the Irish
intellectual movement. She reminded me the other day that when she first
asked me what she could do to help our movement I suggested nothing; and,
certainly, no more foresaw her genius that I foresaw that of John Synge,
nor had she herself foreseen it. Our theatre had been established before
she wrote or had any ambition to write, and yet her little comedies have
merriment and beauty, an unusual combination, and those two volumes where
the Irish heroic tales are arranged and translated in an English so simple
and so noble, may do more than other books to deepen Irish imagination.
They contain our ancient literature, are something better than our
_Mabinogion_, are almost our _Morte D'Arthur_. It is more fitting,
however, that in a book of memoirs I should speak of her personal
influence, and especially as no witness is likely to arise better
qualified to speak. If that influence were lacking, Ireland would be
greatly impoverished, so much has been planned out in the library, or
among the woods at Coole; for it was there that John Shawe Taylor found
the independence from class and family that made him summon the conference
between landlord and tenant, that brought land purchase, and it was there
that Hugh Lane formed those Irish ambitions that led to his scattering
many thousands, and gathering much ingratitude; and where, but for that
conversation at Florimond de Bastero's, had been the genius of Synge?

I have written these words instead of leaving all to posterity, and though
my friend's ear seems indifferent to praise or blame, that young men to
whom recent events are often more obscure than those long past, may learn
what debts they owe and to what creditor.

END.

PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN BY THE DUNEDIN PRESS LIMITED, EDINBURGH

Transcriber's Notes:

Passages in italics are indicated by _italics_.

Periods after "Mr" and "Mrs" are used inconsistently in the original.

The following misprints have been corrected:
"philospohy" corrected to "philosophy" (page 51)
"unkown" corrected to "unknown" (page 87)
"have have" corrected to "have" (page 92)
"comparson" corrected to "comparison" (page 117)
"politicion" corrected to "politician" (page 128)
"spendid" corrected to "splendid" (page 137)
"mother'" corrected to "mother's" (page 151)
"discoverey" corrected to "discovery" (page 161)
"Shakesspeare's" corrected to "Shakespeare's" (page 169)
"knowlege" corrected to "knowledge"