The Express.
London, England, 1857-12-30 00:00:00

Al4NUZACTURE.plf#r44qyla—cullova

YSVM ATJONB.

A case which came before the County Court in
Ipswich Ise week, afforded some curl ousrevelatioes et the

manner in which the public are supplied with fictitious
biographies. Mr. J. M. Burton, the publisher in Ipswich,
about twelve months ago received from Mr. Trenery, author
of Leila Ada and other works, a manuscript entitled " The
Christian Lady, or Beligion in High Life ; a Memoir
for the Tipper Classes;" which purported to be a genuine
and authentic biography of Miss Augusta Howard,
who became Lady C. by marriage, 18.53, end died to
1866. The 118. was accompanied by • letter front the
author, offering the copyright for 1201. and adding, "Ise
Intend to give the profits to her ladyship'm poor, and
It is to be an addition to their usual winter'. note."
A subsequent interview with Mr. Trenery gave Mr.
Barton the Impression that he was intimately acquainted
with the subject of hie =mere, and an agreement wee
concluded to purchase the copyright for 501. Shortly before
Christmas Mr. Trenery wrote to his publisher, urging hid,
to "cesolude the negotiations with all convenient speed," se
hedyship's family "were particularly anxious that the
proceeds be joined to their Christme gilts," and the 601. wen
paid. Internal and other evidence had .into appeared to
prove that the book was not • genuine memoir, ea originally
supposed, and an action eras brought by Mr. Balton to recover
the 601.iti. In opening the case, Mr. Riedel), who appeared
I for the • tiff, stated that Mr. Burton was satiefiet wish the
terms o his contract, and would continue the publication of the
work if it could be proved to be an authentic biography. The
doubts of the publisher were first raised by an ruiner to a
query respecting the singular name "Arsenates," in which the
defendant stated that the sister of the Duke of Cambridge
was named Augustus Caroline Charlotte ElitebefL, a state-
ment which a reference to a " Peerage" proved to be incor-
rect. But a stronger ground for doubt enured. It bad
been euggeeted by plaintiff that a portrait of Lady C., and a
vignette of her country house, should be prefixed to the
work. The letter, in reply to this suggestion, contained the
following passage in reference to the memoir:—" 1 look for it
to do mu amongst her ladyship's own les. Many
of them , I think, like ft; because many of them I
know are earnest lovers of our Saviour end desire every help
in their heavenward course. I know Saviour,
it ft able to do
them good, much good. It always soothes my own heart
whenever 1 reed a little of it. In reference to the pletwo I
have Named idle. • • • My visits to the Lady Howard
have been usually of • kind when such a subject could not
be introduced." Soon after Mr. Burton received from Mr.
Trenery two beautifeßy engraved and coloured portraits,
one of which was underwrftAn " The Comte, of —,"
sad the other • portrait of lady Harriet andlton. The
former of these wes he said, to be altered he several
particulars, as ft had been badly copied lota the original
painting, and the dress was to be reek like that of the
accompanying portrait. Shortly after Mr. Burton ti-
the pretended portrait of Lady C. among
reriaNdfrom the Court Aloe's, on the counter of Mr.
Bogue, the publisher, In London, but bearing the name
of the Countess of Durham. The defendant, when asked
for an explanation, refused to reply to "question respecting
names which he could not in honour divulge." The plain-
tiff again wrote, asking for an explanation fir his own sans.
faction,and called upon the defendant, if he rould not ex-
plain atisfactorily, to refund the 601. and the expenses
incurred for the part printed, propeiog to plan, the MS. In
the hands of a third party. The defendant then wrote at
great length, endeavouring to establish that the portrait neat
had never been represented to be that of the subject of the
work. It was aloe shown that many parts of the MIL
which professed to be copied from her ladyebtp's diary had
been subsequently altered. Mr. Burton hal addressed
a circular to various brandies of the Howard family.
but could get ne information of a Miss ll:Award, afterwards
Lady C. Mr. Trenery, who conducted his own defence, es.
sorted that the MB. was " the genuine biography of • real
" whom he knew "pmtty well." He bad not brought
person,
ariry with him, ea he did not know it would be wanted.
He would not tell the reel names. The behind was not a
peer, but the sou of a peer, not the eldest. Ile did not think
he ought to be made to go there and be laughed at. His
Honour then asked defendant to write the real name on a
piece of paper, sod no one else should see it, bat this he re-
fined Ha stated that the bad letters with him from
the British Society for the Conversion of the Jews,
In commendation of Leda Agile. The book was
used to convert the Jews; and he hoped to make the
memoirs of Lady C. equally useful to the peerage. The
memoir In nutshell we worth 360 L, but he would not pay
601. and take the MS. back, because he preferred to clear Ns
character. Among other extraordinary assertions, the de-
fendant stated that the picture, which had been copied badly,
because it hung in a wrong light, could not be moved, be-
cause her ladyship's dying hand had helped to hang it; and
when the artist had finished the copy, he drew his bruit
arras.the face and said Thee to the creek of doom."
Defendant persisting in refusing evidence of the genuineness
of the week, judgment was given for the plaintiff for .501. and
costs, to be paid in • forinight.—Berry and Norxcic4 Port.