h a certain
impersonal pomp, as gnomic utterances of an anonymous philosopher. I
need not, however, discuss their merit. Venables wrote, if I am not
mistaken, some admirable literary criticisms, and claimed to have been
one of the first to recognise the poetical merits of his friend
Tennyson, and, after a long interval, those of Mr. Swinburne, whom he
regarded as the next legitimate heir to the throne. Venables was warmly
beloved by his intimates, and Fitzjames through life frequently declared
that he felt for him a kind of filial affection.

The other Saturday reviewer with whom he became specially intimate was
Thomas Collett Sandars. He was a Balliol scholar and a Fellow of Oriel,
and is known as an editor (1853) of Justinian's 'Institutes.' It is, I
am told, a useful textbook, but the editor makes no special pretensions
to original research. Sandars was at one time a professor of
Constitutional Law in the Inns of Court, but he was much occupied in
various financial undertakings and did little to make himself known to
the outside world. He was a man, however, of great literary taste, and
overflowing with humorous and delightful conversation. He survived my
brother by a few months only, and in the interval spoke to me with great
interest of his memories of the old 'Saturday Review' days. He was in
early days on most intimate terms with Fitzjames; they discussed all
manner of topics together and were for some time the two principal
manufacturers of what were called 'middles'--the articles which
intervened between the political leaders and the reviews of books. These
became gradually one of the most characteristic facts of the paper, and,
as I shall presently explain, gave an opportunity of which Fitzjames was
particularly glad to avail himself.

The first contribution from Fitzjames appeared in the second number of
the paper. For a short time its successors are comparatively rare, but
in the course of the following spring he begins to contribute regularly
two articles a week, and before long there are sufficient indications
that the editor looks upon him with favour. Articles running to a length
of four columns, for example, show that he was not only pouring himself
out pretty freely, but that his claims upon space were not grudgingly
treated. In March 1856 he says that he is 'very nervous' about his
articles and doubtful of Cook's approval, but in the same month he is
greatly cheered by a conversation upon the subject