The herald., 1898-01-24
AS Written Up by a Lon
don Journalist
IT LACKS ROYAL SANCTION
BUT rs MORE coURTIERLIKz
THAN CRITICAL
Petty Dstails Are Guaranteed to De-
light People Who Like That
Kind Of Literature

spondence of the Associated Pressl
The desire of the English people to
know all the details of the official ana
private life of their royal family will
be partially appeased by the publica-
ton In London this week of the first
complete biography of the Prince Of
Wales. Singularly enough, no complete
record of the remarkably active and d.
versified career of the heir to the throne
has been given to the world before. Ef-
forts in this direction have been dlscour-
aged by the subject himself and the
present book furnishes internal evil
dences that It was not completed under
the royal sanction. for while 1t breathes
the spirit Of the courtier rather than the
critic. it records such episodes as the
famous baccarat trial, which the Prince
would probably be willing for the pub
lio to forget. Concerning the prince, the
writer says:
"He is familiar with 'an almost be-
wildering variety of subjects and pos
sesses a wonderful faculty for almost
instfnctively understanding any mat
ter under discussion"
An estimate of the Duke of Clarence
in connection with his career at Trinity
college, Cambridge, illustrates how quail
tiles which would commonly pass cur
rent as weaknesses, assmue the shape
of virtues, viewed through friendly
spectacles.
He is not" 1t is said of the duke, nor
was 1t desired that he should have spe-
cial abilities which this university re-
wards with prizes and scholarships. bur
he displayed in a marked degree that
peculiarly royal quality Of recognizing
intellect in others"
The authorship of the new book is
concealed from the public. but the AS
ISOLATED Press learns that 1t is the work
of a journalist we'll known in London,
Mary Belloc (Mrs. Lowndes, formerly Of
Mr.. Stead's paper). 1t will be issued
in the United States next month by APP
pleton.
In pictorial embellishments It is par
ticularly rich, containing no less than
Is portraits Of the Prince of Wales alone.
and many other likenesses of him In
company with other members Of the
royal family. The prince is illustrated
from infancy to the present day. There
is the prince In shooting clothes. as
sportsman, yachtsman. as an admiral.
in fancy costume for the Devonshire
ball, in knickerbockers with the garter
on his leg. on horseback in his capacity
as colonel of the Tenth hussars and in
various other uniforms and ordinary
clothes.
Most of the historical chapters of the
book deal with matters already pub
lished. In describing the tour Of the
prince through America inShis youth, it
reveals the interesting fact that before
he was launched upon his journey his
father, the prince consort. supplied him
with memoranda to be used in replying
to the addresses which would be made
to him during his progress 1t says:
"The best proof of the prince con-
sorts wisdom is to be found in the fact
that every one of those notes afterward
turned out to be simply invaluable ow-
ing to the peculiar aptness with which
they had been framed to suit the cir-
cumstances of each locality where an
address was likely to be received"
An incident is related Of hunting trip
which the hunting party made to
Dwight, Ills. When the prince and his
retinue approached farmhouse the
farmer, who was a Briton, invited ev-
cry one to enter except the Duke OF
Newcastle.
mot you, Newcastle" he shouted. Il
have been a tenant of yours and you
shall never set foot on my land. SO
the prince passed on.
The southern Shareholders attempted
to lure the prince into the south 70 ex-
hibit to him the better side Of slavery,
but the biographer AYERS that he was not
impressed by the slave cities and refused
to leave his carriage to visit the negro
quarters at HaxhalPs plantation.
A great part of the work describes IN
detail the onerous public formanties
which have constituted the life OF the
heir apparent, the cornerstone layings:
monument dwellings, the dedications
ana tours to India and Egypt, to Ire
land and other parts of the kingdom.
The royal progress through India in
1878. Il appears, cost the government
about 81 ,000, 900, but then by way of COM
pensation presents were received by the
prince from Indian potentates which ag-
gregated in value $1,250,000. For one
trip on the Nile the boat which carried
the princes suite was stocked with,
.sanong other commodities" 900 bottles
of champagne, 1000 Of soda, 1900 Of
claret and ample supplies Of other
drinkables.
1t is pointed out as an evidence Of
the great personal popularity of the
prince that all the politicians who adj
vised the people to ignore his presence
in Ireland in 1885 insisted upon absti-
nence from any display Of personal hos,
tility.
The married life of the Prince and
Princess Of Wales is pictured ais ideal.
Their surroundings at Sandringham and
Marlborough are described with minute
details which will delight persons who
have an appetite for this sort of small
beer. The princes private library at
the former residence Is filled with the
furnishings from the cabin of the Se-
raphis, in which he sailed to India. All
the furnishings are in dark blue or green
leather, stamped with the princes
His literary tastes, judg-
ing by his books, tend toward English
history. Many shelves are devoted to
documents on India, in which he is
greatly interested, with a great array
of volumes about the mutiny. as well as
a complete collection of literature on the
Crimean war and of colonial histories.
The emperor Of Austria and the czar
of Russia send each Christmas a hoy NJ