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Bibl. details: Stopford A. Brooke and T W. Rolleston, eds., A Treasury of Irish Poetry in the English Tongue (London: Smith, Elder, & Co. 1900) [15 Waterloo Place].
Dedicated to Sir Charles Gavan Duffy ‘among whose many services to Ireland/was the publication of the/first worthy collection of Irish national poetry/the editors, with deep respect dedicate this volume.’ Stopford A. Brooke, Introduction, [vii]-xxiv, incl. para., ‘As yet, in modern Ireland, the larger religion is untouched, the religion of the greater poets - not their persoal religion which is often limited - but that which poetry of its own will creates; which answers for the unformulated aspiration of the soul towards the eternal love; which is neither Catholic nor Protestant, but includes both; which has no fixed creed, no necessary ritual, no formulas; and no church but that invisible Church with which the innumerable spirits of the universe are in communion, and whose devies bears the words, ‘The Letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life.’ It is my hope that the spiritual tendency of Irish poetry will embody that conception.’ [xxxii.] |