Lady Morgan (1786-1859), the daughter of an Irish actor, wrote several romances, of which "The Wild Irish Girl" was the most popular. The Countess of Blessington (1790-1849), also an "Irish Girl," wrote several novels, and "Conversations with Lord Byron." She was noted for her beauty and accomplishments; and her residence, Gore House, Kensington, was for many years the resort of cultivated people, both English and foreign.

A noteworthy literary curiosity is the tale of "Frankenstein," unique in its conception, and most remarkable as having been written by a girl of seventeen. Several friends, among whom was "Monk" Lewis, were gathered together, one rainy day, in Byron's villa near Lake Geneva, and, after amusing one another with ghost-stories and the like, it was proposed that each of the party should write a story, making it as horrible as possible. Byron began one called "The Vampyre," which was afterward finished by his physician, Dr. Polidori. The only other person who carried out the plan was Mary Godwin, afterward the wife of the poet Shelley. She produced the story of "Frankenstein," where a student, anxious to fathom the mysteries of life, forms and causes to live a creature with the form of man, who, by circumstances, becomes a terror to others and a burden to himself, and whose creation is described with a hideous realism that has no exact parallel in literature. Mrs. Shelley wrote several novels, and after Shelley's untimely death (1822) she edited his poems with explanatory notes by her own hand.

Samuel Lover (1797-1868) was a man of varied talent, being an artist, musical composer, and poet, as well as a writer of novels. In the latter capacity he wrote "Legends and Stories of Ireland," and the inimitable "Handy Andy," while "Rory O'More," "Molly Bawn" and "The Lowbacked Car" attest his skill as a song-writer.

George Payne Rainsford James (1801-60), was one of

the most successful writers of historical novels. From the time when he published "Richelieu," at the age of twentyfour, until he was well past fifty, he wrote between seventy and eighty books, most of them being in the form of the English three-volume novel. Without attaining a very high rank even among second-class novelists, James's novels have always commanded a great sale for circulating libraries, and are still eagerly sought by the omnivorous novelreader. He had a pleasing gift of narrative, and contrived always to interest the reader in his personages, though they lack the reality which we have in later years grown accustomed to demand from writers of fiction. James spent several years in America, as consul at Richmond, and afterward filled a similar position at Venice up to the time of his death. He is said to have had reason to complain that his name was given to books which he never wrote and which were unworthy of and even discreditable to him.

Captain Frederick Marryat (1792-1848) is a name dear to the heart of every schoolboy who has ever felt the magic of his portraitures of boy-life. "Peter Simple," "Jacob Faithful," "Japhet in Search of a Father," "Mr. Midshipman Easy," "Masterman Ready," "Settlers in Canada,' "The Children of the New Forest," and "Snarley-Yow," are only a few of his two dozen stories, all written within twenty years. Many of his works are sea tales. He had a passion for the sea, and, after having tried several times to run away, was allowed at the age of fourteen to enter the navy. In the wars with Napoleon, he was present at more than fifty naval engagements, and often received "honorable mention" for his gallantry. His novels are full of fun, incident, adventure and feeling, and have a freshness which, at the time he wrote, was unknown to the novel-reading world. His "Diary in America" (1839) was unpopular in this country from the excessive severity of his criticisms.

The literary life of Benjamin Disraeli (1805-81), better known now as Lord Beaconsfield, is divided into two widely separated parts. From his twenty-second to his twentyseventh year he produced half a dozen novels, including "Vivian Grey," "The Young Duke," and "Contarini Fleming," beside other works. He then entered political life, and for nearly forty years wrote nothing further except parliamentary speeches and state-papers. At the age of

sixty-five he again tried his hand at novel-writing in "Lothair," and ten years later published his last work of fiction, "Endymion." It is as a statesman rather than as an author that Lord Beaconsfield will be most honorably remembered. He was the son of Isaac Disraeli (1766-1848), an essayist of the preceding generation, whose name will be found in a later chapter.

William Harrison Ainsworth (1805-82) was a prolific writer of fiction. He chose for his early novels "Rockwood" and "Jack Sheppard," heroes from the criminal classes. The later tales, among which are "Admirable Crichton" and "The Tower of London," are less objectionable in subject and sentiment. Whatever is of a historical nature in his novels shows great research and industry.

Charles Lever (1806-1872), a native of Ireland, was a brilliant and successful novel-writer, taking for his subjects, mainly, the depicting of Irish character. His early novels, "Harry Lorrequer" and "Charles O'Malley," are full of stirring incident and boisterous fun; the later stories are more subdued in tone and show more refinement. Lever was for several years editor of the "Dublin University Magazine."

Dr. Samuel Warren (1807-77) was a distinguished physician, and wrote, beside many short tales, the extremely popular novel of "Ten Thousand a Year." He had few of the higher qualities of a novelist, but excelled in caricature, of which his characters," Tittlebat Titmouse" and "Oily Gammon" are specimens. His "Mr. Quick

silver" is said to have been intended for Lord Brougham. Among his shorter stories, those collected under the title of "Diary of a Physician," are the most powerful. They were published anonymously, and were written with such evident medical skill that the unknown author was accused by the faculty of betraying the secrets of their profession.

Mrs. Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell (1810-65) was one of the most distinguished of England's women novelists. Her mother died at the time of her birth, and her studies were pursued under the direction of her father, who was a man of cultivation. After his death she lived with an aunt until her marriage to the Rev. William Gaskell of Manchester. In her new position she was a most efficient help to her husband, devoting herself to ministrations among the poor, and interested in everything that concerned the factory-hands, especially the young girls. It was to relieve the depression caused by the loss of her only son that (urged by her husband) she began to write, in order to turn her thoughts from her own grief. After one or two short stories she produced "Mary Barton," a tale of Manchester life. It sprang at once into favor and has always held its place as a standard work of fiction. The publisher to whom it was first sent rejected it without reading; the next one kept it a year without acknowledgment, and then gave her £100 for the copyright. It was published anonymously, and she was entertained by hearing the various opinions expressed in Manchester, for and against it. After the appearance of "Mary Barton" (1848) she visited London, and became acquainted with many of the great authors of the day-among others with Charlotte Brontë, whose biographer she was afterward to become. From this time her pen was never idle; "North and South," "Cranford," and "Wives and Daughters," (which last she was just finishing at the time of her sudden death) are generally considered the best of her novels; while her "Life of

Charlotte Brontë," who was for years her dear friend, is as interesting as a novel, and may be called one of the most fascinating biographies ever written.

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CHAPTER XLVII.

THE REVIEWERS.

HE first of the great quarterly reviews to be established was the "Edinburgh," begun, in 1802, by a

company of dashing young writers, who said what they thought without caring whom they pleased or offended. Among the original contributors were Sydney Smith, Jeffrey, Scott, Brougham and Horner. All (except Scott) were liberals, and they enjoyed cutting and slashing away at their opponents. Francis Jeffrey (1773-1850) was the sharpest critic, and was its first editor (except for a very brief term of Sidney Smith), continuing to hold that position for twenty-seven years. He was a Scotch advocate, afterward raised to the bench and peerage as Lord Jeffrey, by which name he is now known. He had a quick eye for

seizing the weak points of an author, and great power of sarcasm; but he was not so ready to acknowledge excellence, and sometimes made woful failures in judgment. What he wrote was always readable, however, and he was not behind the others in creating the popularity of the "Edinburgh."

Henry Brougham (1779-1868), afterward Lord Brougham, is known as an orator and statesman as well as an author. His versatility was amazing. Physical science, international law, educational reform, biography, all engaged his attention and had been made the subjects of deep thought and study. His prodigious industry is shown by the fact that as lord chancellor of England he left not a