From John Conwill   October 5th 1841.

October 5th 1841.

‘Had I a poet’s, painter’s skill

Or a strong creative will

I’d write in polished lays

Of Tyndall and of old Kinsale

Of Leighlin’s sons and Donerale¹

Well known in modern days.’

‘My dear Tyndall’

I have once more scared away the king of terrors² after having laboured hard during fourteen or fifteen day’s severe illness. As I am very incapable of writing a long letter I must now turn my thoughts another way and send you something on grammar and a few selections from two letters written by Tony O’Neill’s son³ on the Repeal of the Union.⁴ You may judge for yourself on the grammatical acumen displayed by the classical dolt of Ln.⁵ On grammar – ‘While over all hangs the rich purple eve’, ‘As conscious of its being her last farewell’,⁶ – In what case is ‘farewell’ in this sentence?⁷

So sung

‘The glorious train ascending: he through heaven,

That opened wide her blazing portals, led

To God’s eternal house direct the way.’⁸

What does ‘led’ govern in this and on what does ‘way’ depend?

‘The free fair homes of England!

Long, long in hut and hall

May hearts of native proof be rear’d

To guard each hallow’d wall.’⁹

In what case are fair homes & <word(s) missing>. Now to O’Neill’s letter¹⁰ – ‘On reading a few days back &c’ ‘But for an Irishman, for a Catholic, too, to endure and support such principles, would be to cast an indelible stigma upon the most grateful, the most generous, and most desirous, too, of Ireland’s future bliss’. Mind this: ‘The writer asks what would be justice to Ireland. Fellow-countrymen mind the answer which it gives – shudder at the thoughts of it. Ponder it, tell it to your &c, and when you have it instilled &c, teach them to remember it.’

‘To be silent on the present most important period that has ever been read in the annals of Irish History, and to regret little which has been long and often ardently sought by Ireland’s sons, to be imprinted on the Irish character, & having now fixed that distinguishing mark upon every true Irish man’s heart, let its indelible stamp pass on to the future men of Ireland.’ ‘To refuse to give utterance to the throes which swell my heart when I touch at all the subject of repeal, would be to choke the thrill which pervades the veins and hearts of the Irish people.’ Here is young O’Neill of classic notoriety for you!

It appears I made a mistake in defending Paul¹¹ – however it may be corrected thus:– Assume any abc erect gh gd and to join dh construct the [yId] having Iy e dh & [yId] supplement of half the cmb; the cbm being the supplement of the assumed abc,¹² I presume to day that this will satisfy you as to Paul’s defence.

Not being able to write more | I remain your ever sincere teacher | J. Conwill

RI MS JT/1/11/3522

LT Transcript Only