The New York herald., 1922-02-26
James Bryce, Hard Worker.

Among the numerous conspicuous
scholars who have paid tribute to
the late JAMES BRYCE since the death
of that eminent statesman and phi
losopher none is better equipped to
speak with authority on Lord BRYCE
than FREDERIC HARRISON, who knew
him in his early days at Oxford, and
was his colleague in literary and po-
litical work all his life. Mr.. HAR-
RIsoN has published in the London
Times a letter which brings to the
front among other qualities BRYCE 5
prodigious and unceasing industry.
Viscount BRYCE, in Mr. HARRISON 5
words, had 'stanchness, inflexible
loyalty to principle, to colleagues, to
righteousness" And he had that
most rare combination Of amazing
versatility with, inexhaustible thor
oughness in work" The product of
BRYCE's intellect included IAN i'm
mense number of works on very
varied subjects" but their author
never regarded them as complete
"Finis" was not in his vocabulary
AS soon as a book of his creation ap-
peared he began to revise and extend
it, to bring it up to date.
The history OF the writing of the
holy Roman Empire" and of the
American Commonwealth" is typi-
cal of the history of others of his
books. Mr.. HARRISON writes:
"on the appearance Of the Holy
Roman Empire prize essay in 1868.
we all knew that new historian
had been added to the oxford OF
DR.. ARNOLD, of SrUBBs and FREE
MAN; as a book it did much to di-
rect my own historical studies, and
1 have followed the continual inn
provement and enlargement, year by
year, in successive editions, as what
began as students essay finally
developed into an English classic.
and the same laborious amplif-
cation and perfection were given to
his American Commonwealth which
I reviewed in the Nineteenth Coa-
tury at its first appearance in 1889.
In the ampler edition of 1911 it is
almost a new book
In 1877 BRYCE and HARRISON were
appointed joint professors of Roman
law, jurisprudence and constitutional
law by the Council of Legal Educa-
ton, and for twelve years they lee
tured in alternate terms in the Mid
die Temple Hall. In this association,
as in the law school at Oxford
HARRISON had opportunity ito note
BEYcEs really marvellous power Of
work, the thoroughness which left
nothing TO be omitted, and the rapid
mastery with which he would judge
masses of obscure and illegible pa
pers." On one occasion, when an un.
usual number of papers were to be
read in a short time, HARRISON quotes
BRYCE as saying.
'It mas got to be done---it must be
done-and it will be done"
and writes HARRISON, "it was
done" This picture OF BRYCE is
worth preserving. because 1t gives
adequate prominence to the part
played in his truly successful life by
plain, downright hard work. His
splendid intelligence. his breadth of
vision, his superior and highly
trained reasoning powers, his sympa-
thetic nature and his lively interest
in man and nature were required to
put him in the conspicuous position
he held for so many years in world
affairs, but these alone could not
have advanced him to the eminence
he attained or held eminence for
him had he not t0ol willing to labor
increasingly I'm his chosen field. At
the foundation OF all his success was
work-hard work; and the tribute
Mr.. HARRISON pays to him is valu'
able as IL impresses this fact on the
admirers Of very great man who
possessed genius and who made that
genius effective by backing it up
through a long life with sustained
toll.