Falkiner, C. Litton. Illustrations of Irish History and Topography, mainly of the Seventeenth Century; with three maps. London & c.: Longmans, Green and Co., 1904. [10801]
Russett publisher's cloth, gilt titles to spine, 9 x 6 inches. Old library matter with label to spine stamps & bookplate within, discard stamps. 443 generally clean pp., with the maps. Good. Hardcover.
This book "consists, as a glance at the table of contents will show, of two separate parts. Part I. comprises what, for want of a better distinction, must be termed a series of original papers. Part II. contains a number of accounts or descriptions of Ireland in the seventeenth century by seventeenth-century writers. The book has originated in the desire to realize for myself the social condition of Ireland at a period singularly pregnant of lasting effects upon her history; and I have ventured to think that some of the results of a study undertaken with that object may prove interesting to others." - Preface.
Caesar Litton Falkiner (1863-1908), Irish Unionist Party politician, barrister and historian. He died during a hiking expedition in the Alps. At the unveiling of his monument in the nave of St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, Col. Edward Macartney-Filgate spoke, "We desire to record not only our affectionate appreciation of his singularly unselfish and loveable character, but also our grateful recognition of his earnest endeavour to teach us to read aright the tangled history of this island. Entirely free from any desire to weave a web wherewith to veil the clouds that overhang the vista of our troubled past, he yet sought to unravel the skein with all the patience of a true craftsman; in the hope that those that come after might learn to avoid the hate and passion, which too often in bygone years confused it in the winding."
