for his poetry, there suddenly came on a violent tempest, which rived the gnarled oak, and shook the leaves, and strewed them over the walks, as thick as those in Vallombroso, which Mr. Curran remarking, said, “My dear friend, observe here; we are desired by philosophy to take lessons from Nature; yet how foolishly does she seem to act on the present occasion; she flings away her blessings and her decorations; she is at this moment very busy in stripping those_defenceless trees, at the approach of winter and of cold, at that very season when they most want covering."

THE END.

INDEX.