Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1873-01-21
THE LATE LORD LYTTON.
SIR EDWARD BULWER LYTTON.

| The remarkable career Of Lord Lytton as a
poet and novelist began nearly fifty years ago.
In S27 he published a poem called 20 eill,
or the Rebel, and in the same year his first
novel, Falkland" appeared anonymously. 10
1928 Pelham" was published, and, uotwith-
standing its originality and power, was very
adversely criticised in many quarters. Almost
every. year thereafter he gave the world some
new literary work But, notwithstanding the
difference of opinion among the critics as to
the merits of his second novel, for which at
| first there was some difficulty in finding pub
Usher. it was generally admitted that the au.
thor was 4 man of no ordinary powers. When
| Pelham had been followed by The Disown-
ed" Devereux," Paul Clifford aud Ed
gene Arau," Bulwer wisely called halt in
| his career as novelist. and, for time, ap-
pcared before the public as editor Of the New
!; Monthly Magazine. While exercising editorial
functions he was engaged with his 'Engl land
and the English" which was published in
1883. After having stood the bruDt of the
abuse which this clever and caustic anatomy of
the national character brought upon him, Bull
wer broke ground with his romance, "The
Last Days Of Pompcii," which was followed,
as time passed on, by "Rieuz," Leila, or the
Siege of Granada, :" ''Ca!deron. the Courtier, y
Night aod Morning" Day and Might,
Last Of the Barous, ''Zauoni," Harold, /"
The Caxtons" My Novel, or Varieties in
English Life, - What will He Do With it %
and. "a Strange Story"
! Large as was Lord Lytton's harvest 10 the
field of fiction, the wider expanse of poetry and
drama was not left ungleaued. His first play,
The Duches de Ia VALERIE failed, but Rich.
clicu,' Money and THE Lady of Lyons
| Il. H., /, llr, NJ
In 1912 Eva, the Il-Omend Marriage with
and at a later period the New Timon'' and
king Arthur, " two clever poems, were pub.
iished anonymously.
Lord Lytton' name underwent two TRANSMIT
tations La IS44 having succeeded to the estate
OF his mother, he exchanged by royal license
his surname Of 3uiwer for that Of Lytton. lie
was created u baronet in 1898, and in 1866 he
was gazctted Baron Lytton. These honors
were as much political as literary distinctions,
| for he began his political career very carly and
it continued almost to the end of his life. ln
1881 he entered the House of Commons as
member for the borough Of St. Ives, and i'm.
mctiate!y took place among the ranks OF the
rctorners. In 1882 he was elected by the city
of Lincoln, which he continued to represent
until lS4l, Notwithstanding the fact that he
acquired, through all these years, very little
parliamentary influence. In lS4l he was a
candidate for the borough Of Lincoln, but Was
defeated by the conservative candidate, and he
vas again beaten in iS4T. He, however, re-
entered Parliament as member for the coun-
ty of Hcrts, in the general election of 1852, as
a supporter of the Earl of Derby, and distiu.
guishcd himself by his opposition speeches.
As an orator he was polished IN his speeches
but not III his speech. Nature, SO Doubtful to
him in other oratorlcal gifts, denied him the
faculty OF distinct utterance; a letter writer,
speaking of this defect, said w neither the
defect be one of palate or tongue or lips it
would not be easy to say; but those who have
sat opposite to him at public dinners, when he
has haraugucd large audiences, have found it
impossible to follow him throughout, although
sitting in front Of him at a distance Of only five
or six feet
He had other personal misfortuDes, among
them deafness, Stiffness Of the joints and a
crook in the back In spite Of all these draw
backs, however, he was emineutly successful,
the secret of his success lying in his resolution
and labor. He seems to have adopted as
motto the energetic declaration Of one of his
dramatic characters, There is 10 such word as
fail! - ''He will never be a dramatist, said
his detractors, when his first play was produced
1t had cost him far longer period of toll than
that fortnight which sufficed to begin and finish
the most skiliul and pathetic of all modern sen,
timenta comedies-the Lady of Lyons =
Money" surpassed even Sherldan's School
for Scandal in its first run. His popular
ity presently eclipscd every precedent. "He
will never figure as politician men ex
claimed, when he first hazarded himself in that
capacity. Yet he soon played distinguished
part in the House of Commons. He will
never be speaker, it was said, when he first
eutercd the House of Commons. He shortly
afterwards decided the House on q memorable
occasion and on vital question by speech
which electrified all who heard it. Edinburgh
will not easily forget that in lS54 nor Glasgow
that in 1857, it was he whose accents made
their crowded academic halls vibrate to clio.
1ucnco at once the most ornate aud the most
impassioned wit W hich they had ever echoed.
Even up to the close of his life Lord Lytton
never tired Of work. His literary labors would
have continued for years to come if his life had
lasted. But within the last few years he took
less interest in politics than formerly. In June
1858, he became Il member Of the Derby Cabi-
net as the successor of Lord Stanley in the
office of Secretary of State for the Colonies.
He was, before and afterwards, a supporter OF
the Earl, and won, by party service, the peer
aye with which be was gifted, and which he
doubtless, 10 some measure, owed to the pat
ronagc Of his leader His political reputation,
however is not as lasting as hisliterary fame; for
while he occupies lower place in fiction than
either Thackeray or Dickens. he showed more
versatility than either Of them, and his works
will not cease to be admired while sentiment
continues to charm. His son, Mr.. Robert
Lytton, better known as Owen Meredith,
the author Of Lucille" succeeds to his title
and estates.
Some notion Of the amount of tobacco con-