Page:The Story of the House of Cassell (book).djvu/216

 Ouseley, who added to it much valuable matter on the history of English music. The success of the book was hindered by the irregularity with which the Parts appeared, owing to delay in the production of the original. A frequent visitor to the room of John Williams (who, being keenly interested in the subject, himself took charge of the work), Praeger showed himself to be a man of the sunniest disposition, whose temper was proof against all irritations.

The future historian of the last quarter of the nineteenth century will find memoirs pour servir in Sir Henry Lucy's "Diaries" of the Disraeli, Gladstone, Salisbury, and Home Rule Parliaments, which were published 1874–96. He will have to go for his material to many sources less entertaining than those witty and graphic chronicles.

As a pendant to historical works may be named a few notable works on sociology and political geography. Pride of place must be given to Sir Donald Mackenzie Wallace's "Russia," of which the first edition dates from 1877. As originally written, it was not on lines that promised success, and it owes something to the insight of Teignmouth Shore, from whose suggestions many authors were glad to profit.

Sir Donald's relations with the House of Cassell began accidentally. He relates the circumstances thus:

"In 1876 I had returned from a continuous residence of six years in Russia, bringing with me a gigantic MS. treatise on the history and actual conditions of the country. As I had been to a great extent educated in Germany, I had adopted German methods of authorship, so that the treatise was very comprehensive, very methodical, very thorough, and very unreadable. As to its being very unreadable, all the publishers to whom it was submitted were quite unanimous. The literary adviser of one of these firms—a very distinguished man still living—expressed the opinion that no man, woman, or child in England would ever read it.

"Much disappointed with this unsuccessful result of my prolonged labours, I determined to condense what seemed to