Francis Sylvester Mahony

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Francis Sylvester Mahony (Father Prout) (1804‑1866), humorist, born at Cork, and educated at the Jesuit College at Clongoweswood, Co. Kildare, at Amiens, and at Rome, becoming a member of the society, was Professor of Rhetoric at Clongoweswood, but was soon after expelled from the order. He then came to London, and became a leading contributor to Fraser's Magazine, under the signature of "Father Prout." He was witty and learned in many languages. One form which his humour took was the professed discovery of the originals in Latin, Greek, or mediaeval French of popular modern poems and songs. Many of these jeux d'esprit were collected as Reliques of Father Prout. He wittily described himself as "an Irish potato seasoned with Attic salt." Latterly he acted as foreign correspondent to various newspapers, and died at Paris reconciled to the Church.

This article incorporates public domain text from: Cousin, John William (1910). A Short Biographical Dictionary of English Literature. London, J.M. Dent & sons; New York, E.P. Dutton.