sentatives, eight tenant farmers and eight professional agents. The report is in an early volume of the journal. When the Conservative Government brought in their Agricultural Holding's Bill, Sir Thomas Acland opposed it as a measure quite unsatisfactory, proposing another-the Tenants Compensation Bill. In this Parliament (1880 and 1881) he has introduced a similar Bill; indeed, he is now busily engaged upon it.

Sir Thomas Acland's colleague for the county is the Conservative leader of the House of Commons, Sir Stafford Northcote, The result is that North Devon is represented by a Liberal and a Tory. The parties agree to differ, however, for of late years, there has been no contest.

His

In 1871 Sir Thomas Dyke Acland succeeded to the Baronetcy. That he is a worthy successor of a worthy sire those who know are only too ready to testify, and the honourable baronet is deservedly esteemed equally in London and the West of England. Since his father's death he has been much occupied in the details of agricultural management and improvement, and other local duties. The rural populations of England have never had (as was recently stated by Mr. Thomas Duckham, M.P. for Herefordshire), a truer friend or a more practical representative in the House of Commons. With regard to his religious views he may be described as a Liberal Churchman. If there is one thing more than another which characterises Sir Thomas it is his passionate devotion to the memory of the teachers of his earlier years. father, Sir Thomas Dyke Acland; Philip Pusey, M.P.; Mathison, and Maurice, to all of whom we have alluded -these are his dii penates. And there can be no wonder that these leaders of men inspired him with reverence. In the case of Maurice especially this seems to have been the case, and whether we differ with that great divine's theology or agree with it we are forced to admit the beauty of his character, the sanctity of his life, and his influence over men. It was essentially a personal influence, however, which he exercised, for we know that whilst many were first alarmed and then alienated at the perusal of his books, the very same persons became his disciples when brought into personal contact with him. We should imagine from what we know of Sir Thomas Dyke Acland that had he never met Maurice he would have become a High Churchman. Having been much in his society, he irresistibly

became a Liberal Churchman. Sir Thomas was appointed an (unpaid) Ecclesiastical Commissioner in 1869, serving during the whole time of the Liberal Government (1869-74).

Sir Thomas Dyke Acland married (1) in 1841, Mary, the eldest daughter of the late Sir Charles Mordaunt, Bart., and (2) in 1856, Mary, daughter of the late John Erskine, Esq., and has issue surviving two sons and two daughters. His eldest son, Charles Thomas Dyke, stood for West Somerset at the last election, and only lost by about 200. He is a real worker like Sir Thomas, and has written an excellent article in the Fortnightly Review on County Government. Sir Thomas' second son, Francis Gilbert, was adjutant in the Rifle Brigade, 3rd Battalion; he served in India and in America, he was honourably named for his zealous service in the Fenian disturbances, and he was truly described as "loving and beloved by all his men"; he died in 1872. His third son, Arthur, lives at Oxford, having a responsible office at Christ Church, involving hard work, ie., organizing the interior economy of the college in reference to the servants, the commissariat, &c. He has effected reforms of great importance, economical and social. He takes an active part in Somerville Hall (Upper Girls), and other social and literary work.

With respect to Sir Thomas' brothers, of whom he has three surviving, we may mention (1) Dr. Henry Wentworth Acland (of whom a memoir will appear in an early number); (2) the Rev. Peter L. D. Acland; and (3) the Hon. John Barton Arundel Acland. The first of the two latter is a clergyman of a country parish with two thousand people. He is a model of a working country priest-sober and practical, candid, moderate, and kindly, with no ritualistic fancies, but interested in all that is scholarly and scientific and socially useful. The youngest brother of Sir Thomas-the Hon. J. B. A. Acland-is a working colonist on Mount Peel, Canterbury, New Zealand, with a large sheep-run. He is a Member of the Upper Chamber, or Legislative Council, and an earnest Churchman, active in the Church Councils. His wife is a daughter of the Bishop (Dr. Harper). The only surviving sister of Sir Thomas married Mr. Arthur Mills, late M.P. for Exeter. He was very ill-used by the Conservative Party whom he so well served. He was a most valuable Member of the House of Commons, taking a leading part in Committees. He is an active Member of the London School Board.

Sir Thomas's next brother, who is deceased, was Arthur Henry Dyke Acland, who took the name of Troyte on inheriting the property of Dr. Troyte, of Huntsham.

He was a man of saintly life, great musical talent, skilled in architecture and manual work, carving, &c., like a workman-wrote and compiled several devotional works, especially "Daily Steps," "Liturgia Domestica," and composed several chants and tunes now in general use.

His eldest son is an active Volunteer and Yeomanry officer, now High Sheriff of Devon, and a great authority on campanology. His second son, John, is now known to be the writer of the remarkable book called "Through the Ranks to a Commission" (Macmillan). He enlisted from pure love of the military life, being too old for a commission. This book gives an insight into the life of the barracks, such as was never written before, and is creditable alike to the soldiers and to the writer as a gentleman and a Christian.

This memoir, so hurriedly and imperfectly written is a sample of practical work well done by many country gentlemen, helped by, and, in their turn, encouraging others. Had it not been for Sir Thomas's natural reticence on all subjects appertaining to himself, and his disinclination to supply personal data, we should have been enabled to weave our narrative into a much more full and exhaustive chapter of contemporary biography.

PROFESSOR JAMES BRYCE, M.P.

THE Regius Professor of Civil Law in the University of Oxford, and Member for the Tower Hamlets-Mr. James Bryce is descended from an old Scottish family, and was born on May 10th, 1838, at Belfast, County Antrim. His father was the well-known Dr. James Bryce, LL.D., of Glasgow. Professor Bryce was first educated at the High School and University of Glasgow, whence he proceeded to Trinity College, Oxford, of which he was elected Scholar in

1857. In 1862, Mr. Bryce was elected to a Fellowship at Oriel, being University Prizeman, &c., and he had a most brilliant and distinguished career. He became Librarian and President of the Union, and immediately after taking his degree of B.A. in 1862, and until the settlement of the question in 1871, he took a prominent and active part in the agitation for the abolition of University Tests. Professor Bryce seemed the leading spirit in the whole struggle, -at any rate one of the leading spirits-writing articles in the North British Review and elsewhere, and organising numerous meetings. As may be supposed, the learned gentleman took an equally prominent part in the Reform agitation of 1866, and contributed an elaborate essay "On the Historical Aspects of Democracy" to the well-known volume of "Essays on Reform," published in 1867. It was in the latter year that Mr. Bryce was called to the Bar, at Lincoln's Inn, when he at first went the Northern Circuit, but afterwards practised chiefly in the Equity Courts. In 1870 Mr. Bryce-at a comparatively early age, for he was then only thirty-two years old-was appointed Regius Professor of Civil Law in the University of Oxford, and in the same year the degree of D.C.L. was conferred upon him by decree of Convocation. Professor Bryce has to a considerable extent worked at re-organizing Law studies and Law examinations at Oxford since his appointment to the learned dignity of Regius Professor, and although residing in London he has given a course of Lectures yearly at Oxford.

As an author, Professor Bryce ranks first amongst his literary contemporaries. As far back as 1864, and three years prior to his call to the Bar, he published a remarkably able and interesting volume entitled "The Holy Roman Empire," and which to an extent eclipses the works of the Dean of Ely on the same vast and instructive subject. It is handled in a different way by Dr. Merivale, but the interest of the reader is sustained throughout in Mr. Bryce's pages. A second edition of this work appeared in 1866, and the book being enlarged it went during the next thirteen years through four more editions. In 1880 "The Holy Roman Empire" saw its seventh edition. This was but the first of a series of literary successes. In 1870 Mr. Bryce travelled in North America, and on his return enlightened the old country by writing several important articles on the legal and social phenomena in America.

Two years later the learned gentleman travelled through Iceland, afterwards writing a picturesquely descriptive account of his journey across the great central desert of that island. In 1874-75 Mr. Bryce took a tour in Spain and Portugal, and a year later travelled in Russia, Transcaucasia, and Turkey, ascending Mount Ararat. On returning he wrote his "Transcaucasia and Ararat," describing the journey and ascent. This volume was published in 1877, and has already passed through three editions. Last year Professor Bryce travelled in Greece. But the articles written by Mr. Bryce on different and differing (social, economical, and legal) questions are too numerous to enumerate. Poor Law administration has ever been a subject on which the Professor not only is a great authority, but in which he takes a peculiar interest. His paper in the Fortnightly Review "On the Organization of a Legal Department of Government" was much noticed on its appearance, as was his treatise on "The Trade Marks Registration Acts." There scarcely seems a subject on which Professor Bryce is incompetent to speak. Classical, Geographical, Botanical, Geological-all these departments of literature have found an expositor in the erudite subject of this memoir. His works on Homer, &c., and his books on the mountains of Hungary and Poland, Iceland, &c., testify to his learned versatility, and he has also contributed to his father's book ("On the Geology and Antiquities of Arran ") a chapter on the botany of that island.

We shortly referred at a previous page to the political position of Professor Bryce. As may have been gathered from his attitude with respect to the University Tests question, and the Reform Act of 1868, when he wrote his essay on "The Historical Aspects of Democracy," he is an Advanced Liberal. As far back as 1865, Mr. Bryce acted as Assistant Commissioner to the Schools Enquiry Commission, visiting Secondary schools in Lancashire, and Endowed schools in Salop, Monmouthshire, and most of the counties in Wales. He wrote a long report which appeared in the Report of that Committee, issued in 1868. He was led by the result of his enquiries in this capacity to take an interest in the advancement of education of women, and was one of the founders of Girton College, Cambridge. Thus it will be seen that all that he conceived and executed was according to the spirit of Liberalism, and coming down to 1876 we find him joining in the movement