Some time after the Union, Mr. Curran was walking by the Parliament House with a certain member, a friend of his, who had supported that measure; this gentleman observed that he never passed that house without the deepest melancholy and regret. "I do not wonder at it," said Mr. Curran, "I never knew a man' who had committed murder, who was not haunted by the ghost of the murdered whenever he came to the spot at which the foul deed was done."

When Mr. Curran was at school, the productions of some country poet came out in manuscript; they were praises of the genius of some friend: Mr. Curran was very much captivated with them; and, having but a transient view of them, he requested one of his school-fellows to obtain a copy and send it to him; the latter complied with the request; and, so impressed was he with what Mr. Curran would be, that the verses were accompanied with the following short prophetic lines from his young friend:

"If a fine taste, by genius led,
And wit and humour kindly shed,
Furnish matter for a name,

You'll be, too, some poet's theme."

The following was a compliment paid Mr. Curran at a much later period of life; and is

ascribed to Mr. Joseph Atkinson, of the county of Dublin. Having always understood that this was one among his many literary effusions, I hope I intrude not upon him in giving it the authority of his name. It marks the opinion of the writer; and tends to corroborate what I have said of Mr. Curran. I understand it may be found in Mr. Atkinson's printed Poem on Merrion, which I take on the assurance of a friend I cannot doubt:

"In my mind's eye" with fancy gay and free,
I'll seek the friend of mirth and social glee;
Who, from his rural eminence *, looks down
On all the folly and the pomp of town-
Whose beams of wit and eloquence so bright
Blaze round the banquet and the guests delight-
Whose powers resplendent 'mongst our patriots shone,
When Ireland claim'd a Senate of her own;

But now his fancy leads the Nine along,
To charm retirement, and adorn his song;
"And often mingles in our friendly bowl
"The feast of reason, and the flow of soul."
And if they ask on whom such talents shine,
The world must own they are, dear CURRAN, thine.

་་

The children of Mr. Curran who now survive him are Richard, who was called to the Irish bar, and for some years has retired from it, under the visitation of a settled melancholy; John, a captain

* His Villa near Rathfarnham, county of Dublin.

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in the Navy; William, now an Irish barrister, and a gentleman of considerable promise; Mrs. Taylor, the wife of an English clergyman; Amelia, unmarried. He had another son, James, who died in the East Indies; and a daughter, who is also dead. Of his brothers I knew two: one who is seneschal of Newmarket; the other was bred an attorney, and was considered a young man of as much natural genius as Mr. Curran himself.

I have obtained from Ireland an abstract of Mr. Curran's will. The cause of delaying his interment was to learn if he had given any directions, as to place of burial, manner, or other particulars : his will was silent on these points.

The date of the will is the 19th of September, 1816, and was opened in presence of Mr. Burton, Mr. Richards, Mr. M'Nally, Mr. John Franks, barristers, and Mr. Ponsonby Shaw. It was deposited at Mr. Shaw's bank; and the abstract, which I know to be authentie, is as follows:

"His real and personal property is left in trust to Philpot Fitzgerald for his life-use, with remainder to Mr. Curran's collateral relations; subject to a charge of 5000l. for Henry Fitzgerald, brother to Philpot Fitzgerald, called his nephews; a provision

on the estate of 80%. a-year for Mrs. Curran for her life; an annuity of 50%. a-year to his daughter Amelia Curran, in addition to such provision as he before had made for her; a sum of 3007. is bequeathed to Mrs. Dickson, of Brompton; some small legacies; but neither of his sons Richard, John, or WilJiam, are mentioned in the will or codicil; nor is his daughter Mrs. Taylor. The will appears to be inartificially drawn; and that circumstance, together with the minority of Philpot Fitzgerald and Henry Fitzgerald, it is supposed, will make it necessary to have a bill filed to carry the trusts into execution. Thomas Quin, John Franks, John Glover, and Charles Burton, Esquires, are named trustees and executors.

He had in the Irish funds from ten to twelve thousand pounds in the 3 per cents, stock in his own name. The Priory was the whole of his freehold estate. The interest he had in a lease of his former residence in the county of Cork had expired. He also had some property in the American funds, but I cannot at present ascertain its amount it is supposed not to have been considerable.

Since the above was written Mr. Curran's interment took place, on Tuesday the 4th day of November. His funeral was private, and was attended by his own family, and a few friends.

His remains were deposited in a vault at Paddington. On his coffin he is described to have died aged sixty-seven: and on it might have been justly inscribed,

NON OMNIS MORIAR.

"I come to bury Cæsar, not to praise him.
The evil, that men do, lives after them;
The good is oft interred with their bones;
So let it be with Cæsar." SHAKESPEAR.