The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-08-26
NEH RODhS.


stnwe-t on William BsC kforl N his youth
and England expected much ~ him
His father. the friend - John Wilkes and
q Chatham Who a. Lord Mayor ~ Lon
don had d-H-d George III left h'n N"
enormous fortun" for thos' DAYS ~
s5.UOoGr he was sirikingiy handsome.
- the many portraits bv famous ra.nt"r-
aite~, he was unusually Intelligent aud
carefully eSlucatei. and AZ 20 had published
one 20 m" most rrrnn rkabl" books m any
literature. lie lived o. great age. vet
after the appearance" nI -Nathek- did
nothing more It Importance IL" tray
cllsd he was IN Parliament. whore he dIu
nothing: he built a strange palace and
filled IL with collections ~ books and
pictures lie married one daughter ~
a duke and disownol another who would
not marry the man n" picked ON II" was
disliksd hy his nelghhoru. and hls -@clu-
SION surrounded Forthill Abbey with
mystery and gave rise u stories that
strange orges took place IA II \ bog
raphy - The man. basel on unpubl sh''i
corra~pundanco must "" extremely
interesting. and such a biography the
reader IL led 20 expect ia Mr. Lewis Mel
villc's Tn. Life and Letters 81 W,lliam
BeCkford Of Fonthill- ,Dufield and Com
ranyl. beautifully priutsl volum" with
many good portraits
The expectation will H. disappointed.
however. for Mr Melville has treated
has task as hiograI-r very lightly ""
rccms to have merely amplifsd the
excellent brief sketches 81 william Beck
ford and Alderman Rockford 10y pr
Garner IN the National Dictionary of
An NtT
guage. bat adding no new facts or judg-
m.nts = his own In dealing With IN"
letters hts ,pna "a that e uniform eulogy
that belnngs a. IN" official hlographer
The letters too. which form the one impor-
tant part uf the book are remarkably
devoid uf personal matters. w. should
liks stronger assurance that they nav"
nor been "Npurga'ed or al any rate that IN
the selection II those he prints the editor
has not omitted such ~ might o1end
family s,,Scepubltes
The letters are grouped tIrs' ln 'm"
and importance comes tho contribution
from -" DIka Il Hamrlr ms archives.
IN. lett.-~ written hv Rockford. chiefly
:, hiasistrr whom making his FIRST journey
- ~" Continent They are rather stuffed
oven Tor the end " tn eighteenth century
and \ little prigglsh perhaps 'lt ar" re-
markahs pr ,ductInns for n boy between
" and - 1hsv show genuine feeling Tor
the new worship Vt rnt'Ir" much I'naRi-
marion and strong powers - expression
They deal however manly with -
amnt, ,ns over transit prv moods IT natur"
sinrtnS sunsets tho dsrsn.~- ~ th" woods.
and descriptions u places and things
s."u are almost wholly backing So with
Persons there n som" vri'ItuI scnftng
a. spciatv and ~ faults g"uNr1litlH. about
cl5ssa~ ~ y.rp'a only r'r0,v m account
- an lndIvid ami II hiI Iri"rcour~"
With HIM Haeaw Volta.raa ll''ie before Ia
died. m later wears b" told how IN" old
man CAV. hlm hI- blessing At parting.
her. We have only IN" statement that
he - going - visit hIm aLd hopes -
talk with hIm about ir.cst'.
Nj Melville has h,.'n anl' to 40" other
collectlon= some ~ which have been
already printed Tie prints thos" 10 the
English translator Of Nath'x. which
show that Bs.'xford remained on friendly
terms w'h HIM long after ID" book wa
publ shed The mystery as - - publ
,atpDr 'u~","' AMI r., n'prd'- French
edition - i,t' rln-ul,,.i H.. prints 'H'
la''"-s too relating =" B"'kiuri - curious
ptt.rpt 70 secure peace h.'' N".u t-an'"
and England through agents 81 me- own
m 1897 There are la'tsr~ w many D'"--
"-tiug u..upl" =" Sr William Hamilton.
his first WIFE. hI- second vtl- who wa-
Nalsun.s Lady Hamilton to ~" LADY
craven who was he last Margarine ot
Bavr"u'h. FRIENDLY letter. Nhch con'a n
slugrIartV lt'ie tufurLl'r 'r"r" ar"
uct To 10 agent. a. III" London auction
sale. which show twpn' enc" ari t"nr'r.
Their. - an account "f ~ receiving Nelson
a, Fon'hhl There - l''l" 10 these papers
tna' throws anv light IN B"rSf,'j
character or ms personal history
In di-rallIug the myths HbOIt Fpu'hil
Abbey Mr. Melvrn. states that ~" rIiid-
made h''l. .nroad on R-c.to-''- .ortun"
that The stone wall 'walVc feet hgn
running aror nd ~" rs'at, Tor many
mIr.- Wa hunt - krrD lIs hunting
neighbour - the grounds. when they
would not heed Beckforl's Requests and
thai his sechIston Was owing 20 hl- dis
like ~ the habits and talk ~ Ordinary
Englshm.n and hiS pr"fereu' ror HI
own friends and 'i-tes Tn" scandal.
whatever ~ wa. ~ which no Wa 'l,N"d
and m which hlS binRraph"rs declare ne
vas innocent occurred IA early lie and
can have rad little influence on his later
A''ious II did not prevent his happy
marriage nor did the loss of his wife
apparently affect his conduct Mr Mel
ville suggeStS no reason Tor the change IN
him n there was change from the
activity - hls years ~ travel 70 the
dilat'an'a pursuits of hs last ffty years
Neither from these letters nor Mr.
Melville will the reader lie attic to form
any clear idea - whl' Rockford was
The biography 81 the author ~ -vath-k-
and of the travels N Italy. Spain and
Portugal 81 tho hermit and collector NJ
Fonthill Abbey remains stili 10 l,e written.
Whoever undertakes the task MUST ha
free from obligations 10 IN" possessors
of the materials and able and willing 20
tell whatever he may find ont
Foreign Parts.
There are other sides Ia Spain than
the picturesque. though that seems ~
have peculiar attractions for British