MOORE, Thomas, Irish poet: b. Dublin, 28 May 1779; d. Bromham, near Devizes, 25 Feb. 1852. He was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, with a view of becoming a lawyer, and in 1800 entered as a student at the Middle Tem ple. In 1800 he published a translation of 'Anacreon' dedicated to the Prince of Wales (his enemy in after years), and in 1801 Poetical Works of the late Thomas Little.' His fine musical talent got him admission to the best society. The office of admiralty registrar at Bermuda was bestowed on him in 1803. The post was given to him as a sinecure, and he quitted it after appointing a deputy to form his duties. In November 1804 after a tour through the United States and British America, he was back again in England. In 1806 he published 'Odes and Epistles,' which contained some attacks on America, and, casti gated by Jeffrey in the Edinburgh Review, oc casioned the memorable frustrated duel be tween him and the distinguished critic who had no bullet in his pistol. Moore entered in 1807 into an engagement with Power, the music nub lisher, to produce a series of adaptations to the national Irish airs, he furnishing the words and Sir John Stevenson the music. This great undertaking, which extended over a number of years, only completed in 1834, is the work on which his reputation will mainly rest. Many of the numbers, such as 'The Last Rose of Sum mer,' and 'Those Evening Bells,' are generally familiar. His 'National Airs' (1815) included 'Oft in the Stilly Night' and the Songs' (1816) ; the Loud In 1811 he married Bessie Dyke, an actress. The Twopenny Post Boy, by Thomas Brown the Younger,' a series of satires on the proceed ings of the prince-regent and his ministers,. appeared in 1812, and by their genuine wit attracted much attention and in this kind of composition he afterward excelled. The same year he removed to Mayfield Cottage, near Ashbourne, Derbyshire, and here his 'Lalla Rookh> was elaborated. Its production was the result of an agreement with Messrs. Longman,
by which he was to receive 3,000 guineas for a poem to form a quarto volume. It appeared in 1817, and its success fully justified the liberality of Moore's publishers. It was translated into numerous languages, and attained a European fame. Later criticism has deemed it rather a work, as Garnett says, "of prodigious talent,* than of the genius ascribed to it in Moore's own day. The same year appeared a satirico burlesque poem, Fudge Family in Paris' (1818) in the form of a series of amusing letters supposed to be written by the different mem bers of an excursion party to the Continent. on the Road' and of the Holy Alliance' followed in 1819. About this time he became involved in serious embarrass ments by the defalcations of his deputy in Bermuda and found himself suddenly called upon to make up a deficiency of 16,000, ulti mately reduced to about f1,000. This vast sum he contrived to clear off by his literary earnings. In 1822 appeared his of the Angels' The of Sheridan' was produced in 1825, and the 'Epicurean,' a prose romance of small value, in 1827. Next came the justly praised 'Life of Lord Byron) (1830). (See BYRON ). His remaining works include the 'History of Ireland) (1846), written for Lardner's (Cyclo and a task which he found very severe. For nearly the last 30 years of his life he resided at the cottage of Sloperton, near De vizes. Moore's fame, great in his own day, has suffered diminution, except in so far as his songs are concerned, his more ambitious poems being little read. A biography in eight volumes, edited from his journal and corre spondence, was published after his death by his friend, Lord John Russell (1853-56). Con sult also Clark, J. C. L., 'Tom Moore in Ber muda) (Boston 1909) • Gwynn, 'Thomas Moore' (in the 'English Men of Letters) series, London 1905); Gunning, 'Thomas Moore, Poet and Patriot) (ib. 1900) ; Vallat, 'Thomas Moore sa vie et ses ceuvres) (Paris 1887). See LALLA ROOKH.