On the other hand, the' Prince has p ever allowed himself to be deterred by sect: arian or faddist opinion from espousing the cause of true charity. Once, for exat nple, in the year 1876, just after his retarn from. India, "he consented to preside a!: the Jubilee Festival of the Licensed 'Vi ctuallers' Asylum, and his action was the signal for a great outburst of feeling in thi " teinperance world. Befors the day of the Languet the Prince, from all party' of the petitions praying him' to withdts Ww," évéi at the last moment, from his promised association with the bibulots sons of Belial. But H.R.H was not to be deterred from his hotest purpose by teetotal firotestations of this kind: and, replying to his numerous critics at the festival, he declared that he had not come there to encourage the consumption of aledholic liquor, but to support an excellent charity which' had enjoyed the patronage of his honoured father—and his action was heartily commended by the vast bulk of the nation.
The Prince has always shown himself to be far above the petty animosities of party feeling, and even cofitinued to honour with his favour a nobleman like Lord Rosebery after the latter, in the opinion of many, had proved falsetto his order by seeking to "tinker" at the Constitution and re-organise the House of Lords; and nothing ever yave lim greater pleasure than to sit and listen, like any other amused spectator, at the great party debates in the Commons, oF in another place." He Thay always maintained the friendliest relations with the leaders 0 both sides of the House; and while dis-erectly retaining his own opinions, ho has ever contrived—-like the consummate man of the world that he is—to insinuate to those leaders that their particular aims enjoyed his most especial sympathy. It was even whispered that his heart was on the side of the Home Rule movement, thing that was readily believed by those who mistejok courtesy for conviction on the part of Use politic Prince. Well, then, but what is the secret political creed of the Heir tothe Crown? Is he a Whig, or is he a Tory? The answer to this question may best the given in the words of a dialogue between two of the characters in Lord Beaconsfield's Erulymion. '*As for that," said Waldersee, sensible men are all of the same religion." And pray what is that 2" inquired Prince Florestan. Sensible men never tell."
No, they never tell in religion or in politics either, and that is why the Prince of Wales has always stood so well with successive party leaders, for the Heir to the Crown wakes no difference whatever between his treatment of Tweedle-dum and Tweedle-dee, Take one outstanding instance of the application of his_ party principle—in ntrumgue paratus. Greatly as Lord Beaconsfield was admired and esteemed by the Royal family, "when the elections of 1880 hurled him from otice, the Prince of Wales (who had but jast returned from the Continent) went to Mr. Gladstone's house, late at night, to discuss with him his return to power. Nay, when Mr. Chamberlain first-came to 'West minster, with the reputation of a fierce Republican, "the master of Marlborough House' way by no means offended or affrighted; but proved to the incorruptible one of "Birmingham that Royalty felt itself still strong enough to be hospitable, genial, and tolerant."
Poor Mr. Chauberliin! Ho has indeed travelled along way since 1874 when the Prince and Princess of Wales first wert to Birmingham, and when bets were taken to whether' the then Mayor, who was known to be so advanced a Republican, would consent to shake hands with his royal visitors There is reason to believe that the Prince's admiration of a statesman of the stamp of Mr. Gladstone is more of the personal than the political kind; but at any rate nothing ever gave H.R.H. more annoyance than when, at the open: ing of the Imperial Institute, in 1893, the venerable Nestor of the House of Commons was hissed by some unman-norly Jingoes whose thoughts had been more curried back to Majuba Hill and Khartoum than to his achievements in the field of domestic reform. Nay, the only
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.