The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-06-05

BY LA MARQUKBE DE FONTENOY,
lR, RICHARD HOLMES. who near
" year ago was commi ssion med
|D by Edward VII. to write an ON.
cla1 and royalty authorized ac-
count OF his hfe and reign on the same
lincs as his Life OF Queen Victoria"
and who has boon instructed by King
George to complete tho taak--the book
Is moro than three-duarters Anished-
is particularly well-ftted for the task,
for not only was he in close touch with
the lata King for period OF some
forty years, but moreover ho was, from
1870 until 1907. Librarian OF Windsor
Castle. in tho library of which arc not
only preserved some 100000 books or
more. many OF them OF price
less historic and artistic value,
but likewise most OF the private ar
chives OF the present and recent reigns.
such as. for instance. all tho CORE
spondence of Queen Victoria with tho
foreign sovereiGns and royalties. with
the members OF her family at home
and abroad and with her ministers dur
Ing the siXty-odd years she occupied
the throne.
The yolum!nous character of this
correspondence can best be appreciated
when it is explained that while Par
lament is in session. the leaders Of
tho House of Lords and OF the House
of Commons. each of them Cabinet
ministers. are compelled every night to
write in their own hand, "a letter to
tho monarch. giving a brief account
and precis of tho business transacted
a. the sitting, with comments thereon.
All this correspondence Is kept in the
library at Windsor Castle. and IL may
be doubted whether there Is any ono
at the Court Of ST James who is in
trusted with tho guardianship OF so
many family and political secrets of
the utmost Importance as the librarian
OF Windsor Castle.
Sir Richard Is married to a daughter
of Canon Gee. of ST. Georges Chapel,
Windsor. lady who may, therefore.
BIO said to have been brought up with
in the precincts of tho castle. He be-
stan of the Library of the British Mu-
scum, of which his father was one of
the chief officials: was attached to the
staff OF Field Marshal Lord Napier. on
Abyssiuia in 1868. and soon after his
return was appointed librarian at
Windsor Castle
There is ono subject on which 1t Is
talk, namely. about the ghost of Queen
Elizabeth. who is supposed to haunt
the library OF Windsor Castle. The
spook of the Virgin Queen Is assert
ed to have been seen a few years ago
by young officer of the Coldstream
Guards on guard at the castle, and
even by som matter of fact and clear
headed q woman IS the late Empress
Frederick. who, whenever at Windsor,
would spend all the time that she could
in the library at the castle. The En-
press was quito positive About the mat
ter, and as Sir Richard had received
able that he was reluctant to seem to
cast doubts upon any assertion that
she might make. He Is now In his
seventy-hfth year, and although he
has lost a leg throuh blood poisoning.
Is nevertheless wonderfully Vigorous.
physically as we'll as mentally, for
man of his age.
I may add that besides having the
care OF the Windsor Library for close
upon four decades, Sir Richard was
likewise Entrusted by the late King
with the supervision of his own pri-
Yate library at Sandringham, to which
all the books belonging to his father.
the Prince Consort. We're removed from
Windsor soon after his accession. The
reason for this is that the. contents
crown property. whereas the Prince
Consort's remarkably fine and choice
selection of books was his own per-
sonal property
Cardinal Lorenzel1. who has Just
been relieved of the Archbishopric Of
Lucca and directed to take UP his
residence at Rome as a cardinal of the
.Curia. was tho last nuncio. or papnl