THE COUNTESS OF HUNTINGDON AND HER CIRCLE.
The Countess of Huntingdon and her Circle. By Sarah Tytler. (Sir Isaac Pitman and Sons. 12s. 6d. net.) —Lady Huntingdon, who, curiously enough, does not find a place in" Chalmers' Biographical Dictionary," was certainly worthy of a biography more suited to present-day wants than anything hitherto written. With what "Sarah Tytler " writes of her personality we have no fault to find. We cannot accept the justification of tho line which she took in founding "a new Church." She was impatient, and not, it must be allowed, without good reason, of the opposition which she encountered, and committed herself to a course which was of more than doubtful wisdom. Her experiment cannot claim the merit of success, for "Lady Huntingdon's Connexion" is practically extinct. John Wesley founded a great community, which shows every sign of permanence ; whether he would not have done better to remain where he was, for it cannot be said that he and his were "ejected," may be argued. Anyhow, his work has stood the test of time. One characteristic of Lady Hunting- don is brought into special prominence. She was always grand. dame. This doubtless made her a more potent influence. It helped her, for instance, in one of the best things she ever did,— bringing the authority of George HI. to bear on that somewhat discreditable personage, Archbishop Cornwallis. Not much less than half the volume is given to Lady Huntingdon's eminent disciple, Lady Glenorchy, née Maxwell of Preston, who married the son and, heir of the third Earl of Breadalbane (her sister married the Earl of Sutherland). It was a splendid match, but not a very happy one. Lord Glenorchy died in 1771, and for the fifteen years of life which remained to her his widow had a free hand for the work which was dear to her. The " Circle " includes other people of more or less note. The story is told well enough, but the quantity of the volume is a little out of proportion to the quality.
Previous page
