Story of a young barrister named Tarleton, who while studying in London forms a firm friendship with Gerald MacCullagh (really O’Donnell), who becomes a nationalist leader. The latter, in spite of himself, sees the national movement drift into one of incendiarism and robbery, resulting, among other things, in a night attack (fully described) on Merton Castle, somewhere in Co. Clare. Tarleton refusing to give up his friend is disowned by his father, and comes to live in a Dublin boarding house. There are good pictures of Dublin life, the amusing foibles of a peculiar section of the upper classes being well hit off. The Author gives his views on the various questions of the day. Shows how the Bar was injured by the prevalent jobbery. There are a good many incidents, but perhaps they scarcely rescue the book from being dull. ⸺ THE GAP OF BARNESMORE. Three Vols, each about 335 pp. (LONDON). 1848. “A tale of the Irish Highlands and the Revolution of 1688.” Appeared without the author’s name. An attempt to portray, without partisan bias, the events of the time and the heroism of both sides in the Williamite Wars. The whole question at issue between the colonists and the native Irish is well discussed in a conversation between Father Meehan, representing the latter, and Captain Spencer, representing the former. Every word of it applies, as it was meant to apply, to modern times. ⸺ CHAPTERS OF COLLEGE ROMANCE. Pp. 344. (LONDON). 1863. A reprint of stories that first appeared in the DUBLIN UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE, some of them as far back as 1834. The purpose and character of these stories is well described in Preface:—“When I say that these pages are the romance of truth, I mean that they are true.... I am very sure that if I succeed in simply bringing before the reader’s eyes the life and the death of many whom I myself remember gay and light-hearted.... I shall have done something towards impressing on his mind the lesson, ‘remember thy Creator.’” He tells us also, “I was much, very much longer an inmate of Alma Mater than falls to the average of her sons.” Five Stories, tragic for the most part, viz. I. “The Billiard Table” (ruinous results of gambling.) II. “Reading for Honours” (a harrowing story of the fatal results of jealousy). III. “The Mariner’s Son.” IV. “The Murdered Fellow; an incident of 1734.” V. “The Sizar,” “a story of a young heart broken in the struggle for distinction.” ⸺ CHILDREN OF SORROW. An obituary notice in, I think, the IRISH TIMES describes this as Butt’s first essay in fiction, but the book is not in the British Museum Library, and I have been unable to trace it. =BUXTON, E. M. Wilmot-=, _see_ =WILMOT-BUXTON=. =[BYRNE, E. J.].= Author of _Without a God_. ⸺ AN IRISH LOVER. Pp. 271. (_Kegan Paul_). 6_s._ 1914.