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R. WALTER BESANT was born at Portsmouth, and educated at King's College, London, and at Christ's College, Cambridge, where he took his degree in high mathematical honours. He was intended for the Church, and took several theological prizes, but abandoned this career. He was then appointed Senior Professor in the Royal College of Mauritius, but was compelled by ill health to resign, and returned to England, where he gave himself up to literary work. His novels, produced at first in conjunction with Mr. James Rice (a very interesting portrait of whom we reproduce with one of Mr. Besant), and afterwards under his own name, are too well known to require mention.