New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-07-09
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
AN AMUSING BOOK OF ANECDOTES

Mr.. G. W. E. RUSSELL then. is the Industrious
compiler Of this miscellany Of anecdotes. old
and new. He was born, according to that in
dispensabIe compendium. Who's Who in 49,.
He has been In Parliament and has held more
than one office. at one time being Under Secre-
tary Of State for india. He has been jour
nalist. a lecturer and a pamphleteer. though II
ne is known At all In this country 1t Is as the
author OF a creditabie book on Gladstone and
as the editor Of Matthew Arnold's letters. The
papers brought together In this volume he wrote
originally for The Manchester Guardian.
Their character is somewhat ambiguous. for in
spite Of the frank predatory note-which ex-
plains how some Of the stories are based on
personal experience and others are derived from
reading or at second hand from other sources
II is impossible for the reader to tell always
whether the text is original or not, except In
the rather frequent cases where the story Is
indubitably an old and oft-told one. Perhaps
Mr.. Russell would have been wiser II he had
described himself as a person who had kept
scrapbook. instead Of as one who had kept
diary. On the other hand he Is amusing enough
for this point to sink into the background He
was born 90 late as 1852 It is true. but then he
has had many venerable friends. and from
them he has obtained direct some Of his best
Maxse. who was born a Berkeley. and thus he
has IN q way. touched hands with the hero Of
the following anecdote:
Another story Of highway robbery which ex-
oited me when I was q boy was that Of the
NTH Earl Of Berkeley. who died In 1870 He
disgrace be overcome by superior numbers. but
that he would never surrender to a single high
wayman As he was crossing Hounslow Heath
one night on his way from Berkeley Castle to
London, his travelling carriage was stopped by
. man on horseback who put his head in at
the window and said e.. II believe you are Lord
ways boosted that you would never surrender
TO a single highwayman7" Il rave" WELL"
presenting pistol. Il am single hghwayman.
and / say. Your money or your life.' " You
cowardly dog" said Lord Berkeley. do you
think can't see your confederate skulkng be-
hind your" The highwayman. who was really
alone. looked hurriedly round. and Lord Berke-
ley shot him through the head.
That is i story which will always bear re-
telling. 30 we need not count 1t against Mr.. Rus
sell that It was told long before he was born.
Some of the quaint things. too, OF which he
writes he saw himself Sir Moses Montefore,
who was born In 1884, and had dined with Nell
son on the latters ship and remembered Lady
Hamilton. was once seen by our author in a
sedan chair on the way to a garden party at
Marlborough House. The incident is trihing,
but picturesque. Some Of the portraits in the
book excellently drawn. those Of Lord John
Russell. OF Manning and Of Lord Shaftesbury
being particularly good. There Is capital
story told Of the latter posting off to Whitehall
TO warn the officials that he had been Informed
Of q plot to blow up Clerkenwell Prison. He
could not divuige the name Of his informant;
without 1t tha pedantic authorities refused to
take action. and the Jail in due course
blown up. The chapter on Lord Beacorsfeld
contains an anecdote Of the statesman's tact
cynicism-in dealing with the books brought
to him by the author or the authors friends.
which goes well beside the classic Beaconsfeld
story on this head. Mr. MalIock had just pro-
duced his New Republic" A lady who was
his friend and bepefactress begged Lord Bea-
consneld to read the book and say something
civil about 1t. The Prime Minister replied
with a groan: Ask me anything. dear lady,
except this. ! am an old man. Do not make
me read your young friends rorances.' oh.
but he would be great accession to the Tory
party. and civil word from you would secure
him forever. Oh-well. then. give me pen
and sheet Of paper and sitting down in the
lady's drawins-room he wrote Dear Mrs. -.
! am sorry that I cannot dine with you, but
I am going down to Hughenden for a week.
Would that my solitude could be peopled by the
bright creations Of Mr.. Mallock's fancy" When
Mr.. Russell knew Beaconsneld the latter was
long past his days Of utterly hamboyant dress
and behavior. but some Of the old whims stayed
with him. In the city he dressed other men
dressed in the sixties. but 'in the country his
costume was little more adventurous. black
velveteen Jacket colored waistcoat. Tyrolese
hat. lent picturesque incident and variety to
his appearance" Mr.. Russell remarks that the
statesman came to look extraordinarily old and
shrunken, but that to the end his dark eyes
were brilliant and still flashed with penetrating
lustre."
Beaconsfeld told Matthew Arnold that fattery
was useful. Every one likes fattery" he said,
land when you come to royalty you should lay
II on with a trowel." Mr.. Russell records how
the author Of this sagacious utterance was him
self subjected to the manpuatlcns Of a trowel
on the eve Of the Berlin Congress- In 1878. He
had come prepared to open the proceedings
with long speech in French. The secretaries
Of the British Embassy were aghast and hast
ened to LORD Odo Russell. the Ambassador. i'm
ploring him to intercept the chief in his mad
career. HE pronounces 'epicier' as II 1t rhymed
with 'overseer'" they declared land all his
pronunciation is 20 match" Lord Odo went 10
his bedroom and began thus: MY dear Lord. a
dreadful rumor has reached U.S." Indeed. Pray
what Is it," we have heard that you intend
to open the proceedings tomorrow in French"
well. Lord ODD. what OF that" why. Of
course. we all know that there is no one in
Europe more competent to do so than yourself
But them after all. to make French speech is
a commonplace accomplishment. There will he
at least half dozen men at the Congress who
could do 1t almost. II not quite we'll as your
self But. on the other hand. who but you can
make an English speech? All these Plenipo-
tentiaries have come from the various courts
of Europe expecting the greatest intellectual
treat Of their lives in hearing English spoken
by its greatest living master. The question for
you. my dear Lord. is-Will you disappoint
them?" 1t is not known whether Beaconsheld
perceived the trowel in this speech, but at all
events he opened the nrOceedinRs in Enrliah