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work； which； considering the abstruse nature of the subjects to
which most of it is related； would have been creditable to the
diligence of a German professor sitting alone in his study。 As to
the merits of the work there has been some controversy。 Mankind are
slow to credit the same person with eminence in various fields。
When they read the prose of a great poet； they try it by severer
tests than would be applied to other prose…writers。 When a painter
wins fame by his portraits or his landscapes； they are apt to
discourage any other kind of painting he may attempt。 So Mr。
Gladstone's reputation as an orator stood in his own light when he
appeared as an author。 He was read with avidity by thousands who
would not have looked at the article or book had it borne any other
name； but he was judged by the standard； not of his finest printed
speeches； for his speeches were seldom models of composition； but
rather by that of the impression which his speeches made on those
who heard them。 Since his warmest admirers could not claim for him
as a writer of prose any such pre…eminence as belonged to him as a
speaker； it followed that his written work was not duly appreciated。
Had he been a writer and nothing else； he would have been famous and
powerful by his pen。
He might； however； have failed to secure a place in the front rank。
His style was forcible； copious； rich with various knowledge； warm
with the ardor of his nature。 But it had three serious defects。 It
was diffuse； apt to pursue a topic into details； when these might
have been left to the reader's own reflection。 It was redundant；
employing more words than were needed to convey the substance。 It
was unchastened； indulging too freely in tropes and metaphors； in
quotations and adapted phrases even when the quotation added nothing
to the sense； but was due merely to some association in his own
mind。 Thus it seldom reached a high level of purity and grace； and
though one might excuse its faults as natural to the work of a swift
and busy man； they were sufficient to prevent readers from deriving
much pleasure from the mere form and dress of his thoughts。
Nevertheless there are passages； and not a few passages； both in the
books and in the articles； of rare merit； among which may be cited
（not as exceptionally good； but as typical of his strong points） the
striking picture of his own youthful feeling toward the Church of
England contained in the 〃Chapter of Autobiography；〃 and the
refined criticism of 〃Robert Elsmere；〃 published in 1888。 Almost
the last thing he wrote； a pamphlet on the Greek and Cretan
question； published in the spring of 1897； has all the force and
cogency of his best days。 Two things were never wanting to him：
vigor of expression and an admirable command of appropriate words。
His writings fall into three classes： political； theological； and
literarythe last including； and indeed chiefly consisting of； his
books and articles upon Homer and the Homeric question。 All the
political writings； except his books on 〃The State in its Relations
to the Church〃 and 〃Church Principles Considered in their Results；〃
belong to the class of occasional literature； being pamphlets or
articles produced with a view to some current crisis or controversy。
They are valuable chiefly as proceeding from one who bore a leading
part in the affairs they relate to； and as embodying vividly the
opinions and aspirations of the moment； less frequently in respect
of permanent lessons of political wisdom； such as one finds in
Machiavelli or Tocqueville or Edmund Burke。 Like Pitt and Peel； Mr。
Gladstone had a mind which； whatever its original tendencies； had
come to be rather practical than meditative。 He was fond of
generalizations and principles； but they were always directly
related to the questions that came before him in actual politics；
and the number of general maxims or illuminative suggestions to be
found in his writings and speeches is not large in proportion to
their sustained intellectual vigor。 Even Disraeli； though his views
were often fanciful and his epigrams often forced； gives us more
frequently a brilliant （if only half true） historical apercu； or
throws a flash of light into some corner of human character。 Of the
theological essays； which are mainly apologetic and concerned with
the authenticity and authority of Scripture； it is enough to say
that they exhibit the same general characteristics as the treatises
dealing with Homer； which were the most serious piece of work that
proceeded from Mr。 Gladstone's pen。 These Homeric treatises are in
one sense worthless； in another sense admirable。 Those parts of
them which deal with early Greek mythology and religion； with
Homeric geography and genealogy； and in a less degree with the use
of Homeric epithets； have been condemned by the unanimous voice of
scholars as fantastic。 The premises are assumed without sufficient
investigation； while the reasonings are fine…drawn and flimsy。
Extraordinary ingenuity is shown in piling up a lofty fabric； but
the foundation is of sand； and the edifice has hardly a solid wall
or beam in it。 A clever conjecture is treated as a fact； an
inference possible but represented as probable is drawn from this
conjecture； a second inference is based upon the first； we are made
to forget that the probability of this second is at most only half
the probability of the first； the process is continued in the same
way； and when the whole superstructure is complete； the reader is
provoked to perceive how much dialectical skill has been wasted upon
a series of hypotheses which a breath of common…sense criticism
dissipates。 If one is asked to explain the weakness in this
particular department of so otherwise strong a mind； the answer
would seem to be that the element of fancifulness in Mr。 Gladstone's
intellect； and his tendency to mistake mere argumentation for
verification； were checked in practical politics by constant
intercourse with friends and colleagues as well as by the need of
convincing visible audiences； while in theological or historical
inquiries his ingenuity roamed with a dangerous freedom over wide
plains where no obstacles checked its course。 Something may also be
due to the fact that his philosophical and historical education was
received at a time when the modern critical spirit and the canons it
recognizes had scarcely begun to assert themselves at Oxford。
Similar defects may be discerned in other eminent writers of his own
and preceding generations of Oxford men； defects which persons of
equal or even inferior power in later generations would not display。
In some of these； and particularly in Cardinal Newman； the contrast
between dialectical acumen； coupled with surpassing rhetorical
skill； and the vitiation of the argument by a want of the critical
faculty； is even more striking than in Mr。 Gladstone's case； and the
example of that illustrious man suggests that the dominance of the
theological view of literary and historical problems； a dominance
evident in Mr。 Gladstone； counts for something in producing the
phenomenon noted。
With these deficiencies； Mr。 Gladstone's Homeric work had the great
merit of being based on a full and thorough knowledge of the Homeric
text。 He had seen that Homer is not only a poet； but an 〃historical
source〃 of the highest value； a treasure…house of data for the study
of early Greek life and thought； an authority all the more
trustworthy because an unconscious authority； addressing not
posterity but his own contemporaries。 With this thorough knowledge
of the matter contained in the poems； Mr。 Gladstone was able to
present many interesting and permanently valuable pictures of the
political and social life of Homeric Greece； while the interspersed
literary criticisms are often subtle and suggestive； erring； when
they do err； chiefly through what may be called the over…earnestness
of his mind。 He sometimes takes the poet too seriously； he is apt
to read an ethical purpose into descriptive or dramatic touches
which are merely descriptive or dramatic。 But he has for his author
not only that intense sympathy which is the best basis for
criticism； but a real justness of poetic taste which the learned and
painstaking German commentator frequently wants。 That he was a
sound and accurate scholar in that somewhat narrow sense of the word
which denotes a grammatical and literary mastery of Greek and Latin；
goes without saying。 Men of his generation were more apt to keep up
their familiarity with the ancient classics than is the present
generation； and his habit of reading Greek for the sake of his
Homeric studies； and Latin for the sake of his theological； made
this familiarity more than usually thorough。 Like most Etonians； he
loved and knew the poets by preference。 Theology claimed a place
beside poetry； history came next； and was always a favorite branch
of study。 It seemed odd that the constitutional history of England
was by no means one of his strong subjects； but the fact is that
this was preeminently a Whig subject； and Mr。 Gladstone never was a
Whig； never learned to think upon the lines of the great Whigs of
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