ART. 2.-GERMANY'S DEBT TO FRANCE 1. La Formation de la Prusse Contemporaine. By G. Cavaignac. Two vols. Paris: Hachette, 1891-8. Alcohol: its action on the Human Organism. Report of a Committee appointed by the Central Control Board (Liquor Traffic), Nov. 1916. With Preface by Lord D'Abernon. H.M. Stationery Office, 1918. ART. 5.-THE GERMAN BANKS AND 'PEACEFUL PENETRA- 1. Das Verhältnis der deutschen Grossbanken zur Industrie. By Otto Jeidels. Leipzig: Duncker and 1. First Interim Report of the Committee on Currency and Foreign Exchanges after the War. 1918. [Cd 2. Reports of the Committee on National Expenditure. 97 Some Links in the Chain of Russian Church History. By W. H. Frere, Priest of the Community of the Resurrection. London: Faith Press, 1918. 1. Congressional Government: A Study in American Politics. By Woodrow Wilson. Boston: Houghton, 1. Finland and the Finns. By Arthur Reade. Methuen, 2. Det röda upproret i Finland. By Henning Söder- hjelm. Stockholm: Albert Bonnier, 1918. 2. The Question of Alsace-Lorraine. By Jules Duhem. (Translated from the French.) Hodder and Stough- ton, 1918. 1. British League of Nations Society. Publications. QUARTERLY REVIEW. No. 458. JANUARY, 1919. Art. 1.-JOHN MURRAY III. 57 My grandfather, John Murray the second, has received an ample meed of renown and credit at the hands of the public. Not more I think than he deserves, but rather to the eclipse of his predecessor and of his successor, both of whom in my humble opinion deserve a fuller recognition than has yet been given them. One hundred and fifty years ago it required more resolution than it does to-day for a young man to give up his commission in the army and start a trading business on his own account; but this was what the first John Murray did in 1768. That he had many close friends in the service is shown by the letters of his correspondents, many of whom rose to distinction in later years. He had a genuine love of, and a taste for, literature, and he laid the foundation well and truly, although he died before he had attained to any great financial success. My present purpose however is not to write about him but about my father-the third John Murray in the direct line. In 1843 he succeeded to the headship of the business, which had already taken its place among the leading publishing firms in London, but, owing to my grandfather's generous mode of living and of treating his authors, was not in a very flourishing financial position. My father therefore had before him many years of strenuous work to remedy this deficiency. Of his early school days at Charterhouse he seldom spoke much, but an occasional reference to a bully who kept a cricket-stump with which to thrash small boys is remembered. However great the traditions of a public Vol. 231.-No. 458. school may be, it must have been a sad curtailment the wholesome life of the boys to be cooped up in th centre of a city like London; and my father often sai that he could not subject his own sons to such a di advantage. From his earliest years he suffered fro an inflammatory malady of the eyes, which great hampered his enjoyment of life and his power of takin part in games. I never knew him except as a very shor sighted man; and his was a form of short-sight whic derived no aid from glasses. As we grew older, w children were accustomed to act as eyes for him in recog nising friends. In spite of this, his powers of observatio in regard to scenery, architecture, painting, etc., wer extraordinary; and he never seemed to forget what h had once seen. In January 1827, at the age of 18, he was sent t Edinburgh to study at the University, and there h entered upon a life of study and associations which wer thoroughly congenial to him. He lodged with the Rev Andrew Thomson, D.D., as a member of the family and, from first to last, Dr Thomson's only word of com plaint in regard to him was that he had too many friend in Edinburgh, and was tempted to go into society so much as to endanger his studies, although it is evident that in the long run they did not suffer. He attended the lectures of Prof. Jameson in geology and mineralogy of Dr McCulloch in Political Economy, and Dr Hope in chemistry, besides taking lessons in French, German mathematics and riding. From the outset to the end o his days, geology and mineralogy constituted his favourite pursuit. He never went on an excursion from Edinburgh without his hammer and bag and note-book, and he formed a good collection of minerals, which is now in the School Museum at Eton. I gather from my father's letters that Dr Thomson's misgivings in regard to social attractions were not unwarranted. He had many relations and friends in Edinburgh and appears to have received a large number of invitations to town parties and country houses. find him going to stay with General Elliot, a relative of his mother, at Rosebank, with Sir William Fettes at Gogar Bank and with General Bethune at Blebo. Here he was initiated in the art of partridge shooting, but without much success owing to his defective eye-sight'I ought rather,' he writes, 'call it firing than shooting, as I only brought down one bird.' In Edinburgh he dined frequently with Captain Basil Hall, in whose house he met a Mr Audubon,' the distinguished American naturalist. At Mr Ballantyne's he met Mrs Siddons; and he also went to see Dugald Stewart, a connexion of his father's. One of the most notable events of his stay in Edinburgh was the famous dimmer of the Theatrical Fund, at which he was present, when Sir Walter first publicly owned to the authorship of the Waverley Novels. Of this he writes as follows: 'Edinburgh, Feb. 26, 1827. 'Mr Allan had kindly offered to take me with him to a Theatrical Dinner which took place on Friday last. There were present about 300 persons, a mixed company, many of them not of the most respectable order. Sir Walter Scott took the chair, and there was scarcely another person of any note to support him, except the actors. The dinner therefore would have been little better than tolerable had it not been for the confession of Sir Walter Scott that he was the author of the Waverley Novels. This acknowledgment was elicited from him in this manner. Lord Meadowbank, who sat on his left hand, proposed his health, and, after paying him many compliments, ended his speech by saying that the clouds and mists which had so long surrounded the Great Unknown were now removed, and he appeared in his true character (probably alluding to the exposé made before Constable's creditors, for I do not think there was any preconcerted plan). Upon this Sir Walter rose and said, "I did not expect, on coming here today, that I should have to disclose before 300 people a secret which, considering that it has already been made known to about 30 persons, has been tolerably well kept. I an not prepared to give any reasons for preserving it a secret; caprice had certainly a good share in the matter. Now that it is out, I beg leave to observe that I am sole and undivided author of those Novels; every part of them has originated with me, or has been suggested to me in the course of my reading. I confess I am guilty and am almost afraid to examine the extent of my delinquency. 'Look on 't again I dare not.' The wand of Prospero is now broken, and my book is buried; but before I retire I shall propose the health of a person who has given so much delight, I dare say, to all now present, the Baillie Nicol Jarvie." |