of which is a distinguished poet, and a
zealous supporter of the present administration. To this class of Mr.
Moore's works belong his "Fables for the Holy Alliance," and "Rhymes on
the Road," which deserve, in some respect, a higher reputation than the
former volumes.

Mr. Moore appears equally to have cultivated a taste for music as well as
for poesy; and the late Dr. Burney was perfectly astonished at his talent
which he emphatically called "peculiarly his own." In 1813, Mr. Moore's
fame was materially increased by the appearance of his exquisite songs to
Sir John Stevenson's selection of Irish Melodies. Some of these songs are
among the finest specimens of poetry in our language, and the morality of
the whole of them is unexceptionable. They have since been collected into
one volume. In 1816, he published "A Series of Sacred Songs, Duets, and
Trios," the music to which was composed and selected by himself and Sir
John Stevenson.

In 1817, came forth his great work, on which he was known to have been
long engaged, and which if it had been his only production, would have
carried his name down to posterity as one of the first bards of his time.
"Thoughts that breathe, and words that burn," would not be an
inapplicable motto for this oriental romance, which unites the purest and
softest tenderness with the loftiest dignity, and glows in every page
with all the fervour of poetry. For the copyright of this poem he is said
to have received the sum of 3,000 guineas, and it must have proved a
source of immense profit to the publishers.

In 1818, Mr. Moore visited his native city, Dublin, on which occasion our
poet was invited to a public dinner, which was graced by a large
assemblage of the most distinguished literary and political characters.
The Earl of Charlemont took the chair; Mr. Moore sat on his right hand,
Mr. Moore, sen. a venerable old gentleman, the father of the poet, was on
the left.

On Lord Charlemont proposing "The living Poets of Great Britain," Mr.
Moore said--

"Gentlemen, notwithstanding the witty song which you have just heard,
and the flattering elevation which the author has assigned me, I
cannot allow such a mark of respect to be paid to the illustrious
names that adorn the literature of the present day, without calling
your attention awhile to the singular constellation of genius, and
asking you to dwell a little on the brightness of each "particular
star" that forms