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Patrick Egan
"PATRICK EGAN . . . was born at Lowell, March 14th, 1837. His parents were in moderate circumstances, but were fully determined that their only son should receive every benefit which a careful and thorough education could give. He was placed in the public schools of his native city and there won great distinction as a studious and intelligent youth. He was subsequently admitted to the College of the Holy Cross at Worcester, Mass. . . . He was a devoted lover of the classics—he delighted to roam in the realms made familiar by Homer—to sit by the fireside with Horace—and to wander under the soft Italian sky with Virgil and Lucretius. He was well versed also in the masterpieces of modern literature—it was delightful to listen to one of his dissertations on a play of Shakespeare—to his reading of a passsage from Milton—or to his rendering of a song of Moore. It was during these halcyon college days at Holy Cross that many of the gems in [A Circlet of Memories] were written. Having completed his collegiate studies, he returned to Lowell; he entered the law office of Messrs. D.S. & G.F. Richardson, the leading firm of the city, and after pursuing the study of legal lore for three years, he was admitted to the Bar in June, 1865, and at once entered upon the active practice of his profession, opening an office at No. 56 Central Street, Lowell, in partnership with William H. Bent, Esq. To within a few months of his death, Mr. Egan continued his professional labors, and gave promise of taking an enviable position among his legal brethen. But for many years he had been walking in the shadow of Death, though this had been known only to himself, his family, and a few of his intimate friends. . . . Some of his sweetest songs came from his heart at this dark time—the dying swan pouring forth his melodious death-song finds its counterpoart not unfrequently among the children of men." [F.T.G., Lowell, [Massachusetts], Sept. 23rd, 1888, in memory of the writer's father, "preface," to Patrick Egan, A Circlet of Memories: Selected From the Writings of Patrick Egan, Esq. Late Member of the Middlesex Bar 5-6 (Lowell, Massachusetts: Harrington Bros., 1888)] Poetry Patrick Egan, A Circlet of Memories: Selected From the Writings of Patrick Egan, Esq. (Lowell, Massachusetts: Harrington Bros., 1888) |
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