* LYTTON, SIR EDWARD GEORGE EARLE LYTTON BULWER, BART., was born in 1805, the youngest son of General Bulwer, of Woodalling and Haydon Hall, Norfolk. His mother was Elizabeth Barbara, the only daughter of Richard Warbenton Lytton, Esq., of Knebsworth, Herta—a splendid property, which had belonged to the Lytton family from ancient times. By the death of his father, while the future novelist was yet young, the carp of his education devolved on his mother, who was a woman of very superior character and intelligence, and who, as the heir of the Knebsworth estates, resumed by royal licence (1811) her own name of Lytton. Possessed of great wealth, she spared no expense in the education of her sons. When only six years of age, Edward, the youngest of them, used to delight her by writing verses. ' In 1820, while only fifteen years of age, he appeared in print as the author of 'Ismael: an Oriental Tale.' After a careful training under private tutors, he entered Trinity Hall, Cambridge, as a fellow-commoner; and here, while distinguishing himself among the other wealthy young Cantabrigians io all the exploits and amusements of academic life, and while spending his vacations in tours in England, Scotland, and the Continent, he gave ample proof at the same time of his brilliant abilities and his passion for literature. He gradrated B.A. in 1826, which degree was exchanged for the higher one of MA. conferred on him In 1835. Prior to the first of these degrees however he was professedly an author. In 1S25 he published a poem on which bad gained the CI ancellor's prize for English versification at the university. In 1826, when just leaving his formal studies at the university, he published a collection of his juvenile poems tinder the title of 'Weeds and Wild Flowers ;' which was followed in 1827 by a tale in verse somewhat in the impassioned Byronio ets le, entitled 'O'Neill. or the Rebel.' In the same year (1527) appeared his first novel, an hum slotted love-story, publiebest without his name. Having thus plumed l is wing, he venturt d in 1828 on a somewhat different flight in his Pelham, or the Adventures of a Gentleman,' in which wit and lively pictures of modern society were combined with romance and enthu siasm. The novel made a great impression, and was abundantly criticised. Next, in the same year, came another novel, with less of worldly interest and adventure, entitled The and which, though successful, was not so successful as its predecessor ; and next, in 1829, 'Devereux; a powerful work of fiction. In the year 1830, Mr. Mils% er, whose literary reputation was by this time fully established, produced another novel, called 'Paul Clifford,' the peculiarity of which was that the hero was a highwayman, the better parts of whose nature were developed by the influence of love. In this, as well as in the
preceding novels, there was an abundance of satirical allusion to the vices and foibles of society ; and ti e same satirical spirit was more expressly manifested in a poem entitled 'The Siamese Twins,' published in 1831.
It Astra In this year that Mr. Bulwer, then about twenty-six years of age, commenced his parliamentary career as member for St. Ives. It was the time of the Reform Bill agitation, and Air. Bulwer attached Limetif ardently to the reform party. Iu 1832 he was returned to the reformed parliament as member for Lincoln, which seat he con filmed to bold till 1841, still as an adherent of the Whigs, or rather of that extreme party of the Whigs which had assumed the name of Radicals. As an adherent of this party lie took a strong interest in, and spoke frequently and with effect on, liberal measures—more especially on questicns, such as that of the newspaper stamp, affecting the free diffusion of knowledge.
Meanwhile, Mr. Bulwer was none the less assiduous as an author. In 1831—his first year in parliament—be published his celebrated novel of ' Eugene Aram ;' and iu the same, or in the following year, be succeeded Campbell in the editorship of the New Monthly To the j aces of this periodical he contributed a series of papers, afterwards collected and republished (1835), in two volumes, under the title of 'The Student.' In 1833 he published his ' England and the English,' a series of witty and sarcastic sketches of English society, English literature, &c. This work provoked some severe criticism. It was followed in 1834 by his ' Pilgrims of the Rhine,' an illuattated book ; and that again, almost immediately, by his powerful and glowing romance entitled 'The Last Days of Pompeii,' for the song osition of which he had been prepared by a recent tour in Italy. Another novel, also full of Italian descriptions and historical portraiture of men and manners, though referring to a more modern epoch, was the splendid story of the Roman tribune of the middle ages. Almost contemporaneous with this work of fiction was a political pamphlet entitled The Crisis,' published in 1835, during the brief interruption of the Whig government by the Conservative ministry of Sir Robert Peel. The pamphlet ran through many editions; several answers were published to it; and altogether its effect was such that its author (the importance of his political services being added to hit literary reputation) was raised to a baronetcy by the Melbourne administration.