JAMES, GEORGE PAYNE HAINSFORD ( 1801 GO). An English novelist, born in London, August 9, 1801. He attended a. school at Putney, where he acquired some knowledge of French and Italian; and subsequently educated himself by wide reading and extensive travel on the Con tinent. After he had won a place among the contemporary novelists, be was appointed his toriographer royal under William IV., and, later in life, consul in Virginia, and finally in Venice, where he died lay 9, 1860. He began his liter ary career by writing Eastern tales, which were praised by Washington Irving. In 1829 he pub lished Richelieu, an historical novel thought to be in the manner of Scott. Thereafter novel fol lowed novel in rapid succession, until the number of novels and tales reached almost a hundred. The best of them seems to be Mary of Burgundy. He also wrote, or rather dictated, many biog raphies and histories, among which are Memoirs of Great Commanders (1832) ; A. History of
Chivalry (1843) ; and Life of Richard I. (4 vols., 1842-49). Following the example of Scott. he collected his novels with elaborate prefaces (1844-49). Some of them are still obtainable in cheap editions. While in the United States he wrote in connection with AL B. Field Adrian. or the Clouds of the Mind (1852). Jams was immensely popular in his own time But his conventional moralizing and descriptions have long been out of date. His novels are all con structed on the same mechanical plan. They open with two horsemen riding through lovely scenes, or with an invocation to them before they appear, or with the variant of two men talking in subdued tones over their cups. Consult: 'Works (new ed., London and New York. 1903). and Thackeray. "Barbazure." in by Emi nent Hands" (in Punch. London, 1897).