In the second half of the nineteenth century John Morley had a distinguished reputation as a man of letters, specifically as an editor and a biographer. In 1883 he became a member of Parliament and later served as secretary of state for Ireland and for India. The energy of his application to these endeavors was unfailing, and his level of achievement was high, though critics now consider him to have failed to achieve first rank either as a man of letters or as a politician. In his Recollections (1917), Morley devoted most of the two volumes to his political career, and contemporary scholarship has largely concentrated on his political role. Morley's other contributions, however, are worthy of note: his excellent work as editor of the Fortnightly Review , his studies in biography, and his literary criticism.

John Morley was born to Jonathan and Priscilla Donkin Morley at Blackburn, a center of...