JAMES, DAVID (1839-1893), English actor, was born in London, his real name being Belasco. He began his stage career at an early age, and after 1863 gradually made his way in humorous parts. His creation, in 1875, of the part of Perkyn Middlewick in Our Boys made him famous as a comedian, the performance obtaining for the piece a then unprecedented run from the 16th of January 1875 till the 18th of April 1879. In 1885 he had another notable success as Blueskin in _Little Jack Sheppard_ at the Gaiety Theatre, his principal associates being Fred Leslie and Nellie Farren. His song in this burlesque, "Botany Bay," became widely popular. In the part of John Dory in _Wild Oats_ he again made a great hit at the Criterion Theatre in 1886; and among his other most successful impersonations were Simon Ingot in _David Garrick_, Tweedie in _Tweedie's Rights_, Macclesfield in _The Guv'nor_, and Eccles in _Caste_. His unctuous humour and unfailing spirits made him a great favourite with the public. He died on the 2nd of October 1893. JAMES, GEORGE PAYNE RAINSFORD (1799-1860), English novelist, son of Pinkstan James, physician, was born in George Street, Hanover Square, London, on the 9th of August 1799. He was educated at a private school at Putney, and afterwards in France. He began to write early, and had, according to his own account, composed the stories afterwards published as _A String of Pearls_ before he was seventeen. As a contributor to newspapers and magazines, he came under the notice of Washington Irving, who encouraged him to produce his _Life of Edward the Black Prince_ (1822). _Richelieu_ was finished in 1825, and was well thought of by Sir Walter Scott (who apparently saw it in manuscript), but was not brought out till 1829. Perhaps Irving and Scott, from their natural amiability, were rather dangerous advisers for a writer so inclined by nature to abundant production as James. But he took up historical romance writing at a lucky moment. Scott had firmly established the popularity of the style, and James in England, like Dumas in France, reaped the reward of their master's labours as well as of their own. For thirty years the author of _Richelieu_ continued to pour out novels of the same kind though of varying merit. His works in prose fiction, verse narrative, and history of an easy kind are said to number over a hundred, most of them being three-volume novels of the usual length. Sixty-seven are catalogued in the British Museum. The best examples of his style are perhaps _Richelieu_ (1829); _Philip Augustus_ (1831); _Henry Masterton_, probably the best of all (1832); _Mary of Burgundy_ (1833); _Darnley_ (1839); _Corse de Léon_ (1841); _The Smuggler_ (1845). His poetry does not require special mention, nor does his history, though for a short time during the reign of William IV. he held the office of historiographer royal. After writing copiously for about twenty years, James in 1850 went to America as British Consul for Massachusetts.