THE LIFE OF THE MARQUIS OF DUFFERIN AND AVA BY SIR ALFRED LYALL, P.C. WITH PORTRAITS AND ILLUSTRATIONS IN TWO VOLUMES VOL. I. LONDON JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET 1905 PREFACE. THE original materials for this biography have been supplied to me, almost entirely, by Harriot Marchioness of Dufferin and Ava, at whose request I ventured to undertake it; on the understanding that the whole responsibility for the work would be assumed by the writer. In the arrangement and examination of her late husband's papers and correspondence, which Lady Dufferin placed unreservedly at my disposal, I have received from her the most kindly and valuable assistance throughout. I am also indebted to her for advice on various points, and for additional information whenever it was required. Mr. William Campbell, who was at one time Lord Dufferin's private secretary, has rendered me important aid in sifting and selecting from the very large collection of papers at Clandeboye; and Mr. J. L. Pattisson, who had been long connected with the management of Lord Dufferin's property, has been good enough to let me consult him occasionally. I desire to render to them my full acknowledgment of the help that has thus been given to me. The volumes of Lord Dufferin's Journal, which he kept up (though not continuously) for many years, have been of much service to me in tracing the incidents of his daily life and occupations. The records of his official correspondence for the periods of his two Governor Generalships in Canada and especially in India are complete; and the letters and despatches written by him from his four embassies, at St. Petersburg, Constantinople, Rome, and Paris, have been well preserved; though in dealing with confidential documents of this latter class, it has been obviously necessary to exercise considerable discretion. To the Marquis of Lansdowne, Earl Spencer, the late Earl of Northbrook, the Marquis of Ripon, Earl Roberts, Lord Cross, Sir Edward Thornton, Sir Arthur Godley, and Sir Donald Mackenzie Wallace— all of whom were from time to time in official relations with Lord Dufferin-I am under much obligation for their kind permission to me to make use of certain papers, and of some of the letters written by them to Lord Dufferin; also to Lord Edmond Fitzmaurice and Sir Robert Herbert for access to correspondence with the late Earl Granville and the late Earl of Carnarvon. Mr. John Morley, acting upon authority vested in him by the family, has allowed me to insert several letters from Mr. W. E. Gladstone. His Majesty the King has been graciously pleased to authorize the insertion of a few extracts from Lord Dufferin's correspondence with Queen Victoria. With regard to sources of supplementary information bearing on Lord Dufferin's private life-Lord de Ros and the Dean of Durham (Dr. Kitchin) are now, I think, the sole survivors of those who were intimate with him in his youth; and their contributions to the first period of this biography have been therefore most welcome. Lady Wantage has kindly given me a note of her very early reminiscences of Lord Dufferin. Other friends, or representatives of his friends not now living, have been so good as to permit me to make occasional use of letters written to Lord Dufferin, and have in some instances sent me letters from him which were in their possession. On this account I owe many thanks to Lady Ampthill, Lady Arthur Russell, Lady Cynthia Graham, Lady Dorothy Nevill, Lady Harcourt, Baroness Macdonald of Earnscliffe, Lady Gregory, Sir Mountstuart Grant Duff, Mr. Winston Churchill, Mr. Barrett Browning, Sir Charles Tupper, and Sir Richard Garnett. I have also had the privilege of seeing many letters written by Lord Dufferin to his daughter, Lady Helen Munro Ferguson. Lastly, I have to offer my thanks to Sir Henry Mortimer Durand,* Sir Charles Hardinge,† and Mr. Robert Kennedy, who have contributed to the biography some very interesting personal recollections of service with Lord Dufferin. A. C. L. * British ambassador at Washington. |