The death of Sir Edward Hamley, which occurred on the
morning of last Saturday, after about a couple of years of serious illness, robs England of one of the ablest writers as well as of one of the most scientific soldiers in the country. He was in every sense an accomplished man, a great traveller, a graphic thinker, a man of masculine judgment, and of large and very varied experience. He commanded the second divi- eion in the famous Egyptian night-march which preceded the battle of Tel-el-Kebir in 1882 ; and though he had some sharp differences with the authorities as to the action taken with regard to the officers whom he had recommended for distin- guished service, no one, we believe, ever suggested a doubt as to the efficiency and even brilliancy of his own work. He was a considerable literary essayist, as well as an able military His powerful criticism of Mr. Kinglake's "History of the Crimean War," in which he himself had taken part, attracted much admiration some years ago. At the Athena3um, the charm of his conversation was widely felt ; and in the House of Commons, where he represented Birkenhead from 1885 to 1892, he always exercised great influence whenever he chose to speak. We have often wondered that the Conserva- tive Government did not make more use of his brilliant abilities. Perhaps, like many other very able men, he was apt to be somewhat unmanageable by political superiors.
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