The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-01-19

Death of Lord LyttOn, the Distin.
gUiShed Novelist.

gUiShed Novelist.
Lord Lytton, better known to the world as Sir |
Edward Bulwer Lytton, whose death il Just an
nounced by cable, was born at Heydon Hay, county
OF Norfolk, in 1905. The strong literary tastes of
his mother, who was heiress of the Lyttons of
Knebsunth, Hertfordshire, greatly contributed to
the formation Of his mind, his father having died
| when the future Lord Lytton was yet young The
family from which Lord Lytton sprung was rich
respectable and not altogether destitute OF hered
| itary hOnOrs. About the close OF the sixteenth
century John wiggett-his progenitor in the male
| line-acquired certain lands in Norfolk. Fortune
favored Johns progeny. One Of his descendants
! mingled his blood by marriage with the Bulwers of
Dalling; a second inherited the estates ana took
the name OF that ancient family, and a third
General Bulwer, OF Heydon Hall-espoused -
neiress of the Robinsons who had succeed
the acres and assumed the name of grand n
knighty race-the Lyttons OF KnebwOrth. To-
| General had three sons, and of these
| the youngest is the celebrated parsonage
whose death. after most remarkable
career, is now announced One of the distinguish
| ing characteristics of Lord Lyttons life was his
reverence for the memory Of his mother, to whom
he was accustomed to say he owed all his love of
literature. 1t was in the room called 'Mrs. Buwer
| Lytton's," in the ancient and magnificent family
seat in Hertfordshire, that he did most OF his
literary work. and the feeling which dictated the
character of this room Is best told by the following
| inscription over the chimneypece :-"This room
long occupied by Elizabeth Bulwer LyttOn, and con-
tanning the relics most associated with her memory
her trusts that her descendants will preserve
unaltered-Ltbeyts rtrtutts eremplar."
LORD I.yTToNs EARLY YEARS AND EDUCATION.
Lord Lytton was educated by private tutors,
but aterward entered Trinity Hail. Cambridge,
where he graduated in 1926 He gained the Chan
ceors prize at the University for English versif-
cation, by poem on sculpture in 1885, and the
next year published collection OF youthful
| effusOns entitled "Weeds and Wild Flowers"
His vacations were occupied by pedestrian tours
through England and Scotland and jaunt on
horseback over great part Of France. But he
was always man of fashion, and while figuring
among his equals, or those who deemed themselves
such, the sumptuous fellow commoner of Trinity
! Hall contrived to make driving his own horses and
other juvenile eccentricities compatible with in
| tellectual pursuits.
LORD LYTTON's CAREER AS A NOVELIST.
The remarkable career OF Lord LyttOn as poet
| and novelist began nearly fifty years ago. IN 1897
he published poem called "O'Neil, or the Rebel"
and in the same year his first novel, 'FalkIand," ap-
peared anonymously. In 1928 pelham" was pub
lished, and, Notwithstanding its originality and
power, was very adversely criticised in many
the world some new literary work. But, notwth-
| standing the difference of opinion among the
| critics to the merits OF his second novel, for
| which ut first there was some difficulty
| in finding publisher, 1t was generally
| admitted that the author was man of no ordinary
powers. When 'Pelham" had been followed by
| "The Dsownedn '.Devereux," paul Clifford"
and eugene Aram.' Bulwer wisely called a halt
in his career as novelist, and for time, APP
hAfnr Tho In vnf tl,a Nva,u
| Monthly Magazine. To that periodical he con-
tributed series Of papers, which have since been
published In collected form, and entitled "Ihe
Student" The reason he assigned for becoming
| editor was peculiar. At least he Is reported to
have said that. he merely did so to show that
gentleman might occupy such position While
his "England and the English" which was pub
lshed In 1888 After having stood the brunt Of the
abuse which this clever and caustic anatomy of the
national character brought upon him, Bulwer
broke ground with his romance, 1.-THE Last Days
alderon @s Ssss and Mornna
.zanon I Harold" "1he Cations my NoVs
or Varieties in English Life" what viii He Do
| With ItY' and "A Strange Story"
| LORD LYTTON AS POET AND DRAMATIsT.
Large as was Lord Lytton's harvest In the field OF
not left Rs st p
Duchess de Ia VALERIE" failed, but "Richelieu"
ana n % IN 1872 0" E se
the Ill-Omened Marriage" with other tales and
fro his sn ana a. later
clever poems, were published anonymously. Upon
..King Arthur Bulwer had expended much
thought and labor; and when hs identity with the
author of these poems was SO generally insisted on
that he felt there was no choice between the indis-
erection OF frank avowa and the effrOntery OF fat
denial he wrote:-'T believed, whether truly err
rOneOusly, that my experiment would have fairer
chance OF justice if IL could be regarded without
personal reference to the author and at all events
| 1t was clear That myself could the better Judge
| how lar the experiment had failed or succeeded
| when freed from the martial Kindness of
posed to overrate, or the predetermined censure
OF those accustomed to despise, my former labors.
| Whatever influence OF good or Ill my formal adOp-
| ton OF these iOundings may have upon their
future career, like otner adventurers they must,
If they propitate their fathers foes, yet retain
his friends, and, irrespective Of either, sure to be
This poem, remodelled, so as to be in fact an en-
tirely new production was the last literary work
Art was formed Bulwer wrote for its benefit
| drama, entitled "Not so Bad as we SEEM" which
pany OF which Mr.. Dickens was the chief, as also
by professional performers; and he, moreover,
manifested his strong sympathy with the trials Of
by appropriatng from his domain site for hos
pital for decayed artists and men Of letters
| THE CONTROVERSIES ABOUT LORD LYTTON's LITE
The literary merits of no writer Of modern fiction
were more nercely attacked or more warmly de-
Tended than those OF Lord Lytton. He by turns
illustrated fashionable life, chivalry and history,
tried the dramatic the didactic apd narrative style
Of novel; and it is worthy OF remark that his latest
| novels were his best, most truthful In spirit and
most healthy in moral tone. "Falklandn was in
every way reprehensible. In "Peham' violations
OF social and moral obligations are spoken OF as
matters OF course and exalted and beautlGed by
| the highest cOOring Of sentiment. "Ihe Dis
| ownedn displayed more power and loftler elo-
quence. Always hard worker, the character of
his works grew better as ne advanced in years.
and in the latter part of his life the London Times
summed up his character in the following
| whole generation by the novelty, variety,
ingenuity and grotesqueness of his inven.
| ton. He has an unlimited command OF
all the characters OF common life; a dandy, high
| wayman, scholar, n swinder or q Jesuit all How
from his magical pen with equal fidelity and facil-
ity; he has ransacked history and culed all the
choicest fswers OF fiction; he is political writer
OF great vigOr, a poet of some merit and original