At Moneyglass, near 'room, in the county of Antrim, the hospitabie mansion of the late Mr Jones, he spent many a pleasant clay ; nor was he deficient in gratitude for tne many civilities he experienced during his stay. He has enshrined the convivial and philanthropic charac ter of Mr Jones, in one of his best jilan.ctier ; of this, the air alone remains, the words are now forgotten. The well-known English version, called " Bumper Squire Jones," being written by Baron Dawson, and is one of the best drinking songs extant, and well adapted to the original air of Carolan. It was during his peregrina tions, that Carolan composed all those airs which are still the delight of his countrymen, and will transmit his name to the remotest posterity. Ile thought the tribute of a song due to every house in which he was entertained, and he never failed to pay it; generally choosing for his subject the head of the family, or the loveliest of its branches. The subject of one of his favourite and most admired compositions was a Miss Nugent, who lived near iielanagar, in the county of Roscommon, when she inspired our bard ; and he has endeavoured to do justice to her merits in the song now well know n by the name of Gracy Xugent. A Miss Fethers:on, of the county of Lot•gford, whom he accidentally met on her way to gave rise to the much admired composition call ed " Carolan's Devotion." It is related, on good autho rity, that Carolan in his mood, and even when his genius was most inspired by the flowing bowl, could never compose a planxty on a Miss Brett, in the county of Sligo, whose father's house he frequented, and where he always met a reception due to his taste and endow ments. One day, it is said, alter an unsuccessful 'attempt to compose somethiog in a sprightly strain on this amia ble young lady, he threw aside his harp in a mixture of rage and grief, and addressing himself in Irish to her mother, " Madam," said he, " i hate often, from my great respect to your family, attempted a planxty, iu order to celebrate your daughter's perfections, but to no impose. Sonic evil genius always hovers over me there is not a string in my harp that does not vibrate a melancholy sound whenever I set about this task. I fear she is not doomed to remain long amongst us." Tra dition says, that the event verified the melancholy pre diction, as the young lady did not survive it twc lye months. Carolan, from a defect in education, had in his early days contracted a fondness for spirituous liquors, which never forsook him during the remainder of his life ; but inordinate gratifications always carry their pun ishment along with them ; nor was Carolan exempt From suffering his full share. Ills physicians having assured him, that unless he corrected this pernicious habit, a scurvy, which was the consequence of his intemperance, would soon put an end to his mortal career ; he at last, though with great reluctance, promised to obey, and se riously resolved upon never again tasting the seducing cup. The town of Boyle was at this time his principal place of residence. There, whilst under this severe re gimen, he wandered about the streets ; his usual gaiety forsook him ; no sallies of his once lively imagination broke out ; every moment was laden with care, and marked with a dejection of spirits bordering on the deepest melancholy ; his favourite harp lay in an obscure corner of his habitation, neglected and unstrung. In this deplorable situation, passing a whisky shop one day in town, after having abstained six weeks from tasting spi rits, he was tempted to step in, undetermined whether to yield to the temptation, or adhere to his late resolutions. " Well, my dear friend," said he to the young man who stood behind the counter, " you see I am a man of con stancy ; for these six long weeks I have refrained from whisky—was ever there so great an instance of self-de nial ? But a thought strikes me—you will surely not deny me the favour I am about to solicit. Bring me a measure of my favourite liquor, that I may just smell it, and I assure you I will not put it within my lips." The young man complied with his request, and no sooner did the fumes ascend into his brain, than every latent spark within him was rekindled, his countenance glowed with unusual brightness, and lie poured forth the ffu sions of a heart newly animated, in wild but poetic ex pressions over the bowl to Y1 hich he owed his inspira tion. At length, to the great peril of his health, and
contrary to the advice of all his friends, he once more drank the prohibited beverage, renewing the draught until his spirits had fully resumed their former tone. He then immediately set about composing the much admir ed and far famed song, which goes by the name of Carolan's Receipt for drinking Whisky." He com menced the words, and began to modulate the air that evening in Boyle ; and, before ten o'clock the next morn ing, he sung and played this noble offspring of his ima gination in Mr S!afford's parlour at Elphin. In justice however, to Carolan, it must be remarked, that notwith standing his fondness fur spirituous liquors, he i cry sel dom carried his drinking the length of intoxication ; but he imagined that whisky assisted him in his musical corn position, and therefore never composed without a bottle of it beside him. To deny Carolan his favourite bever age, was a certain method of rousing his satire. Being one time in the house of an old lady, who was remarka bly parsimonious in this way, he chanced to hear the but ler, whose name was O'Flinn, open the cellar door, and laying aside his harp, followed him into the cellar, re questing a cup of beer ; the butler, in rather an insulting tone, ordered him out, declaring he would give him nothing without orders.
Carolan indignantly exclaimed, "What a pity Hell's gates were not kept by O'Flinn So surly a dog would let nobody in !" The fame of Carolan, as a musician, haying reached the ears of an eminent Italian music-master in Dublin, he determined to put his abilities to a severe trial, the result of which convinced him how well-founded had been whatever was said in his favour. The method he made use of was this : he selected an excellent piece of music in the Italian style ; but here and there either altered or mutilated it in such a way, that none but a real judge could detect the alterations. Carolan be stowed the deepest attention on the performer, while he was playing it, not knowing it was intended as a trial of his skill, and that the critical moment was at hand which was to determine his reputation, as a musician, for ever. He declared it to be an excellent piece of music, but to the astonishment of all present, he said, very humorously, in his own language, Ia se air awls air bacaighc, that is, literally, “Ilere and there it limps and stumbles." He was then requested to rectify the errors, which he accordingly did; and in this state, the piece was sent from Connaught to Dublin. The Italian no sooner saw it, than he pronounced Carolan to he a true musical genius.
In 1733, Carolan experienced a severe domestic afflic tion in the death of his wife, which had a visible effect on his constitution. His spirits greatly forsook him, and the only piece of composition that be attempted from that to his death, was a monody on her death, known by the name of".Mary M.Guire." Carolan, while on a visit at Mrs of Alderford, in the county of Ros common, was taken suddenly ill, and died there in the month of March 1738. in the 68th year of his age ; and was interred in the parish church of Kilronan, in the diocese of Ardagh. But no memorial exists of the spot in which his remains were laid. Ile had seven children by his wife, six daughters, and one son, who studied music, and went to London, where he taught the Irish harp. Before his departure, he published, in 1747, a collection of his father's music ; but omitted, through mercenary motives, some of the very best of his pieces. It was republished in Dublin, by John Lee, in 1780.
Carolan, as a musician, stands in the very lirst class, and has added considerably to the ancient stock of Irish music, for which his country has been, from the earliest times, SO celebrated. Many of his pieces, it is to be feared, are now lost ; but we hope, that most of them may yet he recoveied, through the indefatigable exer tions of the ingenious Mr Bunting of Belfast. Sec his General collection of thr .Inci•nt Music of Ireland ; and the Bafast Monthly .Magazinr, No. 12, vol. iii. (n)