MEMOIRS OF THE COURT OF ENGLAND IN 1675. By Marie Catherine Comtesse d’Aulnoy. Translated from the original French by Mrs. William Henry Arthur. Edited, Revised, and with Annotations (including an account of Lucy Walter) by George David Gilbert. With Illustrations. Demy 8vo. 21s. net.
⁂ When the Comte de Gramont went back to France and Mr. Pepys decided that to save his eyesight it was essential that he should suspend his Diary, the records of delectable gossip of the ever interesting Restoration Court became, of necessity, sadly curtailed. Indeed, of the second decade of the Golden Days the sedate Evelyn has hitherto been almost the only source of information available to the public. Though the Memoirs of the Countess d’Aulnoy have always been known to students, they have never received the respect they undoubtedly merit, for until Mr. Gilbert, whose hobby is the social history of this period, took the matter in hand, no-one had succeeded in either deciphering the identity of the leading characters of the Memoirs or of verifying the statements made therein. To achieve this has been for some years his labour of love and an unique contribution to Court and Domestic history is the crown of his labours. The Memoirs, which have only to be known to rank with the sparkling “Comte de Gramont” (which they much resemble), contain amusing anecdotes and vivid portraits of King Charles II., his son the Duke of Monmouth, Prince Rupert, Buckingham, and other ruffling “Hectors” of those romantic days. Among the ladies we notice the Queen, the Duchess of Norfolk and Richmond, and the lively and vivacious Maids of Honour. The new Nell Gwynn matter is of particular interest. The Memoirs are fully illustrated with portraits, not reproduced before, from the collection of the Duke of Portland and others.
AUSTRIA: HER PEOPLE AND THEIR HOMELANDS. By James Baker, F.R.G.S. With 48 Pictures in Colour by Donald Maxwell. Demy 8vo. 21s. net.
⁂ The Empire of Austria with its strangely diversified population of many tongues is but little known to English readers. The Capital and a few famous interesting places, such as Carlsbad, Marienbad, the glorious Tyrol, and such cities as Golden Prague and Innsbruck are known to the English and Americans; but the remarkable scenery of the Upper Elbe, the Ultava or Moldau and the Danube, the interesting peasantry in their brilliant costumes, the wild mountain gorges, are quite outside the ken of the ordinary traveller. The volume is written by one who since 1873 has continually visited various parts of the Empire and has already written much upon Austria and her people. Mr. Baker was lately decorated by the Emperor Francis Joseph for his literary work and was also voted the Great Silver Medal by the Prague Senate. The volume is illustrated with 48 beautiful water-colour pictures by Mr. Donald Maxwell, the well-known artist of the Graphic, who has made several journeys to Austria for studies for this volume.
TAPESTRIES: THEIR ORIGIN, HISTORY, AND RENAISSANCE. By George Leland Hunter. With four full-page Plates in Colour, and 147 Half-tone Engravings. Square 8vo. Cloth. 16s. net.
⁂ This is a fascinating book on a fascinating subject. It is written by a scholar whose passion for accuracy and original research did not prevent him from making a story easy to read. It answers the questions people are always asking as to how tapestries differ from paintings, and good tapestries from bad tapestries. It will interest lovers of paintings and rugs and history and fiction, for it shows how tapestries compare with paintings in picture interest, with rugs in texture interest, and with historic and other novels in romantic interest; presenting on a magnificent scale the stories of the Iliad and the Odyssey, the Æneid and the Metamorphoses, the Bible and the Saints, Ancient and Medieval History and Romance. In a word, the book is indispensable to lovers of art and literature in general, as well as to tapestry amateurs, owners and dealers.
FROM STUDIO TO STAGE. By Weedon Grossmith. With 32 full-page Illustrations. Demy 8vo. 16s. net.
⁂ Justly famous as a comedian of unique gifts, Mr. Weedon Grossmith is nevertheless an extremely versatile personality, whose interests are by no means confined to the theatre. These qualities have enabled him to write a most entertaining book. He gives an interesting account of his early ambitions and exploits as an artist, which career he abandoned for that of an actor. He goes on to describe some of his most notable rôles, and lets us in to little intimate glimpses “behind the scenes,” chats pleasantly about all manner of celebrities in the land of Bohemia and out of it, tells many amusing anecdotes, and like a true comedian is not bashful when the laugh is against himself. The book is well supplied with interesting illustrations, some of them reproductions of the author’s own work.
FANNY BURNEY AT THE COURT OF QUEEN CHARLOTTE. By Constance Hill. Author of “The House in St. Martin Street,” “Juniper Hall,” etc. With numerous Illustrations by Ellen G. Hill and reproductions of contemporary Portraits, etc. Demy 8vo. 16s. net.
⁂ This book deals with the Court life of Fanny Burney covering the years 1786-91, and therefore forms a link between the two former works on Fanny Burney by the same writer, viz. “The House in St. Martin Street,” and “Juniper Hall.” The writer has been fortunate in obtaining much unpublished material from members of the Burney family as well as interesting contemporary portraits and relics. The scene of action in this work is constantly shifting—now at Windsor, now at Kew, now sea-girt at Weymouth, and now in London; and the figures that pass before our eyes are endowed with a marvellous vitality by the pen of Fanny Burney. When the court was at St. James’s the Keeper of the Robes had opportunities of visiting her own family in St. Martin Street, and also of meeting at the house of her friend Mrs. Ord “everything delectable in the blue way.” Thither Horace Walpole would come in all haste from Strawberry Hill for the sole pleasure of spending an evening in her society. After such a meeting Fanny writes—“he was in high spirits, polite, ingenious, entertaining, quaint and original.” A striking account of the King’s illness in the winter of 1788-9 is given, followed by the widespread rejoicings for his recovery; when London was ablaze with illuminations that extended for many miles around, and when “even the humblest dwelling exhibited its rush-light.” The author and the illustrator of this work have visited the various places, where King George and Queen Charlotte stayed when accompanied by Fanny Burney. Among these are Oxford, Cheltenham, Worcester, Weymouth and Dorchester; where sketches have been made, or old prints discovered, illustrative of those towns in the late 18th century savours of Georgian days. There the national flag may still be seen as it appeared before the union.