A SENSATIONAL BOOK.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2134, 13 March 1886, Page 2 (Supplement)

A SENSATIONAL BOOK.

A home paper says : — " The demand for 1 The Grenville Memoirs ' is enormous. The Queen telegraphed for a copy immediately after raiding a review in a daily paper. At Mudie's the leaderH of fashion and the leading statesmen fight for copies across the counter. A wellknown millionaire in New York was so anxious to read it once that be had the entire contents cabled to him. The wife of a great English nobleman, being told that Lady A. had secured the last copy, broke into Lady A.'s house in the night, and stole the book from her boudoir. Two bishops, both wanting the only copy at the club, struggled for it, used strong language, and eventually struck each with their umbrellas. The Marquis of Salisbury began it at the Foreign Office, and kept the French Ambassador waiting in the ante-room four hours while he finished it. A clergyman, invited to officiate at a funeral at a suburban cemetery, started reading it in the train, got taken on to Manchester, and the corpse had to be brought home again. What a success !" The following extract from the book will give a fair idea of its nensational contents : — " The tutor of one of the royal princes was one evening persuaded by his pupil to accompany him to the Alhambra. The late Mr Frederick Strange courteously conducted them behind the scenes, and introduced them to several ladies of the ballet. The young prince fell violently in love with a oharming coryphee, Miss . 'I will marry that younjr lady.' exclaimed the ardent youth. 4 She dances so divinely.' He ascertained her address, and culled the next day. Tho tutor was terribly alarmed. He knew the lad would keep his word. The situation was desperate. That evening he went behind the scenes and offered his hand to the fair dameiue. They were married the next day by special license. When the Prince called upon the girl's parents to ask for their daughter's hand he was told that the alliance was impossible. The maiden was already the wife of his tutor. The young Prince was furious, but the mother rewarded the worthy tutor with a stall in Westminster Abbey. Tho cnnoue.% however, was not received at Court."— " Lord Palmerston once played a practical joke on the Prince C — « — t, which cauoed considerable merriment in Court circles. The Prince had invented a new hat for the police, which could not be knocked off in street fights. He had one made as a specimen. 'Now try and knock it off," he said to Palmeraton. Palmenton, iustead of striking the helmet on the side, struck it with all his might on the top. The helmet was rammed down so tightly on the Prince's head that no force could remove it. The Prince was furious. The gentlemen in waiting tried iv vain to extricate him from the helmet It was wedged tightly over his head, and almost touched his shoulders. He had to go to bed in it that night, and the next day had to be placed under chloroform while it vm re-