r. John Morley,
who conducted the _Fortnightly_ with great success for sixteen years.
Most of the earlier contributors were retained; others like Mr.
Swinburne, J.A. Symonds, Professor Edward Dowden and (Sir) Leslie
Stephen established a standard of literary criticism that was
practically unrivalled. The authority of its scientific and political
writers was equally high; as for serial fiction, Mr. Morley published
Mr. Meredith's _Beauchamp's Career_ and _The Tragic Comedians_, besides
less important novels by Trollope and others. More recently the
publication of fiction has been exceptional. The (1890) _Review of
Reviews_ Index said of the _Fortnightly_:

"While disclaiming 'party' or 'editorial consistency,' and
proclaiming that its pages were open to all views, the
_Fortnightly_ seldom included the orthodox among its contributors.
The articles which startled people and made small earthquakes
beneath the crust of conventional orthodoxy, political and
religious, usually appeared in the _Fortnightly_. It was here that
Professor Huxley seemed to foreshadow the expulsion of the
spiritual from the world, by his paper on 'The Physical Basis of
Life,' and that Professor Tyndall propounded his famous suggestion
for the establishment of a prayerless union or hospital as a
scientific method for testing the therapeutic value of prayer. Mr.
Frederic Harrison chanted in its pages the praises of the Commune,
and prepared the old ladies of both sexes for the imminent advent
of an English Terror by his plea for Trade Unionism. It was in the
_Fortnightly_ also that Mr. Chamberlain was introduced to the
world, when he was permitted to explain his proposals for Free
Labour, Free Land, Free Education, and Free Church. Mr. Morley's
papers on the heroes and saints (Heaven save the mark!) of the
French Revolution appeared here, and every month in an editorial
survey he summed up the leading features of the progress of the
world."

Since Mr. Morley's retirement in 1883, the editors of the _Fortnightly_
have been Mr. T.H.S. Escott (1883-86), Mr. Frank Harris (1886-94) and
the present incumbent, Mr. W.L. Courtney.

The _Fortnightly_ was not long permitted to enjoy undisputed possession
of the field. In 1866, while it was still published semi-monthly, the
_Contemporary Review_ was launched. Alexander Strahan, the publisher,
selected Dean