The Sun.
London, England, 1857-12-31 00:00:00

A case which came before the County Court in
Ipswich last week, afforded some curious revela-
tions of 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 ,Religion in JEligh Life ; •
Memoir for-the Upper Classes ;" which purported
to be a genuine and authentic biography of Miss
Augusta Howard, who became Lady C. by mar-
riage, 1853, and died in 1855. The MS. was ac-
companied by a letter from the author, offering
the copyright for 1201., and adding " We intend
to give the profits to her ladyship's poor, and it is
to be an addition to their usual winter's store."
A subsequent interview with Mr. Trenery gave
Mr. Burton the impression that he was intimately
acquainted with the subject of his memoir, and an
agreement was concluded to purchase the copyright
for 501. Shortly before Christmas Mr. Trenery wrote
to his publisher, urgingihim to " conclude the nego-
tiations with all convenient speed," as her lady-
ship's family " were particularly anxious that the
proceeds be joined to their Christmas gifts," and the
501. was paid. Internal and other evidence had
since appeared to prove that the book was not a
genuine memoir, as originally supposed, and an
action was brought by Mr. Burton to recover the
501. paid. In opening the case, Mr. Eisdell, who
appeared for the plaintiff, stated that Mr. Burton
was satisfied with the terms of 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 an-
swer to a query respecting the singular name " Au-
gustus," in which the defendant stated that the
sister of the Duke of Cambridge was named Augus-
tus Caroline Charlotte Elizabeth, a statement which
a reference to a " Peerage," proved to be incorrect.
But a stronger ground for doubt occurred. It had
been suggested 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 re-
ference to the memoir :—" I look for it to do much
good amongst her ladyship's own class. Many of
them will, I think, like it : because many of them
I know are earnest lovers of our Saviour, and de-
sire every help in their heavenward course. I know
that it is able to do them good, much good. It
always soothes my own heart whenever I read a
little of it. In reference to the picture I have seemed
idle. . . . My visits to the Lady Howard have
been usually of a kind when such a subject could not
be introduced." Soon after Mr. Burton received
from Mr. Trenery two beautifully engraved and
coloured portraits, one of which was underwritten
" The Countess of—," and the other a portrait
of Lady Harriet Hamilton. The former of these
was, he said, to be altered in several particulars,
as it had been badly copied from the original
paiuting, and the dress was to be made like that of
the accompanying portrait. Shortly after Mr. Bur-
ton recognised the pretended portrait of Lady C.
among others from the Court Album, on' the counter
of Mr. Bogue, the publisher, iu London, but bear-
ing the name of the Countess of Durham. The de-
fendant, when asked for an explanation, refused to
reply to "questions respecting names which he
could not in honour divulge." The plaintiff again
wrote, asking for an explanation for his own satis-
faction, and called upon the defendant, if he could
not explain satisfactorily, to rEfuld the 10/. and the
expenses incurred for the part printed, proposing
to place the MS. in the hands of a third party. The
defendant then wrote at great length, endeavour-
ing to establish that the portrait sent had never
been represented to be that of the subject of the
work. It was also shown that many parts of the
MS., which professed to be copied from her lady-
ship's diary had been subsequently altered. Mr.
Burton had addressed a circular to various branches
of thelloward family, but could get no information
of a Miss Howard, afterwards Lady C. Mr. Tre-
nery, who conducted his defence, asser'ed that the
MS. was " the genuine biography of a real perbon,"
whom he knew " pretty well." He had n)t brought
his diary with him, as he did not know it would be
wanted. He would not tell the real names. The
husband was not a peer, but the son of a peer, not
the eldest. He did not think ho oughtto be made
to go there and be laughed at. His Honour then
asked defend .nt to write ti e real name on a piece f
parer, and no one elie should sea it, but this he re-
fns feta'ed that he had letters with him from
the IL itsh Society for the Conversion of the Jews,
in commendation of Leila Ada. Tho book was
used to convert the Jews; and he hoped to make
the memoirs of Lady C. equally useful to the peer-
age. The memoir in question was worth 3501., but
he would not pay 501. and take the MS. Lack, be
cause he preferred to clear his character. Among
other extraordinary assertions, the defendant stated
that the picture, which had been copied badly,
be
cause it hung in a wrong light, could not bemovrd,
because her ladyship's dying hand had helped to
hang it ; and when the artist had finished the
copy, he drew his brush across, the face and said :
—" There is the crack of doom." Defendant per-
sisting in refusing evidence of the genuineness of
wag:given for the plaintiff for
the work, judgment
50/. -and costs,- to- bc paid in a fortnight.—Buy
and Nortvich Post.