DR. KENEALY.

Grey River Argus, Volume XIV, Issue 1701, 16 January 1874, Page 3

DR. KENEALY.

It appears that Dr Kenealy, the how celebrated, advocate for the Claimant, has been known in the literary world for a long time. The Argus, in reviewing some of his works, says,:— "To men of middle age and bookish turn the name of Dr. Kenealy is not wholly unfamiliar. He has made a mark of a certain kind in the department o£ miscellaneous literature, and has once at least made his appearance in the civil courts as plaintiff in a case of literary libel. He is unquestionably a man of rare and varied gifts, coming very near — but just missing — genius. He is a most accomplished linguist, a thorough scholar, and elegant versifier, a minor poet of high rank, a caustic satirist, and a rollicking Irish humorist. "His writings, Jike his speeches, give one the distinct impression of a mind. whose fountains are perennial and always overflowing. To a devoted book-lover they are simply delightful. But there are drawbacks, and serious ones to the delight they yield. Dr Kenealy's books remind one of what Sydney Smith, nettled at ' Macaulay's engrossing all the convcrstition, once said of that unrivalled writer and talker — 'Macaulay not only overflows with learning, but stands in the slop.' The witticism is truer of Kenealy than of Macaulay. In the volumes of translations before us, for example, the author gives specimens of his knowledge of Greek, Latin, Swedish, Danish, Spanish, Magyar, Italian, French, German, ■ Portuguese, Irish, Gnipuzcoan, Breton, Arabic, Bengali, Persian, and Hindostanee. George Borrow, himself "could not beat this. Even Elihu Burrit, the many languaged American blacksmith, is vanquished on his own special ground. It is needless to interpose the remark that not many of Dr Kenealy's critics have been able to verify the accuracy of his translations from the Babylonian variety of tongues of which he professes to be master. But as he always takes care to print the exact words of the originals on the corresponding pages, it is clearly not his fault if his critics fail as to that point. (For continuation of JSewssee 4\thpage) '■