"The true life of a man," wrote John Henry Newman nearly sixty years ago,[[3]] "is in his letters"; and no apology is needed for the inclusion in this volume of some, at least, of the large number of Lord Bute's letters which have been placed at the disposal of his biographer, and for the use of which he takes this opportunity of thanking the several owners. Bute possessed in a high degree the essential qualities of a good letter-writer—a remarkable command of language, the power of clear and forcible expression, and (not least) a salutary sense of humour; and his voluminous correspondence, especially in connection with his literary work, was always and thoroughly characteristic of himself.
The writer desires, in conclusion, to express his gratitude not only for the loan of Lord Bute's letters, but for the kind help he has received from many quarters in the elucidation (especially) of details regarding his childhood and youth. In this connection his thanks are particularly due to the late Earl of Galloway and his sisters for their interesting reminiscences of Bute's boyhood at Galloway House; and also to the family of the late Mr. Charles Scott Murray for some particulars of his life during the critical years of his early manhood.
+ DAVID OSWALD HUNTER BLAIR, O.S.B.
CHRISTMAS, 1920.
[[1]] "It is for the profit of young men to have known all these things." Terence, Eunuchus, v. 4, 18.
[[2]] Mgr. Capel. Post, p. [75]. See also p. [111].
[[3]] "It has ever been a hobby of mine, though perhaps it is a truism, not a hobby, that the true life of a man is in his letters.... Not only for the interest of a biography, but for the arriving at the insides of things, the publication of letters is the true method. Biographers varnish, they conjecture feelings, they assign motives, they interpret Lord Burleigh's nods; but contemporary letters are facts." (Newman to his sister, Mrs. John Mozley, May 18, 1863.)
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I. EARLY LIFE. (1847-1861) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [1] II. HARROW AND CHRIST CHURCH. (1862-1866) . . . . . . . . . [18] III. RELIGIOUS INQUIRIES--RECEPTION POSTPONED--COMING
OF AGE. (1867, 1868) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [39] IV. DANESFIELD--RECEPTION INTO CATHOLIC CHURCH. (1867-1869) [60] V. THE WESTERN MAIL--ROME AND THE COUNCIL--RETURN
TO SCOTLAND. (1869-1871) . . . . . . . . . . . . . [83] VI. MARRIAGE--HOME AND FAMILY LIFE--VISIT TO
MAJORCA. (1871-1874) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [102] VII. LITERARY WORK--THE SCOTTISH REVIEW. (1875-1886) . . . . [117] VIII. LITERARY WORK--continued. (1886, 1887) . . . . . . . . [137] IX. FOREIGN TRAVEL--ST. JOHN'S LODGE--MAYOR OF
CARDIFF. (1888-1891) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [156] X. FREEDOM OF GLASGOW--WELSH BENEFACTIONS--ST. ANDREWS.
(1891-1894) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [179] XI. NOTES AND ANECDOTES--ST. ANDREWS (2)--PROVOST
OF ROTHESAY. (1894-1897) . . . . . . . . . . . . . [198] XII. ARCHITECTURAL WORK--PSYCHICAL RESEARCH--CONCLUSION.
(1898-1900) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [215]
APPENDICES
I. PRIZE POEM (HARROW SCHOOL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [231] II. HYMN ON ST. MAGNUS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [236] III. HYMN: "OUR LADY OF THE SNOWS" . . . . . . . . . . . . . [238] IV. A PROVOST'S PRAYER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [240] V. RECOLLECTIONS. BY SIR R. ROWAND ANDERSON . . . . . . . [241] VI. OBITUARY. BY F. W. H. MYERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . [245] VII. BIBLIOGRAPHY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [247]
INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [249]