George Payne Rainsford James

George Payne Rainsford James ( born August 9, 1799 in London, † June 9, 1860 in Venice ) was an English diplomat and writer.

George Payne Rainsford James entered early on the writing career with anonymous stories (The string of pearls, 2 vols ) and contributions to magazines, then published a Life of Edward the Black Prince (1822, 2 vols ) and tried with Richelieu, a tale of France (1829 ) in the field of the historical novel with happiness.

Inspired by Walter Scott's praise, he wrote a long series of novels and other works in quick succession, for example,

  • Richelieu (1829 ),
  • Darnley ( 1830),
  • Delorme (1831 ),
  • Philip Augustus ( 1831),
  • One in a thousand, or the days of Henri Quatre (1835 ),
  • Attila (1837 ),
  • The Huguenot (1838 ),
  • The Robber (1839 )
  • Henry of Guise (1839 ),
  • The King's Highway ( 1840)
  • The Commissioner: or, De lunatico Inquirendo (1843 ),
  • Agincourt (1844 )
  • Arrah Neil (1845 ),
  • The Smuggler (1845 ), etc.

He also wrote historical and biographical works, such as:

  • The life of the Black Prince,
  • The Memoirs of Great Commanders (1834, new ed 1872);
  • The History of Charlemagne ( 1832);
  • History of the life of Richard Coeur de Lion ( 1841-49, 4 vols, new ed 1859), among others

James had been appointed by King William IV historiographer of Great Britain, settled however in 1849 to America, where he has held since 1852, the British Consulate to Richmond in Virginia and several more novels, such as: Agnès Sorel (1853 ), Lord Montagu 's page (1858 ), etc., wrote.

Added in 1858 as an English Consul General to Venice, he died on 9 June 1860 in Venice.

His writings include 189 volumes.

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