The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-12-23
NEW BOOKS.
Brief Reviews OF Important and Interesting
New Publications.

pisvfait" (Harpcr q Brothers. Sir Wemyss
psd presents us with q handsomely printed
oc,ayo volume OF nearly 800 pages, fun Of en-
tertaining matter though arranged with dsro-
card of chronological sequence, which at times, IL
rather pulling. For example, VIC arc not untp
N. last page told the date Of Playfair's birth,
though by a little cipherng We discover that
II was 1878 or 1919. Tho date Of his death
is given simply as May 20, and only by looking
backward and forward do We learn that 1t was
May 20. 1893 Throughout the narrative, too,
Lord Playfair's own detached accounts Of himself
are interspersod with connecting links supplied
by his biographer, which both anticipate the fu-
,lre and refer TO the past In most unsatisfactory
manner For all this. the book Is as We have
said full Of interest and well rcpays perusal
Lord Playfair, or--to give him the full title
which he assumed in 1892 on his elevation TO
the reerage--Baron Playfair Of ST Andrews,
was one Of the few men who have combined with
great scientific attachments an equally great
talentfor practical affairs OF Scottish parentage,
though actually born in India he inherited the
proverbial shrewdness " his nationality Of which.
however, he did not in the least avail himself
To amass wealth. and which he showed chiefly in
the tact with which he made friends where friends
could aid him in the work Of social, economic
and political reform TO which with disniercs,ed
generosity he devoted his whole life Indeed,
with all the opportunities he had for enriching
himself he would have remained a poor man
bu, for the fact that his second wife brought him
oo'' - -, - ,so, ,s.c.,,.. -, nj. ,,oy.,,y 4,
- - 49,, ,,.s.ss.d A.. ,....sa,v r.o,.
,--,,.,. -. a.. Jio,i,v "A IN. ,os,,i,,
n.t.S,. ,.iI "a p,.v,.,,,s -, roc, ,,.. this.
After imperfect preliminary training at school.
he entered St Andrews University, but left with.
~, -,t,.,. Li,.,.,,,s. ,h.,. n. ,h., h...,,.
l.,l, T., bic ,,,c,. merchant in Glasgow I'M,
10, .h,,, ,i,,. ,,,,o ~, h,s Mac. In o,d., ,o
.,oIy ,,.iir,,c A, his h. continued two y.,,.
L.,,i,o ,ro,. =, ch.,,is,,v and al, ,,.o,o,, ,h.,,
-, ,,o hc,l;,,, ~, and ,h.p won, an, =, Ia.
:, TAIN Nj. t,,h., ard II r..,,r,. hi. r,o,.,n,,i.
.,n,sr,,ceshin n.ing dis.rno,n,.d In hi.
r,nsrscts in Ipdi. he returned IN ru,,ro .nd
,,.rt ,o s,,d, cb.,,is,,y ,,i,h ,h. ,.,,,,,,. n,
i,,Iyg Al Ci...s, C.,r.,v u.,. h. .h,,
90 much ,biIi,v in .r.Iy.i. ,h,, n, ,i.bi,r -
h,,, ind, nc consdar.. "a .,,,,.,..l -, -,
,,.r.I,,. ,,,o lr1,I,.h hi. ~C,.,,Js,,,. -, 49,,
,, IT.. ,,h,i..,i,,, =, a.. IT. - -,
,,v. no,o,,.,v 10 pI.,f.i, uhioh ..,,,,.I NJ,
an engagement with . ,ich ,,,,n,,,.,,,,,a,
rh,r,r,I u.r,S., ~ hi. I..,arv .htoh -
,,, 49, rL., h. ,,.. .n,,i,,., -,
p,o,...o, =, ch.,,is,,, =, w.n.h..,., -
b.. ,.cciy.d ,,or, 81, poh.,, D., =, ,,,,,.,,,,
/, h.,,,. an. ., -. po-.l -,,,,.,.ri.., -, an
u.,i,h =, -row,. .,d 4, ,,i. ..n,.,,,, ..,,,,,.I
h,n..t ~, ,.u a. A., .,h.,o, I'm ,,,,..- g.
c,,uirr ,.nu,,,o, IL ~, .,,,., a., -
.,d ,u,su.d ,h.,. hi. .h.r,i.., ,a.....,.. -.
,,b.nis, % IN. c.olo,;c.i S,,,r., A. az. -.
n which h. ipv.s,io.,.J IN. c,ns. ~ ,h. $50
~, in Ireland Il w.a his ,.,o,, o., ,h. h,,.,.ss
p.s. ~, ren.dviny This c,I,r,i,v H., chi.n, i,.
duced Sir Rot.r, pei in ,stI IN urd.,,.L. ,L,
,-,.,I -, IN. Co,n i.ws 10 a., s,,,,Ii"I a..
,.,ur. and CIV. =, ,ho ,,,,.,. ,.o ,.,,,in,, -.
r,.p,s y, nuckircb,r, p,Ioc. nm ,hi, -,
he r,,d. ,h. .co,,.in,.,.. -, o. 49,
Prince Alher, md subs.ouo,, hc.r,. ~. p,,,,.,
.ssis,,,, In IN. o,,.,i,.,ia, ., ,h -, c.,.i
Palace Exhibition Of ,ss, A., ri. -,
Ard ,p,,in,r.,,s ,.,I ,hic,, ,,r,n, hi,,,
o, ,lnysd in 1915 q, ,ro,,i,. 49, -, -, '
u,s on. y, IN. ,rs,,,.,o,. - AZ. -
v,I.s and his b,o,h.,s d.ris.a -, =, -,
s.,vc. ,.fo,u still L,own a a. ..p,.,t
Scheme" In 1868 he was elected m.rhc, ~ par.
u,,.r, 10 r.n,.s.r, a., ,,,i,'a,,,,i.' :, tT,t',
.,d :, ArJ,.u,s M. -, a. n,..
lasted twentv.four wears during which n. 49,,
elected n.,r,,, ch.i,,,., %, Az. IL. :. -.
mons and in that can,ritv had IN. di.,g,...bI,
task under the new elo,yy, r,l. of s,,hd,;,. o.,
the frs, time the rebellious Irish n.mb.,s ro,
a short period he WAS Postmaster Gen.,,I ,pd
finally as has been said WAS in 1892 mad. .
peer Thereafter his politicol ,vorl ,,.s NO, con.
spicuous thought h. took an active n,,t in many
important affairs the las, Of which was pr.yen,inc
the Venezuela boundary dispu,e between Great
Britain and this country from leading IN w,,
OF Lord pl.vf,ir's n.,son,I ,nn..r.n,. III.
biographer gives M clear idea Tn. h.I,I.rc,h
photograph reproduced in IN. book gems 90 h.
that Of A robust, poVrr,ulIv-huilt man WITH -.
massive head and r.solut. fac. hui, I ord pi.,t.i,
himself in relating an srcou,,o, h.. "a ,,,h ar
Scotch sunerin,endcnt -, C.r.d. u,i,o go.
that on telling his nam. his cou,,,,n.n ,o,I;od
looking from his G feet ? inches on mo 4 To-,
4 inches. ,Hoot man. y., n.m.,s ,r.r.i,.J a.,
,her than yer wee LEGS viii eyer c.,,,, =. :" -,
theless he WAS pleasing IN IN. ,,I, 49,, h.,inr
been three times married His third and last
wife WAS Miss Edith Russ.,I 81 pns,or ,h,o,,,t,
whom and her parents he established in,,r,.,.
relations with this country sr.ndire, his
regularly al Naban, and b,comin- a.. ,.s, ,,.,d
OF Longfcllow Holmes nd o,h., on,in.n, ,roon.n,.
ers Of tina, resort