A Fly in Amber: Being An Extravagant Biography of the Romantic Antiquary Sir Robert Bruce Cotton

The 'fly in amber' is Sir Robert Bruce Cotton, Baronet--a gentleman of ancient family and considerable wealth, a courtier and man about town, sometime court antiquary to James I. Sir Robert was an indefatigable collector of manuscripts, rare books and objects of vertu -- articles of beauty and of oddity. At first sight, his life might seem to be of interest only to bibliophiles and to such readers as seek to know about the origins of our great libraries and museums. But Sir Robert knew everybody who was anybody during the reigns of Elizabeth I and James I, and in Miss Hope Mirrlees he has found the the ideal biographer to make him interesting to a wider public. Miss Mirrlees combines great learning, exact scholarship, infinite curiosity about human beings, a keen sense of humour and a delightful style. The result is a book, as readable as any gossip column, but invaluable to the student of the society of that age. We meet Cecils and Howards, and many lesser names of importance in their day; we read of Dr. John Donne and other men of letters. We come into touch with high politics as well as intrigue and scandal. So besides relating the life of a very engaging personality this book makes us acquainted with the society of two reigns. We cannot think of any book to which to liken A Fly in Amber. We hope that Miss Mirrlees will give us another to match it.