Career of an unprincipled lawyer, who gains judgeship by a series of crimes and keeps it by crimes even more heinous. A greatly overdrawn picture of a dark and unpleasant side of life. Such incidents as a packed jury condemning unjustly the presiding judge’s son (with the judge’s own approbation) to penal servitude seem wholly improbable. The parson and his wife afford a gleam of humour. Although some of the worst of the characters are Protestants, there are several apparent sneers at things Catholic. “It is not written virginibus puerisque.”—(I.B.L.). The career of Blanco Hamilton seems to be founded on that of Judge Keogh, and the incidental references are to the latter’s times. Other novels of this writer, a Corkman, living in Cork, are The Errors of the Comedy, The Fen Dogs, The Terrible Choice.
FORSTER, C. F. Blake-, [see BLAKE-FORSTER].
FRANCILLON, Robert E.
⸺ UNDER SLIEVE BÁN: a Yarn in Seven Knots. Pp. 275. (N.Y.: Holt). 1881. It originally appeared as a Christmas Annual with Coloured Illustrations. Pp. 128. (Grant). 1s.
A story of faithful love laid (at least its opening and closing scenes) in Wexford (“Dunmoyle”). Period about 1798. Michael and Phil both love Kate Callan. Kate loves P. best, and M. goes away. Returning after three years, he finds Kate mourning P., said to be lost at sea. M. and Kate are married, but on the evening of the marriage M. meets P. M. “disappears,” but in foreign parts meets P.’s French wife. The two couples are united again. Kate is shot in the rebellion, but survives to discover that M. was the best man after all. Dialect natural but refined.
“FRANCIS, M. E.”; Mrs. Blundell. Born at Killiney Park, near Dublin. Is the daughter of Mr. Sweetman, of Lamberton Park, Queen’s County; and was educated there and in Belgium. In 1879 she married the late Francis Blundell, of Liverpool. This home of her married life is the background of many of her stories—(Ir. Lit.). Among her books are: Whither (1892), In a North Country Village, A Daughter of the Soil, Among Untrodden Ways, Maimie o’ the Corner, Pastorals of Dorset, The Manor Farm, The Tender Passion (1910), and several others, besides those noticed in this book—about thirty in all. All Mrs. Blundell’s writings are noted for their delicacy of sentiment, deftness of touch, pleasantness of atmosphere. They are saved from excessive idealism by close observation of character and manners. Her Irish stories show sympathy and even admiration for the peasantry.
⸺ THE STORY OF DAN, (London: Osgood, M’Ilvaine). (Boston: Houghton). 0.50. 1894.
“A brief tale, told with directness and tragic simplicity of a magnanimous peasant, who adores with infatuation a worthless girl, and sacrifices himself uselessly and blindly. Friendly portraits of Irish country people are among the minor characters.”—(Baker).
⸺ FRIEZE AND FUSTIAN. (Osgood). 3s. 6d. 1896.
The book is in two parts—the first a reflection or picture of the mind and soul of the Irish peasant, the second of that of the English peasant. The comparison or contrast is not elaborated nor insisted upon. The pictures are there, the reader judges. A series of short stories or studies form the traits of the pictures, bringing out such points as the kindness of the poor to one another, a mother’s love, a mother’s pride in her son become priest, a servant’s fidelity, and various stories of love. All told with delicate feeling and insight. The Author has lived among both peoples. There is a good deal of dialect.