y awakens the sympathy of the young as the imaginary
presence of the good and great amid the scenes where their most glorious
works were accomplished; the associations connected with Kilcolman are
so mingled, that their contemplation produces a variety of
emotions--admiration for the poem which was created within its
walls--contemplation of the "glorious two" who there spent so much time
together in harmony and sweet companionship, despite the storms which
ravaged the country; then the awful catastrophe, the burning of the
castle, and the loss of Spenser's child in the flames, still talked of
in the neighborhood, were certain to make a deep impression on the
imagination of a boy whose delicate health prevented his rushing into
the amusements and society of children of his own age. There are plenty
of crones in every village, and one at least in every gentleman's house
to watch "the master's children" and pour legendary lore into their
willing ears, accompanied by snatches of song and fairy tale. All these
were certain to seize upon such an imagination as that of Burke, and lay
the foundation of much of that high-souled mental poetry--one of his
great characteristics; indeed, the circumstances of his youth were
highly favorable to his peculiar temperament--his delicate constitution
rendered him naturally susceptible of the beautiful; and the locality of
the Blackwater, and the time-honored ruins of Kilcolman, with its
history and traditions, nursed, as they were, by the holy quiet of a
country life, had ample time to sink into his soul and germinate the
fruitage which, in after years, attained such rich perfection.

An old schoolmaster, of the name of O'Halloran, was his first teacher;
he "played at learning" at the school, long since in ruins; and the
Dominie used to boast that "no matter how great Master Edmund (God bless
him) was, HE was the first who ever put a Latin grammar into his hands."

Edmund was one of a numerous family; his mother, who had been a Miss
Nagle,[1] having had fourteen or fifteen children, all of whom died
young, except four,--one sister and three brothers: the sister, Mrs.
French, was brought up in the faith of her mother, who was a rigid Roman
Catholic, while the sons were trained in the father's belief. This,
happily, created no unkindness between them, for not only were they an
affectionate and a united family, but perfectly charitable in their
opinions, each of the other's creed. As the futu