[1] In October 1870 Montefiore entered University College London where he attended lectures for the next two years.
Whilst at Balliol he became a friend of Oscar Wilde who, after Montefiore's death allegedly proposed to his sister Charlotte.
According to the Women's rights activist Emily Faithfull in her book "Three Visits to America" published in 1884 Montefiore died "While he was visiting the United States, in order to see for himself what could be learned from the political and social condition of the people, must ever be deplored.
The world can ill afford to lose men of such deep thought and energetic action.
The first section of "Essays and Letters" deals with primarily German politics including Alsace Lorraine since 1871, the second section covers German literature, including Heine, Goethe, Heinrich von Treitschke, Heinrich Friedrich Karl vom und zum Stein and Joseph Görres.