Life and Times of Sir Richard Southey. By the Hon.
Alex. Wilmot. (Sampson Low, Marston, and Co. 15s. net.)—Richard Southey was a lad of twelve when he went out to South Africa with his father (a first-cousin one degree removed of the poet), three brothers, and two sisters. This was in 1820. He died in 1901 (the date is given " 1902 " on the same page). Thus he lived through the most important period of South African history, though his active share in the politics of the country came to an end in 1878. The reader will find a great mass of information relating to many questions of which he has heard. We are much mistaken if the general result is not to make him feel far less confident of his power to form a right opinion on South African affairs. There never, surely, was a country in which there has been a greater complication of opposing interests, and, in consequence, a greater diversity, not only in political views, but also in the representation of facts. That this volume is a valuable contribution to the history of the country no one can doubt. But we prefer to give this general commendation of it to the attention of our readers rather than to choose this or that portio n for special notice.
Previous page
