of the present enlarged volume of Father Ryan's poems would wish,
and as the many friends and admirers of the dead priest and poet desire.
So distinguished a character and so brilliant a man
cannot be passed over lightly, or dealt with sparingly,
if the demand of his friends and the public generally would be satisfied
even in a moderate degree; for Father Ryan's fame is the inheritance
of a great and enlightened nation, and his writings have passed into history
to emblazon its pages and enrich the literature of the present
and succeeding ages, since it is confidently believed that,
with the lapse of time, his fame and his merits will grow brighter
and more enduring. With this appreciation of his merits,
and a realizing sense of what is due to his memory,
and with an equal consciousness of his own want of ability
to do justice to the subject, the writer bespeaks the indulgent criticism
of those who may read the following remarks -- admittedly far short
of what are due to the illustrious dead.

The exact date and place of Father Ryan's birth are not yet
definitely settled. Some assert that he was born at Norfolk, Va.;
others claim Hagerstown, Md., as the place of his birth;
whilst there is some ground to believe that in Limerick, Ireland,
he first saw the light. The same uncertainty exists as to time.
Some claim to know that he was born in 1834, whilst others fix
with equal certainty, the year 1836 as the time. In the midst of these
conflicting statements, the writer prefers to leave the questions at issue
for future determination, when it is hoped that final and conclusive proof
will be obtained to place them outside the realms of dispute.
Meanwhile, he will present what may be regarded as of primary importance
in forming a correct estimate of the character of the deceased,
and the value of his life-work, which, after all, are the chief ends