BOOKS OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 161, 3 April 1920, Page 11

BOOKS OF THE DAY

'A, Fascinating Biography, ' ; For iipwftrds of half a century-the late Lady Dorothy Nevill was a prominent figure in London society. The daughter of Lord Orford, she was' born; four year; before the death of George IV, at the historic mansion ill Berkeley Square,- ill which hnd lived her famous kinsmnn,'the great wit and connoisseur, and prince of letter-writers, Horace Walpole. Her life is now told by her son.Mr..Ralph Nevill, to whom wo already owe more.limn one entertaining book dealing with English (ipeiety during the Victorian age, in a volume entitled "The l.ife and Letter** of Lady Dorothy Nevill" (Methuen. and Co.). It. is a.book full of "good stories, amusing anecdotes, and sharply etched portraits of Victorian celebrities political. * literary,. artistic and social, for' Lady Dorothy had a knack of knowing most people who were worth -knowing. Herself a Conservative of the old school, she included Lord Ttovoiislield amongst her intimate' friends, but -,her ■political opinions dijl, not .prevent her friendship' with many' famous statesmen and politicians in the opposite camp. She appears to have, always been, a lady of vmy dccided -opinions and one who-was by" Ao means backward in 'expressing them. Grande dame do par lo nionde. as Brantome would have said, she delighted in and • fought' the society of clever people of all classes, From her father no doubt she inherited much oi her art, her scorn for> conventionalities and her intolerance of bores and stunid Deonle. Mr. Nevill tells us that when Lady Dorothy's father was sent out of a. trea'ured office by t'>e advent of a Liberal 'Ministry he wrote: "Gentlemen,—My anpointment of Lord High. Steward of .Yarmouth by. the late Government was received with nride nnd pleasure 3fjr dismissal by the nresont Government confers almost equal honour upon' -."Orford.", The sharp-tongued Earl, who by the way was an inveterate gnmbler—(he historic Walpoie mansion passed out of his hands, so Lady Dorothy used to ' declare, owing to • "one night's losses at the gaming table," was asked on. one Occasion to accept the presidency of the Norwich Bible Society. . lie wroto in reply as follows: "I have long been addieted to tho Gaming Table. I have lately taken to the Turf. I fear I frequently blaspheme. Put -I nave never distributed • religious tract.*. Notwithstandine which you think mo a. fit person to be your president. ; God fnrgiio your hypocrisy. I would rather live in the land of Sinners than-with such Saints;'' A daughter of oho of : the great -historic families, Lady Ilorothy .never- concealed her dislike of the nouveaii'richf element, which, formed the basis nf. the "smart set" of the Victorian eighties.She regarded theni as being as stupid as they were' Vulgar,, and as an example of their obtusenes.: was wont, to relate how one of them, posing as a grt-at so--cicty hostess, and being' introduced to an cxrPrime Minister, remarked: "Some ono told me you • wero. .< inteiestcd in politics." Lady Ilorothy had many anecdotes lo tell in which Disraeli figured very promin■ently.. He was a constant visitor at her house aiid she tells in her letters how he used to confide in her with regard to his financial difficulties. In some matters he' held very liberal views. His tenderness for the poor is shown in his novel "Sybil," to "women of nil classes he was always respectful." and lie "had the Jewish love of family life." As to his religious.opinions lady.'Dorothy' dfeoribed him as_ being at .heart " a fhilospoher with little love of dogma." licturning ono night from tho House of Commons with Lady Dorothy's brother, at that time member for North Norfolk. Disraeli said, alluding to a heated debate and division on the Church , question: ''Bow curious, -Walpole, that we should ; lia.vi> both been volinff for an eitiuct mythology! ' Politically, in the - anti-Gladstonian camp. Lady Dorotliy was always on very friendly terms wjt'h the G.O.M. Not loaf: after Lord Bcacoiisficld'.i death (says her biographer) Bho found .herself sitting next Mr. Gladstone- at dinner, and in the course of conversation ho suddenly said: "Tell mo. Lady Dorothy, upon your honour, have you ever hcavd Lord Beaconstield express any particular fondness for the primrose?" She was compelled to say she had- not.. -'(Jpon winch Gladstone said: "The gorgeous■■ lily, 1 think, was more to his taste 1" This, no doubt, was a", sly hit- at Dizzy's love, especially as a young man, of splendid and highly coloured raiment and flamboyant jewellej-y. Lady Dorothy was a'great friend to artists. In her youth her portrait was painted by Watt\ and ivith that famous painter she kept up a close fii-and-ship until the artist's .lamented death. All her life sho was an ardent collector of fine china, enamels, awl. miniatures, and some excellent stories are..,told of her experience as a - connoisseur and curio-huntcr. Many famous men ami women, figure in the pages.of this entertaining volume—Beaconsfield and Gladstone, Bishop Wilberforcc, the Teiihy£ons, Sir William Hooker . and Frank Bnckland, Sir John Gorst and ■ Lord Randolph Churchill, Mr. Joseph Chamberlain and . Lord Wolseley, Lord .Houghton, and a host of literary and ai'tiVtic folk including ICnto *Grecn;Uvav, Frederick Locker, Whistler.. TV, T. Stc'acl, Justin M'Carthy, and the famous Victorian novelist .Mir,?. Braddon. Even down to the time of her . death, although retired from London life, sho kept in touch with new literary movements. Truly a many-sided lady, of a multiplicity.' of pleasant and .useful interests; The volume contrin-s. several investing portraits and the facsimile of a letter (with an original drawing), from Miss- ICa»o Green away, of whoso charming pictures of ciuldren. Lady 1m jthy was. a great apmirer.