E-text prepared by David Clarke, Dan Horwood, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made available by Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries (http://www.archive.org/details/toronto) Note: Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/Canadian Libaries. See http://www.archive.org/details/r8548972200brycuoft Transcriber's note: Text in italics is enclosed by underscores (_italics_). Text transcribed from Greek is enclosed by plus signs (+Greek transliteration+). STUDIES IN CONTEMPORARY BIOGRAPHY by JAMES BRYCE Author of 'The Holy Roman Empire,' 'The American Commonwealth', etc. London Macmillan and Co., Limited New York: The Macmillan Company 1903 All rights reserved Copyright in the United States of America 1903 To CHARLES WILLIAM ELIOT President of Harvard University IN COMMEMORATION OF A LONG AND VALUED FRIENDSHIP PREFACE The first and the last of these Studies relate to persons whose fame has gone out into all lands, and about whom so much remains to be said that one who has reflected on their careers need not offer an apology for saying something. Of the other eighteen sketches, some deal with eminent men whose names are still familiar, but whose personalities have begun to fade from the minds of the present generation. The rest treat of persons who came less before the public, but whose brilliant gifts and solid services to the world make them equally deserve to be remembered with honour. Having been privileged to enjoy their friendship, I have felt it a duty to do what a friend can to present a faithful record of their excellence which may help to keep their memory fresh and green. These Studies are, however, not to be regarded as biographies, even in miniature. My aim has rather been to analyse the character and powers of each of the persons described, and, as far as possible, to convey the impression which each made in the daily converse of life. All of them, except Lord Beaconsfield, were personally, and most of them intimately, known to me. In the six Studies which treat of politicians I have sought to set aside political predilections, and have refrained from expressing political opinions, though it has now and then been necessary to point out instances in which the subsequent course of events has shown the action of Lord Beaconsfield, Mr. Lowe, and Mr. Gladstone to have been right or wrong (as the case may be) in the action they respectively took.