For never were a stranger pair of bedfellows thrown together by polities than these two, and Mr. Gvedalla makes tis most of such a jest of Destiny. On the one hand, veteran colleague or Prime ister, is a monial, straight. forward, matter-of-fact patriotic and cautious statesman, who says what he means and makes ing plain—a bit of a jingo (notably 4 propos of Louis Napoleon), thinking one dose of Reforma enough, suspicious of new expedients in it finance, and only anxious to keep up his country's credit~and defonsive forces. By his side stands an essentially nineteenth-century po~ litician, of Lancashire birth and Oxford' training, "ho hae Charch leanings, Peelite traditions, tioning temper that is always sede! ing difficulties znd differences, any a subtlety of intellect, alm Jesuitical, which can never language' free of ambiguities ang' qualifications; he, as Chancellor of! Exchequer, persistently. seeks td curb his own chief's policy of nial tional security. Political comraded! these in a perpetual'state of mutual mistrust! What a mark they make for the gentle strokes of such humorist as Mr. Guedalla, the mor so as one of them was far from possessing a keen sense of humour Gladstone's Lack of Humour Long ago I remember as a attending an election meeting in thd North at which three thousand lusty-throated Yorkshiremen sang refrain which ran—Give three ringing. cheers for ole, Grand' old chieftain of our band May he live to see the day when "ode ae Sag Anil the light of freedom. shined o'er every land. 4 Gladstone was not present! indeed, never visited the town due! ing the campaign, and yet wad' given a towering majority at thd poll. Who would have thought of Liberalism as a dying cause then, Ten years later I can remember standing in surplice with othe "House" men in the porch of thd Cathedral at Oxford to cap thd "G.0.M." on Sundays. as he camd out from evensong. And frequents) ly at Hall in Christ Church word would go round the Scholars? table,' "The 'Gladder' is coming in to di to-night." Sure enough, the Dead would make one of his rare appears! ances, Gladstone by his side. watched tne great man, admiring his personal dignity and picturesque air, but never on those occasions did there come down to us the road "lof laughter wh often. shook tha high table when a loss famous but Ten muntery quest broke read wil the "dons." We should have Tike Gladstone so much better had ever seen him Inugh. 4
A Hearty Soul Now "Pam" was a hearty, soak! He may, as Mr. Guedalla says, hayd had his roots in the eighteenth corns! tury, but he equipped his country tq face' the troubles of the nineteonthy! He realized the need of ironclads! and fought down Gladstone's many. If he deferred Reform saw that our ports were fortified! If he defended landlords from iq Chancellor's plans of "confiscation,' he wanted working-men to hayd their beer and their half-holiday,! He viewed the world with very different eyes from Gladstone's, he gave the younger man his chaned when he had no political habitation,' and left him his mantle. 'The "ena font terrible" of his Cabinet, thi Gladstone, and so earnest." tool During the American Civil War lid sets the whole Cabinet by the arg by tolling a cheering crowd at News' castle that the Southern States hayd not only made an army, but a "nation." "Pam" bids him and night be guarded over "borousll franchise," and he plunges heavily, for it, tells his leader that he hoped he has not committed the Governe ment, and then insists on printing his speech. It needed good temped to rap the delinquent's knuckled not too severely and to smooth hid ruled plumage afterwards, Bug "Pam" managed it, and Mr, Guedalla misses none of the ce relations—"Sume tet" heal ferae ie, "het inter whet ay ure" eeruiniy aecored
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.