Lawrence, George A: Sword and Gown. V1. 27 Dec 2009
 

George Alfred Lawrence (March 25, 1827–September 23, 1876) was a British novelist and barrister.
He was educated at Rugby and at Balliol College, Oxford, and in 1851 married Mary Kirwan. He was called to the bar at the Inner Temple in 1852, but soon abandoned the law for literature.
In 1857 he published, anonymously, his first novel, Guy Livingstone, or Thorough. This gained a great popularity, and he went on to write more novels of a similar type. Lawrence may be regarded as the originator in English fiction of the beau sabreur type of hero, great in sport and love and war.
On the outbreak of the American Civil War he went to America with the intention of joining the Confederate Army, but was taken prisoner and only released on promising to return to England. He traveled much in later years and died in Edinburgh.

Excerpt
“There is something in this climate, after all. I suppose there are not many places where one could lie on the shore in December, and enjoy the air as much as I have done for the last two hours.”