New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-12-02
SIR WILLIAM GREGORY.

CIAL LIFE AND OF SOCIETY QUEENS
HIS CHAMPIONSHIP OF THE con-
FEDERACY- SIR WILLIAM AND
MR. GLADSTONE AT Dali
MENY PARK.
London. November Il.
You may remember Si William Gregory, If you
remember him at all as a partisan OF the dead
Confederacy. He used to stand up for II In the
House of Commons and elsewhere with a pas
sionate enthusiasm characteristic of him and
quite independent of tn: merits of his case
Whatever he took up had to him almost
unlimited merits. l fear his convictions were
deep enough to lead him to invest largely in
Confederate bonds. Yet all this was but one in
cdent in the life of one of the most versatile
and attractive men Of his time, we'll worth more
attention in America than he is likely to re-
ceive. A great man he was not. How many
great men are there in one generation, or living
at one time? But Sir William Gregory was
man who had al! the charm which belongs to
the best Irish and know none greater. He had
abilities OF a high order. social position. some
political position: and touched life on as many
sides as almost anybody who can be named lie
wrote during the last years of his life an Auto
biography which his wife Lady Gregory. has
now edited and Mr.. John Murray has published
in an octave volume.
Literature was not Sir Williams strongest
side and he does not do himself full justice in
this book: but IL is a delightful book neVerthe-
less. Lady Gregory tells US in her bref ana
modest Preface that he husband wrote with no
thought of publication. but for herself ana their
boy That of itself is one more recommends
tion An Autobiography is commonly sincere IN
inverse proportion to its authors expectation OF
publicity Lady Gregory is quite right TO nave
given this to the world But for 1t. the memory
of singulary amiable and interesting person
might soon have faded away The best OF 1t
must in any case grow dim. so long as Sir Will
lam Gregory lived he / sort OF idol. He be-
longed to a generation which has produced. to-
gether with its full share of great men, wonder
full number of men who delighted their friends
and acquaintance by rare qualities OF converse
ton. ard of good fellowship in the high sense OF
the term He was one of that beautiful company.
and one of the most attaching Of them all.
The American who is Interested in the best
social life Of England will find in these pages
picture Of 1t. or at least materials for picture.
He knew everybody. and went everywhere. and
was everywhere welcome. There was no side of
this many-s!ded life which was not familiar to
him. and congena to him. The Turf at one
period moncpozed him. politics occupied him
at another and the world all the time. His
first entry into public life was made with
so much ecat as TO secure MIN social
celebrity at time when society and politics
were much more indssolubly interviewer than
they are now He had beaten Lord Morpeth FOR
Dublin backed though Lord MOfpeth was by
O'Connel. 1t IL characteristic of Sir William
that some of the warmest tributes in his book
are paid to O'Connell with whom he was at
swords points This double triumph-it was In
1S4e-earned him the sponsorship of Sir Robert
Peel on his entrance into the House, and the
good graces OF some very great ladies' Among
these were Lord Ashburton. Lady Londonderry
and the great Lady Jersey. all three famous as
among the most exclusive in London. Sir Will
lam tells an anecdote to show how sharply the last
drew the line. He asked Lady Jersey II she
knew Baron Lionel Rothschild. the head of the
firm In England She answered 81 know him
BY name but as of course could not receive him.
have not allowed him 10 be presented 10 me-.
That also marks a date curiousy remote from
the present time when the Rothschild family
I'm London are in position no longer to receive
or accept but to confer. social distinction The
fourth great salon TO which 1t was then dis
tinction to be invited was Chesterfield House
This is Sir Williams account of the four:
Lady Ashburton's chiefly political: Lady Lon
donderry's where the heavy aristocracy' great
titles and men Of many acres resorted Lady
Jerseys also political, but Of the strictest Tory
type with an admixture of the "haute dlpIo-
matte" chiefly Russian. Austrian, and prusslan
as the French were too "bourgeoise and Ches-
terrified House. the most restricted ana the para
disc OF the expiring dandies who were IN their
zenith about twenty years previously 1t ~
difficult to explain the qualifications which were
regarded the open sesame In TINS case
High BIRTH good looks quickness Of repartee.
stable of racehorses notorious liaisOn with some
'.demirep habituee" all these advantages might
obtain admission which would have been scorn-
fully refused the lofty and ponderous mag
mates of Holdernesse House LADY London
derry's) / used to be invited there occasionally
and was always very glad TO go. as the society
was sure to be light and merry. though extremely
ignorant and Improbable.
There is, in these days. no Lady Jersey OF that
type. but perhaps society has not so very much
changed in essentials from what IT was fifty
years ago, when Sir William Gregory took his
first plunge in that vortex. Much later he be-
came the friend and protege Of Lady Waldo
grave whose celebrity was perhaps equal to that
of any woman Of her own time. To be asked TO
Strawberry Hill was many mans ambition,
and many a woman's. His sketch Of Lady Waldo
grave is animated and faithful, but too long 10
be quoted She was TO him one OF the most re-
markable women he had known. No great lady,
he SAYS held her head higher or more vigorously
ruled her society. He laments not having known
her earlier, since her admirable judgment would
have saved him from many false steps and err
ratio courses 1t was she who obtained for him
the darling object OF his life. the Government OF
Ceylon. which Lord Granville. upon her inter-
yention, promised. with the sole condition that
the promise should be treated as conhdential "as
Her Majesty objected to any promise OF such APP
pointments being given without her being first
consulted" If, as is likely Her Majesty reads OF
this arrangement. and Of what was done behind
her back by Lord Granville she may have re-
marks TO make. Not readily would the queen
condone an irregularty OF that sort. But Lord
Granville is gone where the wrath Of the Sow
ereipn whom he served In life cannot well reach