But because in poetry Poe perversely limited himself, we must not fail to acknowledge how high he rose within those unreasonable limits. If I say that, considering his work merely in his own chosen light, as the rhythmical creation of beauty, in that sole field not even Swinburne has surpassed him, perhaps I have said enough.

We ought not to forget that Poe was also a brilliant critic-if the authors here consider that a merit! (Laughter.) He was more; in the main he was also a just and sound critic. He had, to be sure, an impish dislike of Longfellow, perhaps because of what he thought the oppressive respectability of the Cambridge poet (laughter); but when that is remembered, it may well be offset with his early and prompt appreciation and his generous praise of his only contemporary rival in his own field of the short story, Nathaniel Hawthorne. (Hear, hear!)

Finally, let us never forget his hard fate

in his own choice of a literary executor and biographer. Not till this generation did he get bare justice at home-and then best perhaps in the definitive edition of his works and biography issued a few years ago by two associates, Professor Woodberry, of Columbia, and the prominent and lately mourned man of letters whom New Yorkers loved to call their banker-poet, but who must always live in memory with some of us as the cheeriest of comrades and the most chivalric of friends —dear, gallant, debonair Ned Stedman.

It was a pathetic story which these editors had to deal with and we have to remember to-night. I am not going to dwell on it; I am only going to protest against Griswold's version of it. Poe was not a bad man; in many ways he was tender, and lovable, and loyal. Certainly he was not wicked as he was painted; only pitifully weak. Let those

who are perfect cast stones.

And, ladies and gentlemen of the Society of Authors, if there is any moral we want to draw for ourselves from the life and death

and work of the brilliant creature we have been considering, it can only be the old one that the Bohemianism which is apt to fascinate us in our youth is not a spur to genius, but a clog; and that, after the proper development of such powers as God may have given us, there is nothing in the whole world so surely helpful for us, whether in literature or in life, as Character. (Cheers.)

THE BACON

TERCENTENARY.

GRAY'S INN, Oct. 17th, 1908.

From THE LONDON TIMES.

The 300th anniversary of the election of Francis Bacon as Treasurer of Gray's Inn, which took place on October 17, 1608, was celebrated on Saturday by a luncheon at the Inn, at which the Benchers entertained a number of distinguished guests. It is the intention of members of the Inn to observe the first night of Term (November 2) as a Bacon Anniversary, and, at a later date, a permanent memorial of the famous Lord Chancellor will be placed in one of the open spaces of the Inn-probably South-square. This memorial will consist of a marble statue of Bacon by Mr. F. W. Pomeroy, A.R.A. A sketch model of it was on view on Saturday, as well as an interesting collection of Baconian manuscripts and printed books. The luncheon was held in the ancient hall, which the great Chancellor knew so well. Several ladies watched the proceedings from the gallery. Mr. Duke, K.C., the Treasurer, presided, and the American Ambassador was the principal guest.

The company also included Mr. A. W. A'Beckett, Sir C. Allbutt, F.R.S., Mr. L. S. Amery, Mr. Astbury, K.C., M.P., Master Atkin, K.C., Mr. J. Atkinson, Sir Hickman Bacon, Mr. Balfour-Browne, K.C., Sir Robert Ball, F.R.S., Mr. W. E. Ball, Mr. J. Eldon Bankes, K.C., Master Barnard, K.C., Sir Gorell Barnes (President of the Probate, Divorce, and Admiralty Division), Canon Beeching, Mr. Justice Bigham, Mr. Augustine Birrell, K.C., M.P., Mr. E. H. Borrajo, Sir A. Bosanquet, K.C. (the Common Serjeant), Mr. Ivor Bowen, Mr. A. Bremner, Mr. J. W. Ross Brown, Mr. R. W. Brown, Lord Justice Buckley, Sir P. Bunting, Mr. E. C. Burgis, Master Byrne, C.B., Master Campbell, K.C., M.P., Mr. F. Cassel, K.C., Mr. E. J.

Castle, Mr. E. Cecil, M.P., Mr. R. R. Cherry, K.C., M.P. (AttorneyGeneral for Ireland), Mr. H. F. Chettle, Sir E. Clarke, K.C., Master Clayton, Mr. A. Cohen, K.C., Master Sir A. Collins, K.C., Sir W. J. Collins, M.P., Mr. F. H. M. Corbet, Lord Courtney of Penwith, Master Coward, K.C., Sir H. Cozens-Hardy (Master of the Rolls), Sir J. Crichton-Browne, F.R.S., Mr. C. A. Cripps, K.C., Archdeacon Cunningham, D.D., Mr. W. O. Danckwerts, K.C., Mr. Justice Darling, Mr. R. S. Deans, Sir J. Dewar, F.R.S., Professor Dicey, K.C., Master Dicey, C.B., Mr. H. F. Dickens, K.C., Sir F. Dixon-Hartland, M.P., Mr. F. Dodd, Mr. J. S. Dugdale, K.C. (Treasurer of the Inner Temple), Sir E. Durning-Lawrence, Mr. W. Ellison-Macartney, Sir S. Evans, K.C., M.P. (Solicitor-General), the Bishop of Exeter, Mr. E. A. Farleigh, Lord Justice Farwell, Sir R. Finlay, G.C.M.G., K.C., Mr. F. L. Firminger, the Rev. R. J. Fletcher (the Preacher), Professor Frankland, F.R.S., Sir Forrest Fulton, K.Č. (the Recorder), Mr. C. Goddard, Mr. G. L. Gomme, Major Gratwicke, Sir G. Greenwood, M.P., Mr. F. A. Greer, Master Griffith, Master Harris, K.C., Mr. E. Harrison, K.C., Mr. W. G. Hawtin, Mr. G. Haysom, the Rev. A. C. Headlam (Principal of King's College), Mr. T. M. Healy, K.C., M.P., Canon Hensley Henson, Mr. C. Herbert-Smith, Sir J. Hill, Professor Holland, K.C., Mr. A. Hopkinson, K.C. (Vice-Chancellor of the University of Manchester), Mr. J. J. Howe, Sir W. Huggins, K.C.B., O.M., F.R.S., Sir Courtenay Ilbert, K.C.S.I., Mr. J. Inglis, Mr. Justice Joyce, Lord Justice Kennedy, Mr. G. W. King, Mr. F. Lampard, Mr. S. Lee, Master Lush, K.C., Mr. R. A. McCall, K.C., Mr. J. W. McCarthy, Sir J. Macdonell, C.B., Sir A. Mackenzie, Mr. F. O. Macmillan, Sir P. Magnus, M.P., Master Manisty, K.C., Sir W. Matthews, K.C.M.G. (President of the Institute of Civil Engineers), Master Mattinson, K.C., Mr. C. Maturin, Mr. H. Morris (President of the Royal College of Surgeons), Lord Justice Fletcher Moulton, Mr. J. W. Moyses, Judge Mulligan, K.C., Mr. B. O'Connor, Mr. T. P. O'Connor, M.P., Sir I. Owen (Deputy Chancellor the University of Wales), Master Pochin, Sir F. Pollock, Mr. F. W. Pomeroy, Mr. A. S. Poyser, Mr. J. Proctor, Sir T. Rayleigh, Sir W. Ramsay, F.R.S., Sir H. Reichel (Principal of the University of Wales), Mr. Justice Ridley, Sir W. S. Robson, K.C., M.P. (Attorney-General), Sir H. Roscoe, F.R.S., Master Rose, Master Russell, K.C., Mr. C. H. Russell (Treasurer of Lincoln's Inn), Mr. C. C. Scott, Mr. M. Sharpe, Mr. J. A. Simon, K.C., M.P., Sir C. Stanford, Lord Strathcona, F.R.S. (Chancellor of the University of Aberdeen), Mr. R. S. Taylor, Master Terrell, K.C., Lord Justice Vaughan Williams, Lord Verulam, Mr. C. Walsh, Dr. Ward (Master of Peterhouse), Sir Marshall Warmington, K.C., Mr. F. Watt, Archdeacon Wilberforce, Mr. P. Witham, the Rev. H. G. Woods, D.D. (Master of the Temple), and Dr. Wright (Vice-Master of Trinity College, Cambridge).

After the toasts of "The King" and "Domus," the Treasurer proposed a toast to "The Immortal Memory of Francis Bacon," and when he had detailed Bacon's connection with Gray's Inn, and briefly traced his career, concluded by saying:

"Among the shadows of that great age the name of Bacon stood out with fact, public service, and character about it—