The record-union., 1898-12-16
AN ENGLISH EDITOR.
Fragments From the Memoirs of
Henry Reeve.

One Of the most entertaining of
recent English biographies deals with
the life of Henry Reeve, for many
years editor of The Edinburgh Re-
view," a powerful leader-writer of the
London Times" an official of the
British Government, and the friend
or acquaintance of most of the great
men of his time 1t is said of him that
he was not on the whole a popular
man-"his assumption of omniscience
was often found irritating beyond all
bearing''-and there is a story that
Rogers, when asked to walk home with
him from a dinner party snarled out,
Walk home by yourself, sir; l am
sure you will be delighted with your
company" 1t was also said of him
in connection with this belief in him.
self that as editor of 'The Edinburgh"
he was always ready to correct Max
Mullers phlology or Owens natural
history.
One Of the most suggestive things
found in these memoirs is the recipe"
for a memoir-writer, contained in an
appeal by Brougham's brother to
leave politics out of his memoirs and
stick to the personal as much as pos
sible:
Mind you dwell on books of biog-
raphy which failed for lack of per-
sonal matter and anecdotes, and use
this argument-that if he wishes the
book to be eminently successful in
commercial point of view he must
give as much as possible of every de-
tail, no matter how minute, and tell
everything connected with his own
hfcto nd PPOnlp
don't want to read history in such a
book as his autobiography; what they
want is his life, and not history of
his own times In short
every personal thing, no matter how
trifing, will be the making, as the
omission will be the marring of the
book Don't forget to qnote
Guizot; also tell him that Lord NAL
mesbury's heavy book was saved sole
ly by the gossip in the third and
fourth volumes. The first two are
heavy historical matter that would
have sunk seventy four"
Reeve was selected by Greville to be
the editor of his memoirs, and it is re-
corded that he made a small fortune
out Of them. He tells us that Greville
sent for him one day and said:
"And now I want to speak to you
about my own affairs. Reeve, [ am
getting devilish old, and ] think in all
probability I have not long to live
I have therefore been considering what
I ought to do with the journals / have
kept on all important occasions for so
many years Of my life. They amount
I think, to ninety volumes, and ex-
tend over nearly fifty years. / left off
writing them two years ago, finding
that since 1 withdrew from the office
I knew less Of the course of events.
Let us look at them" He then opened
the lower part of a bookcase, in which
I saw these volumes in a row. He
then added: Now, will you take charge
of them? I have been thinking a
great deal of what I can do with them
They contain a good deal of curious
matter, as you know, which may be
of interest hereafter. / can do moth
ing better than leave them in your
hands You will be the judge whether
any part of them, and what, can be
published"
Reeves suggestion to Greville that
he had treated George ". severely
brought from the chronicler the reply:
What L have said of him is not fiat
terlng, but that is what he was / then
asked him about the passages in cipher.
He said he had invented this cipher
himself for the purpose of his journal;
that he could read It, but nobody else;