Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1875-02-05
The Mysterious Book.

have passed almost unnoticed in the days oil
the royal companion of falstaf or DUH
King Hal, of matrimonial memory-Were
carefully noted down for the edihcatlon oil
posteritv. and his faults and foibles were
not allowed to be forgotten. And since ms
death every satirist or mOralist, from Thack-
cray down has administered to the unfortu-
nate King kind of posthumous castigation,
until it really seemed that his royal ashes
must have been uneasy in their last resting
place Since the death of the great master
of English literature Just mentioned, how
ever, who delighted to portray the real
character of the first gentleman Of Europe,
George US long rest was comparatively
undisturbed until Greyille, that prince OF
tatters, though he had long ago left the
warm precincts of the cheerful day." spoke
from the grave, as it were, in denunciation
of his quondam master. Close following the
publication of the GreTiile memoirs came the
affair of the ''lost volume, in which the
late monarch also figured, which is certainly
one CT the most curious incidents of the day.
The facts Of the case are briefly as follows
The sleepy public woke up one morning
and found huge rlaeard staring it in its
face. Offering in what might be called audi
be tyre a reward Of ono thousand pounds
fJr one copy Of a certain book published in
LONDON in 1880. and suppressed at the time
By the Lord Chancellor at the instance OF
tie ROYAL family because it contained GER
tim statements regarding member Of that
august body Whereupon the public rubbed
its ewes several times, and, the matter being
profound mystery, Immediately took
lively interest in it-for mysteries are
ALWAYS attractive, as witness the way that
Great Mogul OF mysteriousness, the Man in
the Iron Mask, has lived in history. Tie
title Of the book was not announced in the
p.acard. but tie work was soon discovered
to be sort Of Slanjalou~ chronicle Of the
career Of George N, and more especially
OF the corruption Of hls political ad-
ministration ana his relations with
the famous and unfortunate Mrs. Fitz-
herbert The book was published by
N-. Lindscll, Pasternoster row, and printed
by 7. jackson, Neweate street, and both
publisher and printer suffered long terms Of
Imprisonment for disobeyirr Tie injunction
Of the Iord Chancellor. \ New York daily
which is probably in the possession Of the
secrets of the reiguing family in England
and las co. extensive knowledge Of the
doings Of Queen Victoria As the late Elijah
Pogram, says that three years ago single
copy Of the book which lad escaped the
destruction Of the original edition came into
the possession of the editor Of the London
SGndara, who threatened To publish it
seriaily in his PAPER. This came 70 the
| ears of the government. which at once offer
ed the editor the choice of two alternative
either to publish the story and 90 to pris-
on for coutemi; u the Lord Chancellor, or
% refrain from publishing it and accept
$4,000 for BIS cory Of tie Look. The
editor looked upon tLe latter alternative as
the more desirable OF the TWO, and pocketei
the 5000, turning o,er the book to be
Lurnei Wi,a the destruction OF this copy
the government supposed the work was ey-
tinct but il va- at last discovered that
copy wa, ia existence ia america. and hence
the mysterious rlacarl
The remainder of the story has been tod
by our telssraphic Dispatches, The book
was found in lie possession Of youthful
blrri-tcr o! Louisville. Kentucky into whose
hands it had come quite accidentally. In it.
it is ~iiI, the marriage of King George with
M-s. iitzherbert j. proven by letters and
documents taken from tie royal archives.
and /; also testiie- taata child was bora to
Mrs. Fiizherbert while in lawful wellock-
which wou'l quite account Tor the anxiety
of tie royal flmily to suppress 1t.
Now several courses are open to this oun-
bluegrass luwyer. IIe can give mp the
book. receive tie thousand pounds and III
vest the money in The Little Emma mine or
the recovery of Captain Kids buried treas
ur5~, become a millionaire and die un=peak-
ably respectable. or lie can hasten 70 Mr.
Fitzherbert, or more properly, perhaps, Mr..
Guelph (vho, by tue way, is said to be ct
present leader Of the orchestra at Booth
Theatre, New York /. and restore him TO the
throne Of his ancestors. But the field of
conjecture is too wide and we will leave it to
the Imagination OF oar readers.