ry, according to his mood. As a rule, he
rose at six o'clock in the morning, took a cold bath, then took a raw
egg and a cup of black coffee, and went to work. He never sat down to
write, but stood at a high desk, and refreshed himself by an occasional
turn across the room, and a sip of _eau sucree_. He breakfasted at
eleven. One of his recreations was riding on the top of an omnibus, a
habit he contracted during a short visit to London, when he was advised
that "the knife-board" was a good place from which to see the street
life of the English metropolis. The "knife-board," indeed, was his
favorite point of observation, whence he gathered inspiration from the
passing crowds below. Many of his famous characters have been caught in
his mind's eye while taking a three-sou drive from the Arc de Triomphe
to the Bastile.

It is on record that Bulwer wrote his romance of "Harold" in less than a
month, resting not at all by day, and scarcely at night. In a private
letter Lord Lytton says: "The novel of 'Harold' was written in rather
less than four weeks. I can personally attest this fact, as I was with
my father when he wrote it--on a visit to his friend, the late Mr.
Tennyson D'Eyncourt. D'Eyncourt was a great collector of Norman and
Anglo-Saxon chronicles, with which his library was well stored. The
notes of research for 'Harold' fill several thick commonplace books....
While my father was writing 'Harold' I do not think he put down his pen
except for meals and half an hour's run before dinner 'round the
terrace. He was at work the greater part of every night, and again early
in the morning."

It is an interesting fact in regard to Lord Tennyson's drama on the same
subject--with a dedication to the late Lord Lytton, in reconciliation of
an old literary feud with his father--that the first sketch of "Harold"
took the form of a drama, entitled "William the Norman." It was
probably not written for publication, as the writer's way of composing
many of his prose romances was to sketch them out first as dramas.

The "Lady of Lyons" was written in ten days. It was by no means uncommon
with Bulwer to have two books in hand at once, and live alternate
periods with the beings of his creation, as if he were passing in
society from one company to another. Thus "Lucretia" and "The Caxtons,"
"Kenelm Chillingly" and "The Parisians," were written simultaneously.
But despite his literary facility, Bulwer rewrote some of his briefer
produc