Links to Full Text Contemporary and Other
Reviews of Lucile & Obituaries of Meredith
appear on this page.

For Mentions of Lucile in Scholarly and Popular Books and Articles
go to the "Sightings" page.

For dramatizations, motion pictures, a translation of George Sand's Lavinia, and other odd treats,
go to the "Oddities" page.

Reviews, "sightings," and "odditiies" not noted on these pages are greatly welcomed!

Reviews:

New Monthly Magazine (London), Series II, volume 119, p. 469-471, 1860

Athenaeum (London) 1695 (21 April 1860). The Curran Index attributes this review to Henry Fothergill Chorley (1808-1872).

Leader and Saturday Analyst (London), Second series #527 (28 April 1860)

Literary Gazette (London), Saturday, 5 May 1860

New York Times, 23 June 1860

Southern Literary Messenger (Richmond, VA) 31:1 (July 1860).

Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine DXXXVII (July 1860), vol. LXXXVIII, p37-53. "Poetry". [Author now identified as Margaret Oliphant (1828-1897)].

Lady's Home Magazine, August 1860, 16, p125. “Lucile”

Peterson's Magazine (Philadelphia), August 1860, XXXVIII:2, p160

Littell's Living Age (Boston) 66:848 (1 September 1860), p564-567. Review.
---- 1262 (8 August 1868), p374-5. Francis Jacox. "Unready-Witted." (Reprinted from St. James Magazine). Quotes Meredith's description of Vargrave at a loss for words.

Godey's Lady's Book and Magazine (New York). September 1860 (61), p274. "Literary Notices."

The North British Review (Edinburgh) 33 (1860), p114-129. "Recent Poetry."

The English Woman's Journal (London) 32/6 (1860), p131-137.

New Englander (New Haven, CT) 18. November 1860, p1112. Brief notice which reads, "Lucile -- This very readable poem, by Owen Meredith, the author of "The Wanderer, and "Clytemnestra," has been published by Messrs. Ticknor & Fields in 'blue and gold.'" A footnote cites it as 24mo. pp. 352. 75 cents. [Available from] T.H. Pease, New Haven.

The Monthly Religious Magazine and Independent Journal (Boston). January 1861 (25:1), p68.

The Literary Gazette (London) 140 (2300) New Series (2 March 1861), p201-204. MR. OWEN MEREDITH'S "LUCILE." Details plagarism from George Sand's Lavina.

Saturday Evening Post. 30 March 1861, p3. "Alleged Plagarism."

Dublin University Magazine LVII (April 1861), p405- 417.

The London Quarterly and Holborn Review XVI (April and July 1861), p393-412. "Recent Poetry."
----Reprinted in The Eclectic Magazine of Foreign Literature (New York) 54:1 (September 1861), p93+.

Alfred Austin, The Season: A Satire (London: George Manwaring, 1861; second edition revised) and  My Satire and Its Censors (London: George Manwaring, 1861), p14-15.

The Yale Literary Magazine XXVIII: 1 (October 1862), pages1-4.

National Review (London) XVII (July-October 1863), pages 174-203. Long, thorough, review of Meredith's work with emphasis on Lucile.

The Independent ...Devoted to the Consideration of Politics, Of Social and Economic Tendencies, of History, Literature and the Arts. Boston: 5 Devember 1867, p2. An early review of the Du Maurier illustrated edition, dismissive of the illustrations but complimentary about the work. Henry Ward Beecher was editior of the The Independent at the time this review was published.

The Nation. 12 December 1867, p476. "Illustrated Gift Books." Criticism of the Du Maurier illustrations.
----. 9 September 1869, p212. Notice of a Lovell edition.
----. 11 August 1881. Number 841, p115. "Notes." Note on Osgood "Holiday" edition.
----. 15 December 1881. Number 859, p472-473. Review of "Holiday" edition with mention also of Geraldine.
----. 19 June 1884. p527. Note on a new translation of Sand's Lavinia with mention of Lucile.
----. 65:1695. 23 December 1897, p498. Notice of Stokes' calendar with LeMaire illustrations.
----. 69:1793. 9 November 1899, p352. "Notes." Notice of new Crowell editions.
----. 22 November 1906, p435. Notice of Lady Balfour's edition of Lytton's letters, with long notice of Lucile, by Andrew Lang.
----. 18 May 1946, p605-606. "A Faded Violet." Review by Rolph Humphries of Owen Meredith. A Critical Biography of Robert, First Earl of Lytton. By Aurelia Brooks Harlan (Columbia University Press); a similar review by Edith C. Batho.

The Dial: A Monthly Magazine for Literature, Philosophy and Religion. September 1860 (I:9), p581.
---- 10 (May 1879-April 1880), p220. Notice of Estes & Lauriat edition of The Earl's Return.
---- 2 (May 1881-April 1882), p176. Notice of Osgood's "Holiday" edition.
---- 10 (December 1889), p218. Notice of Stokes & Brother "Vignette" editon and Estes & Lauriat The Earl's Return.
---- 11(May 1890-April 1891), p. 249. Notice of Stokes "Vignette" edition.
---- 15 (1 July-16 December 1893), p397.  Notice of Estes "Imperial 8vo." edition.
---- 16 (1 January-16 June 1894), "Briefer Mention," p338. Notice of Longman's edition of Lucile.
---- 23 (1 July-16 December 1897), "Holiday Publications," p397. Notice of Stoke's edition illustrated by Lemaire.

Scott’s Monthly Magazine  (Atlanta, GA: J. J. Toon) 4:1 (July 1867) , p537-546. A detailed summary of the poem--for a Southern audience?

Putnam's Magazine 1:1 (January 1868), p.129. Review of the DuMaurier-illustrated edition.

The British Quarterly Review. London: Hodder & Stoughton, XLVII (January and April 1868), p544-545. Review of the illustrated edition of Lucile and Chronicles and Characters.

The Contemporary Review (London) VII (June-April 1868), p462-463. Review of Lucile (with illustrations by George Du Maurier. London: Chapman and Hall, 1867) and Chronicles and Characters (1867).

Blanche Douglas Hoffman, Francis Moncaster, Chapters VIII-XI, pages 66-71. The Literary Age I:3, Liberty, VA (Hoffman & Murrell, Publishers), September 1878 (pages 69-70).

Arthur's Illustrated Home Magazine, January 1879, p49. Lucile as winter reading.

Algernon Charles Swinburne. "Last Words of a Seventh-Rate Poet." The Heptalogia, or The Seven Against Sense (London: Chatto & Windus, 1880), p65-91. A brilliant, perhaps even vicious, parody of Meredith. With an added parody by Thomas Hood, "The Wedding."

The Atlantic Monthy (Boston), January and April 1881. "The Contributor's Club" notes instances of Meredith's plagiarism in Lucile and other work.

The Literary World (Boston), 13 August and  17 December 1881. Notice and review of Osgood's "Holiday" edition.

Scribner's Monthly (New York). XXII:6 (October 1881), back material. The Book-Buyer's Guide. "ANNOUCEMENTS FOR SEPTEMBER." [James R. Osgood & Co. advertisement for the "Holiday" edition].

Harper's Magazine 381 February 1882 (64: p473). Notice of Osgood's "Holiday" edition.

The Critic (New York), 24 September 1881. Review of Osgood's "Holiday" edition, a portrait of Lytton and a critical review of Lytton's life by R. Seton.
---- "Popular Books in a Free Library." (19 February 1887), p90. Report on circulation of popular books at the New York Free Circulating Library.

The Academy 20 (July-December 1881), p470. Review of the London: Kegan Paul edition of Osgood's "Holiday" edition.

Atlantic Monthly 47 (1881), p136. "Contibutor's Club." An American critic independently discovers Meredith's plagiarism.
---- 49 (January 1882). Notice of Osgood's Holiday Edition.

Clipped 1882 Newspaper Notice of Osgood's Holiday Edition.

American Notes and Queries (10 August 1889), p170-173. "Is Owen Meredith's 'Lucile' entirely original, and who first claimed it was not?"

The New York Times:
----. 6 February 1881; p.8: LORD LYTTON'S PLAGIARISM.
----. 25 November 1891; p. 4: THE LAST OF THE BULWERS. [Critical review of Lytton's work and life.]
----. 9 June 1892; p. 10: LORD LYTTON'S BOYHOOD. [Review of Lytton's troubled early years.]
----. 28 April 1900, p. BR11: QUERIES AND ANSWERS. [Response to question about Lytton's plagiarism.]

The Globe (Toronto) 30 April 1892. Note on Meredith's status as a poet, with comment on Lucile.

W.H. Mallock. "Poetry and Lord Lytton." The Fortnightly Review (London), 57 (NS 51) June 1892, p795-810.

Catholic World 58, issue 345 (December 1893).

Life. 23 April 1895, p231. Notice of Glenaveril characterizes Lucile.

George Saintsbury. "The Poetry of the Earl of Lytton." The Forum ( New York ), XXII (September 1896-February 1897), p. 467-482.

The New York Times Saturday Review of Books (22 March 1902): “Lucile” and Mr. Depew’s Backyard. / In a recent newspaper article concerning Corcoran House, the Washington residence of Senator Depew of New York, the writer stated that in its fine backyard Lord Lytton, then an attaché of the British Legation in Washington, had written his famous poem, “Lucile.” This is not the only place in Washington in which it is said Owen Meredith wrote "Lucile," and, for my own satisfaction, I wrote several years ago to the author, then in Paris, for definite information on the subject, and his secretary very courteously replied that Lord Lytton had not written "Lucile” in America at all, but had written the greater part of it in some Summer place in the Pyrenees, just where I have forgotten. But it was not in Senator Depew's backyard, notwithstanding that really is a pretty enough spot for the writing of even better poetry than may be found in Owen Meredith’s mellifluous measures. W. J. LAMPTON. New York City, March 11, 1902.

The New York Times. 7 March 1903:  "The dedication of a memorial in the crypt of St. Paul's, London, to the second Lord Lytton naturally leads to the question in the literary weeklies (as there are comparatively few other literary topics just now) who reads Owen Meredith's poetry in this twentieth century.  It seems only the other day that all the girls and boys were reading "Lucile," while their elders smiled amiably, and all the "recitationists" were declaiming "Aux Italiens" with musical accompaniments. But the "other day" of the middle-aged seems to youth, in an era so "rapid" as this, like dim antiquity. Probably the girls of this hour find newer sentimental verse more to their liking than "Lucile." As for "Clytemnestra," "The Ring of Amasis," "Glenavril," and "King Poppy," which The London Academy names as works of the son of the greater Bulwer -- where are they?"

Charles Wells Moulton. "Edward Robert Bulwer Earl Lytton (Owen Meredith), 1831-1891." The Library of Literary Criticism of English and American Authors (Buffalo: Moulton Publishing Co., 1904). Volume VIII (1891-1904), p43-49.

Life (New York City) 1908-12-24, p729. Whoa. Pegaus! From an advertisement in the Evening Sun: [IN A BOX FRAME:] PADDED POETS, 39c. / Publishers’ Price, $1.50. / Bound in Embossed Padded Leather. Full Gilt Edges and Boxed. Comprising 16 titles, including all the popular English and American Poets. / Mrs. Browning, Bryant, Byron, Carey, Courtship of Miles Stanish, Evangeline, Hiawatha, Holmes, Jean Ingelow, Lucile, Milton, Moore, Poe, Proctor, Rubaiyat, Scott. [END BOX]

Truth will out! At last we have an authentic list of the Padded Poets. In the bright lexicon of fame which Fate reserves for the final sifting of genius, this bar sinister much henceforth cling to the names here enumerated. That is should include “all the popular English and American poets” is a cause for international lamentations as well as surprise. Who, for instance would have thought to find Lucile stigmatized as a padded poet, or who, knowing the meager and painstaking output of Mr. Rubaiyat, would not feel a thrill of astonishment to find him weighed and found padded. In regard to Evangeline, we confess to have had no favorable opportunity of informing ourselves, but surely Mr. Hiawatha cannot be classed as a padded poet unless we revert to the days of his football career at Carlisle. Longfellow, under a thin veneer of anonymity, has his name protected from the searching critic who, nevertheless, relentlessly exposes Byron and Mrs. Browning. What Galahad of pure verse – now that Coogler of the Carolinas is no more – will arise to expurgate and, in vulgar parlance, knock the stuffing out of these poets whose padding has reduced them from the first ranks of the $1.50 verse to the plebian though seductive valuation of 39 cents? – R. H. R.

William S. Walsh, “Plagiarism and Plagiarists,” Handy Book of Literary Curiosities (Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott Company, 1909), p891-899+.

Walter Sargent. "A Poet and a Diplomat." The Catholic World (New York), XC, No. 538 (January 1910), p493-501. A review of Lytton's daughter's (Lady Balfour) two-volume edition of his letters (1906); much concerned with other critics, including Wilfrid Ward (see "Sightings").

Life (New York City) 1916-12-07, p1040.

Rubaiyat-itis
--
When Christmas morn had put the stars to flight
I rose at length, and lo, before my sight
Ten copies of the Rubaiyat appeared
Which ten good friends had thought would strike me right.
-
Whether at New Orleans or Bablyon,
Whether the cup with sweet or bitter rum
Each Christmas when the postmen ring my bell
The Rubaiyats keep coming one by one.
-
Though well I love the poem Omar writ,
I’m sorry that it e’er made such a hit;
For every friend I have beneath the sun
At Christmas time is sure to sent me it.
-
Lucille was once the proper thing to send,
In padded leather, to a far-off friend.
In days gone by we fairly sowed Lucilles,
But now ‘tis Rubaiyat, world without end.
-
Strange, is it not, that of the myriads who
Present old Omar bound in red and blue
How seldom are the ones who, sending it,
Have ever taken time to read it through!
-
Myself I’ve often purchased three or four
And given them to friends in days of yore;
But now whene’er I give the Rubaiyat
I simply take one from my growing store.
------------------ Walter G. Doty.

Outlook (16 October 1918), p250. "Wanted - A Book for Every Man Over There [in France]." An interview with an overseas dispatch agent, by H.H. Moore, of the Outlook staff: Lucile the book most often donated.

Rolfe Humphries. Review of Owen Meredith. A Critical Biography of Robert, First Earl of Lytton. By Aurelia Brooks Harlan (Columbia University Press). The Nation. 18 May 1946. p605-606.  A review by Edith C. Batho, The Review of English Studies 24:95 (July 1948), pp. 266-7.

Characterizations and Obituaries of Lytton

The National Portrait Gallery. London: Cassell, Petter & Galpin, 1875. Volume 2. Portrait and long commentary on Lytton's diplomatic and writing careers.

The Times (London), Wednesday, 25 November 1891. Reprinted in Eminent Persons, Biographies reprinted from The Times (London: Macmillan, 1896), V, pages 147-152.

The Athenaeum (London) 98 (28 November 1891), p724.

The Spectator (London) 67 (28 November 1891), p751.

The Critic (London), (29 November 1891), p309-310. "Lord Lytton ('Owen Meredith')" and "A Man of Many Countries"; (5 December 1891), p413-414. "The Late Lord Lytton"; (No. 416, 1891), p358-359. "How Lord Lytton Died."

Illustrated London News (London) Issue 2746 (5 December 1891); pg. 727.

Harper’s Weekly (New York) 35 (5 December 1891), p967.

Mackin, Sarah Maris Aloisa Britton Spottiswood. A Society Woman on Two Continents. New York & London: Transatlantic Publishing Co., 1896.  p130-131.

Washbrook, David. "Lytton, Edward Robert Bulwer-, first earl of Lytton (1831-1891)", (Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, Sept 2004). DNB is available online, but locked behind a paywall. This is, however, a very widely held reference set which is found in most libraries, and many libraries also subscribe to the online edition. Washbrook's summary biography is excellent and worth seeking out.

Last revised: 25 September 2022