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he was too excitable； too impulsive； too much absorbed in his own
ideas； too unversed in the arts by which individuals are
conciliated。 But when； after twenty…five years of his unquestioned
reign； the time for his own departure drew nigh； men asked how the
Liberal party in the House of Commons would ever hold together after
it had lost a leader of such consummate capacity。 Seldom has a
prediction been more utterly falsified than that of the Whig critics
of 1864。 They had grown so accustomed to Palmerston's way of
handling the House as to forget that a man might succeed by quite
different methods。 And they forgot also that a man may have many
defects and yet in spite of them be incomparably the fittest for a
great place。
Mr。 Gladstone had the defects that were ascribed to him。 His
impulsiveness sometimes betrayed him into declarations which a
cooler man would have abstained from。 The second reading of the
Irish Home…Rule Bill of 1886 would probably have been carried had he
not been goaded by his opponents into words which seemed to recall
or modify the concessions he had announced at a meeting of the
Liberal party held just before。 More than once precious time was
wasted in useless debates because his antagonists； knowing his
excitable temper； brought on discussions with the sole object of
annoying him and drawing from him some hasty deliverance。 Nor was
he an adept； like Disraeli and Sir John A。 Macdonald； in the
management of individuals。 He had a contempt for the meaner side of
human nature which made him refuse to play upon it。 He had
comparatively little sympathy with many of the pursuits which
attract ordinary men； and he was too constantly engrossed by the
subjects of enterprises which specially appealed to him to have
leisure for the lighter but often very important devices of
political strategy。 A trifling anecdote； which was told in London
about twenty…five years ago； may illustrate this characteristic。
Mr。 Delane； then editor of the 〃Times；〃 had been invited to meet the
prime minister at a moment when the support of the 〃Times〃 would
have been specially valuable to the Liberal government。 Instead of
using the opportunity to set forth his policy and invite an opinion
on it； Mr。 Gladstone talked the whole time of dinner upon the
question of the exhaustion of the English coal…beds； to the surprise
of the company and the unconcealed annoyance of the powerful guest。
It was the subject then uppermost in his mind； and he either did not
think of winning Mr。 Delane or disdained to do so。 In the House of
Commons he was entirely free from airs； or； indeed； from any sort of
assumption of superiority。 The youngest member might accost him in
the lobby and be listened to with perfect courtesy。 But he seldom
addressed any one outside his own very small group of friends； and
more than once made enemies by omitting to notice and show some
attention to members of his party who； having been eminent in their
own towns； expected to be made much of when they entered Parliament。
Having himself plenty of pride and comparatively little vanity； he
never realized the extent to which； and the cheapness with which；
men can be captured and used through their vanity。 And his mind；
flexible as it was in seizing new points of view and devising
expedients to meet new circumstances； did not easily enter into the
characters of other men。 Ideas and causes interested him more than
personal traits did； his sympathy was keener and stronger for the
sufferings of nations or masses of men than with the fortunes of a
particular person。 With all his accessibility and immensely wide
circle of acquaintances； he was at bottom a man chary of real
friendship； while the circle of his intimates became constantly
smaller with advancing years。
So it befell that though his popularity among the general body of
his adherents went on increasing； and the admiration of his
parliamentary followers remained undiminished； he had few intimate
friends； few men in the House of Commons who linked him to the party
at large and rendered to him those confidential personal services
which count for much in keeping a party in hearty accord and
enabling the commander to gage the sentiment of his troops。 Thus
adherents were lost who turned into dangerous foeslost for the
want not so much of tact as of a sense for the need and use of tact
in humoring and managing men。
If； however； we speak of parliamentary strategy in its larger sense；
as covering familiarity with parliamentary forms and usages； the
powers of seizing a parliamentary situation and knowing how to deal
with it； the art of guiding a debate and choosing the right moment
for reserve and for openness； for a dignified retreat； for a
watchful defense； for a sudden rattling charge upon the enemy； no
one had a fuller mastery of it。 His recollection of precedents was
unrivaled； for it began in 1833 with the first reformed Parliament；
and it seemed as fresh for those remote days as for last month。 He
enjoyed combat for its own sake； not so much from any inborn
pugnacity； for he was not disputatious in ordinary conversation； as
because it called out his fighting force and stimulated his whole
nature。 〃I am never nervous in reply；〃 he once said； 〃though I am
sometimes nervous in opening a debate。〃 And although his
impetuosity sometimes betrayed him into imprudence when he was taken
unawares； no one could be more wary or guarded when a crisis arrived
whose gravity he had foreseen。 In the summer of 1881 the House of
Lords made some amendments to the Irish Land Bill which were deemed
ruinous to the working of the measure； and therewith to the
prospects of the pacification of Ireland。 A conflict was expected
which might have strained the fabric of the constitution。 The
excitement which quickly arose in Parliament spread to the whole
nation。 Mr。 Gladstone alone remained calm and confident。 He
devised a series of compromises； which he advocated in conciliatory
speeches。 He so played his game that by a few minor concessions he
secured nearly all of the points he cared for； and； while sparing
the dignity of the Lords； steered his bill triumphantly out of the
breakers which had threatened to engulf it。 Very different was his
ordinary demeanor in debate when he was off his guard。 Observers
have often described how his face and gestures while he sat in the
House of Commons listening to an opponent would express all the
emotions that crossed his mind； with what eagerness he would follow
every sentence； sometimes contradicting half aloud； sometimes
turning to his next neighbor to express his displeasure at the
groundless allegations or fallacious arguments he was listening to；
till at last he would spring to his feet and deliver a passionate
reply。 His warmth would often be in excess of what the occasion
required； and quite disproportioned to the importance of his
antagonist。 It was in fact the unimportance of the occasion that
made him thus yield to his feeling。 As soon as he saw that bad
weather was coming； and that careful seamanship was wanted； his
coolness returned； his language became guarded and careful； and
passion； though it might increase the force of his oratory； never
made him deviate a hand's breadth from the course he had chosen。
CHAPTER IV： ORATOR
Of that oratory； something must now be said。 By it he rose to fame
and power； as； indeed； by it most English statesmen have risen； save
those to whom wealth and rank and family connections have given a
sort of presumptive claim to high office； like the Cavendishes and
the Russells； the Cecils and the Bentincks。 And for many years；
during which Mr。 Gladstone was distrusted as a statesman because；
while he had ceased to be a Tory； he had not fully become a Liberal；
his eloquence was the main； one might almost say the sole； source of
his influence。 Oratory was a power in English politics even a
century and a half ago； as the career of the elder Pitt shows。 But
within the last fifty years； years which have seen the power of rank
and family connections decline； it has continued to be essential to
the highest success although much less cultivated as a fine art； and
brings a man quickly to the front； though it will not keep him there
should he prove to want the other branches of statesmanlike
capacity。
The permanent reputation of an orator depends upon two things； the
witness of contemporaries to the impression produced upon them； and
the written or printedwe may； perhaps； be soon able to say the
phonographedrecord of his speeches。 Few are the famous speakers
who would be famous if they were tried by this latter test alone；
and Mr。 Gladstone was not one of them。 It is only by a rare
combination of gifts that one who speaks with so much readiness；
force； and brilliance as to charm his listeners is also able to
deliver such valuable thoughts in such choice words that posterity
will read them as literature。 Some few of the ancient orators did
this； but we seldom know how far those of their speeches which have
been preserved are the speeches which they actually delivered。
Among moderns； some French preachers； Edmund B