DEATH OF LORD ALFRED DOUGLAS

A notable figure passes away from the Catholic and literary scene in England by the death on Tuesday last of Lord Alfred Douglas. He. was in his 75th year. He had been ill fbr some iiine and was anointed several weeks
ago but rallied. He had lived for many years in Hove, but latterly he had gone to stay with his literary executor at Old Monk's Farm, Lancing. and this is where he died. He was active until the end, and keenly interested on defending thc Poles, on whose behalf he was writing letters to the press.
Lord Alfred Douglas was the third son of the Marquess of Queensbury. He was educated at Winchester and Magdalen Cdllege, Oxford. He had great personal gifts and an early literary talent that developed into neargenius. It is not too much to say that his poetry will live. His sonnets particularly arc some of the finest in the English language,
The Oscar Wilde scandal in which, in the very flower of his youth, be was accidentally involved, undoubtedly affected his character and outlook. His was not the type of mind to seek oblivion—the world forgetting by the world forgot. He wielded his pen like a rapier and returned again and again to the wordy battle in book and newspaper. His outspokenness was more than once the cause of Wilde's disgrace. He particularly resented the suggestion that he deserted Wilde in litigation and he was sent to prison for a libel on
Mr. Winston Churchill. '
Lord Alfred was received into the Church in 191f and an enthusiastic, loyal and fervent convert he made and remained to the end.
The funeral takes lace to-day preceded by a Requiem Mass at the Franciscan Friary, Crawley.
A friend of many years' standing, Mr. Samuel Sproston, of Hove, says of Lord Alfred Douglas: " Two things always struck me about him. The first was his love and absolute fearlessness in the cause of truth, no mailer how unpopular he may have made himself by his attitude or how much persecution it brought him. The second was his child-like faith in the Catholic Church. His was a perfectly simple and absolute belief—it was • wonderful, perfect and edifying faith. " He was, too, a true and wonderful Jr-lend and,,,ar the same time. there was one thing he found it very hard to forgive was the treachery of a friend. Those who did not know him except by reptile had quite a wrong impression of him. They thought 'he was always fighting and quarrelling. Rut he only fought for what he believed in and 10 champion the truth. He adored children and they loved him. He had a great Sense of humour and hir death Ls a great personal loss to me. He died as he lived—a gallant Christian and a true soldier of Christ."