Bryce

bris, James (1838-19-), a British historian and statesman. He was born at Belfast. His father was a Glasgow schoolmaster held in high repute for his scientific attainments. Young Bryce was educated in the high school at Glasgow and in the university of that city. Later, he was graduated with honors at Trinity College, Oxford. For a time he turned his attention to law, residing in Lincoln's Inn, London. From 1870 until 1893 he was Regius Professor of civil law at Oxford. In 1880 he entered Parliament, identifying himself with the Liberal party and the principle of home rule for Ireland. He has written several historical works. He is known best in America as the author of The Holy Roman Empire, and particularly of The American Commonwealth. The latter is the best exposition of our system of popular government that has yet appeared. It is in fact a monumental work, intelligent, sympathetic, full of courage and plain speaking. In 1905 Mr. Bryce. became a member of the British cabinet. In 1908 he was sent to Washington as an ambassador from the Court of St. James.

One may doubt if such a living picture of Democracy in all its ways, in its strength and its weakness, its dangers and its future, in all its strange nakedness of appearance, and its amazing vitality and force, in its golden hopes, and its simplicity and limitations as of a raw, lucky, inexperienced youth entering on a matchless inheritance for good or for evil, has ever yet been drawn by a competent hand.--Frederic Harrison, Mr. Bryce's American Commonwealth.