An Irishman, brilliant and useful in his day, Dr. R. R. Madden, has passed away from among us at the age of eighty-seven. Though best known in Ireland as the author of the "Lives of the United Irishmen" and the "History of Irish Periodical Literature," Dr. Madden was author of many valuable works of travel, etc., and that which some consider his best, the "Life and Martyrdom of Savonarola." Apart from his authorship, Dr. Madden led a busy and useful life, having spent some years as special magistrate in Jamaica, and worked in concert with Wilberforce, Buxton and Clarkson, for the abolition of slavery. He also, later, held successively the posts of Superintendent of Liberated Africans at Havana, under the British Colonial office, and of Acting Judge Advocate in the Mixed Commission Court, under the Foreign Office. In 1841 he was chosen by Lord John Russell a Commissioner of Inquiry on the Western Coast of Africa, and in 1847 was appointed to the Colonial Secretaryship of Western Australia. In a memoir of Dr. Madden's life and labors, published in the _Dublin University Magazine_ for March, 1876, the author remarks: If Dr. Madden had never written a line, his services in connection with the abolition of the slave trade would entitle him to public gratitude. If in the fearless discharge of his duty Dr. Madden excited the enmity of the slave interest, he also won golden opinions from those who were really the negro's friends. Not only abroad, but in his own country, men of the very highest eminence were foremost in recognizing his signal abilities and services. It is seldom that a man succeeds in winning the unreserved approbation of such men as Lords Glenelg, Palmerston, Russell, Derby and Normanby, as well as eliciting admiration of such members of his own profession as Gregory, Cooper, Brodie, Johnson, Crampton, Kirby and O'Reilly. But perhaps the most valuable tribute came from the lips of Buxton and Clarkson, two of the finest champions ever furnished by humanity to the oppressed colored race. With these men, as also with William Wilberforce, must be linked the name of our countrymen. * * * * * Transcriber's Notes: Obvious spelling and punctuation errors were repaired, but unusual spellings and grammatical uses were retained (vender, millionnaire, both indorse and endorse, academical, clock times using periods rather than colons, etc.). Both prophecy and prophesy, snowdrops and snow-drop, traveller and traveler, were used in this text. Double quote marks within quote marks were standardized to single quote marks. Hyphenations were standardized. Beginning P. 385, "Notes on Current Topics" through the end of the text, the original placed minor (shorter) thought breaks between each separate entry, including single paragraph entries. Transcriber has retained only the major thought breaks, and thought breaks indicating the beginning and end of multi-paragraph entries.