So writes Mr. Gill in his biography of Poe, published in Boston in 1877, and he continues-"Upon investigation it appears that Griswold's misrepresentations arose from the bitter enmity in which this mediocre writer held Poe on account of the slashing critique of his (Griswold's) 'Poets and Poetry of America.'"

Doubtless there is much truth in this remark, for Poe seems to have taken a savage delight in severely criticising his contemporaries, and whether or not this was due -not to personal ill-feeling-but to extreme sensitiveness to artistic imperfections, as many biographers assert, the fact remains the same. It appears to be without doubt that he made hosts of enemies by these needlessly severe criticisms.

But around the story of his life there has grown such a mass of inconsistent and contradictory statements that it is difficult, at this lapse of time, to arrive at the exact truth. Even the date of his birth is disputed. This much, however, is certain, that he was very poor and of so restless a disposition that he could never remain long at one post. With regard to his drunkenness, it appears to be beyond dispute that this has been greatly exaggerated, that even a small glass of wine was sufficient to excite him so highly as almost to bring on temporary insanity. Thus, N. P. Willis writes, "with a single glass of wine. his whole nature was reversed; the demon became uppermost, and . . . his will was palpably insane." In those days it was much more difficult than now to abstain, and one of the causes of his isolation from society ap

pears to have been his sensitiveness to this weakness which obliged him to outrage, as he thought, his native courtesy, and decline even one glass of wine. It is believed that the following memoir presents as impartial and faithful a transcript of the life of Edgar Allan Poe as it is now possible to obtain, and while, on the one hand, falsehoods have been omitted, faults have not been unduly palliated. Numerous biographies have been consulted and compared, and the one substantially followed is that written by Mr. Wm. F. Gill, and published in Boston in 1877. This seems to be one of the most complete and trustworthy that has yet appeared in his own country, and contains numerous letters and facts communicated by personal friends, which cannot fail to be of great interest.

Acknowledgement is also due to Mr. Eugene Didier's memoir, published in New York in 1879, from which much fresh and interesting information has been obtained and many false statements corrected.

ប

LIFE

OF

EDGAR ALLAN POE.

ANCESTRY.

HE life of the author of "The Raven," furnishes a

fascinating story. The life of the beautiful and gifted boy, who, born in poverty, reared in luxury, and thrown upon the world friendless and forlorn at the age of twenty to seek his own fortune, burst through all barriers of ill-natured criticism, by the force of his genius, and placed his name high on the scrolls of fame—such a life must always command attention, and inspire interest. Sympathy for his sorrows, and admiration for his gifts, will always remain.

Edgar Allan Poe was born on the 19th January, 1809, in Boston. Some writers give the date, 1811, but the former seems to be correct. His father's family had then been in

America many years, having emigrated from Ireland about the middle of the last century.

The name is of Italian origin, and the poet's remote ancestors were originally a noble family, dwelling on the banks of the river which now bears their name; indeed, genealogical research finds it of considerable antiquity. Like the Geraldines and other Anglo-Norman settlers in Ireland, the Poes passed from Italy into Northern France, and thence through England into the Emerald Isle, where they finally settled, retaining however for a long period their national traits. As far back as 1327 descendants can be traced, the name in its Gallic form being spelt Le Poer.

The characteristics of the Le Poers were very marked. They always appear to have been improvident, adventurous, and recklessly brave, and Mrs. Whitman, in her exposition of the literary life of Poe, remarks that “the possible influence, on a character so anomalous as that of Edgar Poe, of the mental and constitutional peculiarities of his ancestors are certainly worthy of note."

For many years the Le Poers were connected with some of the most romantic incidents of Irish history, and they were deeply involved in the Irish troubles of 1641, which led to the dispersion of their families and the forfeiture of their lands.

The old family now became widely scattered; some branches appear to have retained their old Italian name, De la Poe, which naturally became anglicized into Poe; while others were modernized into Power. The domain of Powerscourt took its name from the Le Poers, and was for centuries in the possession of the family.

The branch from which the poet descended seems eventually to have settled in Londonderry, and here, in 1743, David Poe, the Grandfather of Edgar Allan Poe, was born. His