THE G.O.M.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11596, 14 January 1916, Page 1

THE G.O.M.

A PUBLISHER'S TALES. Mr John Murray, of'-the famous publishing house, entertained the members of the Y.M.O.A. ih. London with a fascinating • series of reminiscences associated with his historic residence m Albemarle Street. Mr' Murray began vrith Livingstone, who, he said, eft en dined with hisv father as a great friend) of the Mnrrav family. • Next he spoke of " George Borrow,' of Lavengro fame, a big, strong man. who was fond of expressing' his • opinions in .strong language. On one, occasion,said, Mr Murray, his father : and mother wfere at 1 a dinner,-party 1 .-it which Borrow and the famous Dr ;Whowell vero present. Th© two ' almost, came to blows over some dispute. Mrs Whewell fainted, and had to be taken out of the room, j

I GLADSTONE AND THE UMPIRES. To Mr Mujray Gladston© always showed, great. kindness. Mv Murray often, -stayed, with: him. at -Hawarden., When Dr the- famous Greek Scholar, wrote his book on his explorations in . Greece, A ,subject in which Gladstone was greatly interested,the great Minister was asked to write r a'preface. " Ho" expressed- his - readiness to do so.on,one. condition, which v?as that .if any .dispute'arose between him referred to two umpires, one i scholar and other an archseologist., „ A dispute did arise over Gladstone's translation of the Greek'word " Kuanos.'' / Gladstone" said it 'mesjnt " "bronze "; Sehliemann said ".no,;' and was clearly irritated. When ;it Was referred to the umpires they decided against ..Gladstone, but the Grand j Old Man would not change his view, j and the .word! remains as he wrote it in the preface. REVISED POLITICAL SPEECHES.When Mr Murray's'father died Gladstone called at Albemarle Street, and : in the course of.conversation the name! of Sir Robert Peel came up. . Mr Murray remarked 011 the great pains Sir Robert took. to revise his big speeches j in the House of Commons, and produc- j cd the original copy, of one pasted in j a book with a newspaper report, cor- | rected and added to copiously before the revised version was issued as a pamphlet •• "Do -you really mean to tell me," said Gladstone, "that Peel revised his speeches to such an extent? I am astonished. I. wonder how Peel reconciled this with • his conscience. 1 don't think I ever did such a thing in my life." • " Shortly, after," commented Mr Murray, "on going through my father's papers I found that Mr Gladstone's speech on the Irish Disabilities Bill was dealt with in exactly the same way.'' " Mr Murray travelled on to Dean Stanley, who was famous'for his very bad handwriting. Telling the story ot the Dean abbreviating the word

Jerusalem in his work on the Holy 'Land to " Jerus," this was misread by the compositor and set up as '•' Jones. 3 ' A DISCREET QUEEN. Referring to Queen Victoria's Life, he said it was the first time in history that the private correspondence of a Sovereign had been given to the world practically intact. An enormous amount of material was set up in addition to that which appeared in the book, but there was hardly a passage m_the book which had to be cut out, such was the discretion exercised -by her Majesty.

Mr Murray drew a curious picture of Gladstone as he bade good-bye'to him 011 one occasion at Hawarclen. Ho found the venerable sftatesinan lying prone in bed, with his feet top and a shawl round his shoulders, holding a ;book in. one hand and a cup of coffee in ? the other; Mr Murray expressed the' yieW' that Gladstone's " Life wins* written too soon, and' therefor© there -were a great many things. that could-not be said: ' !