connection with the ‘Times,’ and laid the foundation of a lasting and connection with the 'Times', and laid the foundation of a lasting and confidential intimacy with its leading proprietor. During this period he was associated with Horace and James Smith, Mr. Herries, Colonel Greville, Prince Hoare, and Mr. Richard Cumberland in writing both prose and verse for two short-lived publications called ‘The Cabinet’ and ‘The Picnic.’ He returned to Dublin in 1802, and in 1804 created great local commotion there by a little volume in octosyllabic verse of ‘Familiar Epistles’ to Mr. Jones, the manager of the Crow Street Theatre, ‘on the Present State of the Irish Stage.’ The theatre was then the delight of the best people in Dublin, and yielded, as Croker mentions, the large income for those days of 5,000l. a year to the manager—a sum, as he says, ‘greater than the salary of two of the judges of that land.’ Between 6,000l. and 7,000l. was in fact the true amount. But, to judge by Croker's book, the liberality of the manager in providing a company of good actors did not keep pace with the liberality of the public. In a kind of ‘Rosciad,’ a very pale reflex of Churchill's masterpiece, the actors and their manager are passed in review. The writing is not without point and sparkle. Five editions of the book were sold within the year. Parties in society and in the press raved about the book. The author, said the ‘Freeman's Journal,’ is ‘an infamous scribbler.’ ‘He is a well-educated gentleman,’ rejoined another organ. Croker, with characteristic coolness, published in his successive editions an abstract of the conflicting praise and abuse. The book has now no interest except for dabblers in histrionic story. The preface and notes are overloaded with quotations from Greek, Latin, Spanish, Italian, and French—a vice, partly of vanity, partly of pedantry, from which Croker's style never thoroughly cleared itself. His next literary venture was in prose, and met with even greater success. It was called ‘An Interrupted Letter from J— T—, Esq., written at Canton to his friend in Dublin,’ and under the disguise of Chinese names gave a piquant sketch of the Irish capital and its notabilities. It reached a seventh edition within a year, and then was forgotten. Meanwhile Croker was making his way at the Irish bar. He attached himself to the Munster circuit, where he first encountered Mr. Daniel O'Connell. His father's influence got him briefs in many revenue cases; he seemed in the way of rising into a large practice, and in 1806 he married Miss Rosamond Pennell, daughter of Mr. William Pennell, afterwards British consul in South America. She proved to be a thoroughly congenial companion, and he always regarded his union with her as the chief blessing of his life. In the same year, the candidate for Downpatrick, whom he had gone down to support, having withdrawn, Croker made an unsuccessful attempt to gain the seat. He was, however, successful when a dissolution took place the following year on the collapse of the 'All Talents' ministry. He now declared his general adherence to the administration of the Duke of Portland, reserving to himself freedom on the question as to the removal o fcatholic disabilities, to which he was strongly favourable. It is manifest tha by this time he was well assured of his powers as a speaker, for on the night he took his seat in the House of Commons he spoke on the state of Ireland, stimulated into doing so by some observations, which he thought injurious and unfounded, of a no less formidable orator than Grattan. This bold venture proved entirely successful. ‘Though obviously unpremeditated,’ he wrote long afterwards, ‘I was not altogether flattered at hearing that my first speech was the best. I suspect it was so. Canning, whom I had never seen before, asked Mr. Foster to introduce me to him after the division, was very kind, and walked home with me to my lodgings.’ The acquaintance thus begun, cemented as it was by community of opinion on the catholic question, ripened into a friendship which only terminated with Canning's death. The impression made by Croker in the house was greatly strengthened by the ability with which his views on that burning question were stated in a pamphlet called ‘A Sketch of Ireland Past and Present.’ It ran rapidly through twenty editions, and its sound and far-seeing views have been found of such permanent value that it was reprinted (1884) in answer to a widely expressed desire. It fixed upon its author the attention of all the leading politicians of the day, Perceval among them, who, though his opinions were diametrically opposed to those enunciated in the pamphlet, formed so high an opinion of the writer's powers and aptitude for business that he recommended Sir Arthur Wellesley, on his appointment in June 1808 to the command of the forces in the Peninsula, to entrust to the young Irish member during his absence the business of his office of chief secretary for Ireland. Sir Arthur acted upon his advice, and a relation between himself and Croker was thus established, which grew into intimacy and lasted through life. Croker's duties, while they furnished him with experience of official work and an insight into parliamentary tactics of the highest value, gave him a position which commanded a hearing for him in the House of Commons. The discussions there in 1809 on Colonel Wardle's charge against the Duke of York of conniving
Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 13.djvu/130
