New-York tribune., 1912-07-14
Edward the Seventh
AS FATHER AS SOVEREIGN, OTHER PERSONAL RE-
LATIoNs.
Copyright 1912. by esorg. W. sm.ll.y,

'4~0iNeS IL MS business TO dtspel what
ne believes to be illusions. A legend, or
"hat he thinks legend, has grown up
ABOUT King Edward. In attempting ID
destroy it and 10 reduce a general belief
TO purely historical proportions he sets
up legend Of his own no more histori-
cal than the other Sir Sidney finds il
hard TO forgive him for not being a
reader Of books; for not being, in the
discursiveness of his tastes; for his want
of an originating political faculty. These
are the criticisms of a man Of letters,
and very accomplished one, TO whom
literature and books hold an undue and
unreal position in the actual world; and
still more in the world in which King
Edward was for so long so great fig
ure
If l had space for details I should like
to work out this proposition in detail,
but I must content myself with stating
ii. To refute 1t is the less necessary
because Sir Sidney himself supplies the
means Of overthrowing his own estimate.
For you cannot read his summary of the
Kings personal gifts and qualities and
still doubt his pre-eminent fitness to be
King. If you did, you would find doubt
give place 10 just belief as you con-
sidered his immense services TO his own
country and TO Europe and to the world
in bringing together France, Russia and
England. You may even deny him the
credit of initiative, but there would re-
main TO him the everlasting renown OF
having achieved result which without
him would never have been achieved.
But the truth is you cannot separate
the man and the King. Wherever YOU
hear Of him 1t is not, If may use the
phrase. his professional but his personal
character which tells. 1t is not even on
the impression he makes by his con-
that his fame rests He was
not a very good talker. He did not shine
in sustained conversation. He took up
subjects and dropped them. He neither
went on with his theme nor expected
you 10 go on with it. Not his power OF
seemed TO be exhausted, but his
and he hated monotony. He
could and did pursue lines Of policy
steadfastly. If he was a great peace
maker ii was from a reasoned conviction
that the interests Of his country required
1t; not from fanatical prejudice against
war, or a nervous sensibility TO blood
she'd. He liked TO see people happy; no,
only those about him or those with
whom he came in personal contact. but
all the people Of England and all his
four hundred millions of subjects. True,
he liked being amused; nor did he think
being bored high form of virtue. He
was charming at home. His children
clung TO him; the domestic side OF his
life was strong, and he spent hours hap
PLY in the nursery. He liked and kept
his friends. They and all others felt the
charm Of his manner All this was true
Of him before he came to the Throne It
true Of him as King; and all
these qualities were factors in the great
and successful enterprises of patriotism
and diplomacy upon which he then en-
tered. His services to the Empire are
lasting The true and full account OF
them has yet to be written, and my be-
lief is that the fuller the story the
greater will be his permanent fame as
King.
But the mischief, II mischief there be
in Sir Sidney Lees account, has been
done. His estimate of King Edward
VII takes its place once for all-rightly
Or wrongly-as a summing up Of his
career. 1t is stereotyped The Die
tionary Of National Biography is not
only the first but will be the last OF its
kind, and can never be superseded. or
never for many generations to come
When will there be another George
Smith; another publisher with the means
and the will 10 create another Diction-
ary of Biography on this scale? If there
were one he would not be needed. A
great part of the work has been done
once for all. Sir Leslie Stephen and Sir
Sidney Lee were, for the purposes Of
such dictionary almost ideal editors.
Neither TO them nor to Mr.. George Smith
were questions Of money the important
questions. Mr. George Smith was senior
partner in the firm of Smith, Elder &
Co., then and now one Of the first pub
fishing houses in London. But he was
much more than that. When people
spoke Of him as a publisher, he used to
laugh
"Oh If I were only that should not
have much use for such business en-
ergies as l have"
He was a banker, a shipping mer-
chant, owner in whole or in great part
Of the Aylesbury Dairy, of the Apolli-
naris Company, and much besides. He
wanted TO do something that would be
useful and permanent, and he resolved
TO give this Dictionary Of Biography TO
his country-yes, and to ours-for 1t is a
book not less indispensable to the Ameri-
can than to the Englishman. In the
strict sense Of the word 1t was a gift
He was prepared TO bear the cost Of
work conceived on q great scale and
carried Loyalty through to the end. The
volumes were published and sold in the
usual way during a period Of years, and
had, of course, very large circulation.
But when the accounts were made up
there was, as Mr.. Smith had foreseen, a
great excess of expenditure over returns.
I have heard the amount stated at fsO,-