This short book consists of a selection of the papers delivered during the Bello y Londres Congress (Caracas, November 1979), the proceedings of which have been published already in their entirety. The editor, John Lynch, explains the purpose of this selection in his introduction: “It is hoped that they [the following papers] will not only throw light on the life and work of Bello in London, but also stand as a record of Anglo-Venezuelan collaboration on the occasion of the bicentenary” (introduction, no pagination).
Two renowned Bellistas participated in the congress, creating a necessary link with the tradition of Bello studies in the Hispanic domain: Rafael Caldera, formerly president of Venezuela, with a sensitive view of Bello’s presence in London (“Bello in London: The Incomprehensible Sojourn,” pp. 1-6); and Pedro Grases, with the article “Britain and Hispanic Liberalism, 1800-1830” (pp. 83-98).
A splendid contribution by Lynch (“Great Britain and Spanish American Independence, 1810-1830,” pp. 7-24) gives a concise background of Anglo-Venezuelan relationships during the decisive period of Independence. From the outset, the author recognizes: “British policy towards independence was slow in its development and cautious in its objectives. British liberal ideas did not develop a general theory of colonial emancipation” (p. 7).
A similarly worthy study is Stewart R. Sutherland’s “Andrés Bello: The Influence of Scottish Philosophy” (pp. 99-118). This traces succinctly the chain of ideas that led to the Filosofía del entendimiento (1836), Bello’s greatest philosophical achievement.
These, and the other articles included in the collection, constitute a well organized contribution to a creative phase of Bello’s biography. At the same time, they cast significant light on several neglected aspects of Spanish American independence.
