THE SONGS OF IRELAND.

SECOND SERIES.

THE

SONGS OF IRELAND.

Second Series.

EDITED BY

HERCULES ELLIS.

THE POET'S MOTTO.

Whence should the Poet seek the sacred fire,
To kindle in his soul the thought divine?
To what high themes should he attune his lyre,
To crown with immortality his line?

First let him strike the sounding shell;
And to all time the praises tell
Of those, who nobly fought, and fell,
The tyrant's bonds to break;

Next let him sing, in softer strain,

Of those, who wore love's gentle chain,

And proved that wealth and power were vain,

Their constancy to shake:

And ever let the Poet's motto be-

"THE LIBERTY OF LOVE, AND LOVE OF LIBERTY."

DUBLIN:

PUBLISHED BY JAMES DUFFY,
10, WELLINGTON-QUAY.

LONDON: SIMPKIN, MARSHALL, & CO.,

STATIONERS'-HALL COURT.

1849.

OTHE

INTRODUCTION.

Of all the literary treasures of a people, none more enrich the language, and exalt the sentiment of a nation than their

minor poems.

By far the greater number of poems of this class, in the English language, are designated by the ill-defined and promiscuously-used appellations of song and ballad. Though this community of name would naturally suggest some similarity of form or character in these poems, such is far from being the case: in structure of verse-in length-in sentiment—and in subject matter, their variety is as rich, and as endless, as that of the leaves and flowers of spring.

These little creatures of poetry, clothed in their draperies of rich and flowing verse, mingle with our most laborious thoughts, refresh our weary minds, and strew the thousand paths of memory with sweet, unfading flowers.

They consecrate the names they mention, and embalm the noble thoughts which they express. Like lovely hamadryads they seem to haunt our hills and dales, of which they sing; they perpetuate our deeds of glory; and, seizing in their soft embrace our legends, almost dead, they breathe into them the undying soul of poetry, and render them immortal.

This great dissimilarity-this endless variety would seem to indicate classification, as the first duty of the critic. To assist the poet, to direct the student, and to prevent confusion, a careful arrangement of minor poems would appear