o to my sister's at Lyme。〃 Kinglake quieted his sick friend by an assurance that the servants； whom he would not wish to hurry； were packing。 〃On no account hurry the servants； but still let us be off。〃 The last thought which he articulated while dying was； 〃I don't exactly know what it is； but I feel it is something grand。〃 〃Hayward is dead；〃 Kinglake wrote to a common friend； 〃the devotion shown to him by all sorts and conditions of men； and； what is better； of women； was unbounded。 Gladstone found time to be with him； and to engage him in a conversation of singular interest； of which he has made a memorandum。〃
Another of Kinglake's life…long familiars was Charles Skirrow； Taxing Master in Chancery； with his accomplished wife； from whose memorable fish dinners at Greenwich he was seldom absent； adapting himself no less readily to their theatrical friends … the Bancrofts； Burnand； Toole； Irving … than to the literary set with which he was more habitually at home。 He was religiously loyal to his friends； speaking of them with generous admiration； eagerly defending them when attacked。 He lauded Butler Johnstone as the most gifted of the young men in the House of Commons； would not allow Bernal Osborne to be called untrue； 〃he offends people if you like； but he is never false or hollow。〃 A clever SOBRIQUET fathered on him； burlesquing the monosyllabic names of a well…known diarist and official； he repelled indignantly。 〃He is my friend； and had I been guilty of the JEU； I should have broken two of my commandments； that which forbids my joking at a friend's expense； and that which forbids my fashioning a play upon words。〃 He entreated Madame Novikoff to visit and cheer Charles Lever； dying at Trieste； deeply lamented Sir H。 Bulwer's death： 〃I used to think his a beautiful intellect； and he was wonderfully SIMPATICO to me。〃 But he was shy of condoling with bereaved mourners； believing words used on such occasions to be utterly untrue。 He loved to include husband and wife in the same meed of admiration； as in the case of
Dean Stanley and Lady Augusta； or of Sir Robert and Lady Emily Peel。 Peel； he said； has the RADIANT quality not easy to describe； Lady Emily is always beauteous； bright； attractive。 Lord Stanhope he praised as a historian； paying him the equivocal compliment that his books were much better than his conversation。 So； too； he qualified his admiration of Lady Ashburton； dwelling on her beauty； silver voice； ready enthusiasm apt to disperse itself by flying at too many objects。
He was wont to speak admiringly of Lord Acton； relating how； a Roman Catholic； yet respecting enlightenment and devoted to books； he once set up and edited a 〃Quarterly Review；〃 with a notion of reconciling the Light and the Dark as well as he could； but the 〃Prince of Darkness； the Pope；〃 interposed； and ordered him to stop the 〃Review。〃 He was compelled to obey； not； he told people； on any religious ground； but because relations and others would have made his life a bore to him if he had been contumacious against the Holy Father。
Kinglake was strongly attracted by W。 E。 Forster； a 〃rough diamond；〃 spoken of at one time as a possible Prime Minister。 Beginning life； he said； as a Quaker； with narrow opinions； his vigour of character and brain…power shook them off。 Powerful； robust； and perfectly honest； yet his honesty inflicted on him a doubleness of view which caused him to be described as engaging his two hands in two different pursuits。 His estimate of Sir R。 Morier would have gladdened Jowett's heart； he loved him as a private friend； eulogized his public qualities； rejoiced over his appointment as Ambassador at St。 Petersburg； seeing in him a diplomatist with not only a keen intellect and large views； but vibrating with the warmth； animation； friendliness； that are charmingly UN…diplomatic。 Of Carlyle； his life…long； though not always congenial intimate； he used to speak as having great graphic power； but being essentially a humourist； a man who； with those he could trust； never pretended to be in earnest； but used to roar with glorious laughter over the fun of his own jeremiads； 〃so far from being a prophet he is a bad Scotch joker； and knows himself to be a wind…bag。〃 He blamed Froude's revelations of Carlyle in 〃The Reminiscences；〃 as injurious and offensive。 Froude himself he often likened to Carlyle； the thoughts of both； he said； ran in the same direction； but of the two； Froude was by far the more intellectual man。
Staunch friend to the few； polite； though never effusive； to the many； he also nourished strong antipathies。 The appearance in Madame Novikoff's rooms of a certain Scotch bishop invariably drove him out of them； 〃Peter Paul； Bishop of Claridge's；〃 he called him。 To Von Beust （the Austrian Chancellor）； who spoke English in a rapid half…intelligible falsetto； he gave the name of MIRLITON （penny trumpet）。 His allusions to Mirliton and to the Bishop frequently mystified Madame Novikoff's guests。 For he loved to talk in cypher。 Canon Warburton； kindly searching on my behalf his brother Eliot's journals； tells me that he and Kinglake； meeting almost daily； lived in a cryptic world of jokes； confidences； colloquialisms； inexplicable to all but their two selves。
He cordially disliked 〃The Times〃 newspaper； alleging instances of the unfairness with which its columns had been used to spite and injure persons who had offended it； chuckling over Hayward's compact anathema； … 〃'The Times；' which as usual of late supplied its lack of argument and proof by assumption； misrepresentation； and personality。〃 He thought that its attacks upon himself had helped his popularity。 〃One of the main causes；〃 he said in 1875； 〃of the interest which people here were good enough to take in my book was the fight between 'The Times' and me。 In 1863 it raged； in 1867 it was renewed with great violence； and now I suppose the flame kindles once more； though probably with diminished strength。 In 1863 the storm of opinion generally waxed fierce against me； but now； as I hear； 'The Times' is alone； journals of all politics being loud in my praise。 But I never look at any comment on my volumes till long afterwards； and I never in my life wrote to a newspaper。〃 Once； when Chenery； the editor； came to join the table at the Athenaeum where he and Mr。 Cartwright were dining； Kinglake rose； and removed to another part of the room。 〃The Times〃 had inserted a statement that Madame Novikoff was ordered to leave England； and he thus publicly resented it。 〃So unlike me；〃 he said； relating the story； 〃but somehow a savagery as of youth came over me in my ancient days； it was like being twenty years old again。〃 It came out； however； that 〃our indiscreet friend Froude〃 had written something which justified the paragraph； and Kinglake sent his AMENDE to Chenery； with whom ordinarily he was on most friendly terms。
He disliked Irishmen 〃in the lump；〃 saying that human nature is the same everywhere except in Ireland。 Parnell he personally admired； though hating Home Rule； and stigmatized as gross hypocrisy the desertion of him by Liberals after the divorce trial。 He was wont to speak irreverently of Lord Beaconsfield； whom he had known well at Lady Blessington's in early days。 He would have found himself in accord with Huxley； who used to thank God； his friend Mr。 Fiske tells us； that he had never bowed the knee either to Louis Napoleon or Benjamin Disraeli。 He poured scorn on the Treaty of Berlin。 Russia； he said； defeating the Turks in war； has defeated Beaconsfield in diplomacy。 If Englishmen understood such things they would see that the Congress was a comedy； anyone who will satisfy himself as to what Russia was really anxious to obtain； and then look at the Salisbury…Schouvaloff treaty； will see that； thanks to Beaconsfield's imbecility； Schouvaloff obtained one of the most signal diplomatic triumphs that was ever won。 （27） A sound ENTENTE between Russia and England he thought both possible and desirable； but conceived it to be rendered difficult by the want of steadiness and capacity which； for international purposes； were the real faults of Lord Beaconsfield and Lord Salisbury。 He repeated with much amusement the current anecdote of Lord Beaconsfield's conquest of Mrs。 Gladstone。 Meeting her in society； he was said to have inquired with tenderness after Mr。 Gladstone's health； and then after receiving the loving wife's report of her William； to have rejoined in his most dulcet tones； 〃Ah！ take care of him； for he is very VERY precious。〃 He always attributed Dizzy's popularity to the feeling of Englishmen that he had 〃shown them sport；〃 an instinct； he thought； supreme in all departments of the English mind。
Towards his old schoolfellow Gladstone he never felt quite cordially； believing； rightly or wrongly； that the great statesman nourished enmity towards himself。 He called him； as has been said； 〃a good man in the worst sense of the term； conscientious with a diseased conscience。〃 He watched with much amusement； as illustrating the moral twist in Gladstone's temperament； the 〃Colliery explosion；〃 as it was called； when Sir R。 Collier； the Attorney…General； was appointed to a Puisne Judgeship； which he held only for a day or two； in order to qualify him for a seat on a new Court of Appeal； together with a very similar trick； by which Ewelme Rectory； tenable only by an Oxonian； was given to a Cambridge man。 The responsibility was divided between Gladstone and Lord Hatherley the Chancellor； with the mutual idea apparently that each of the two became thereby individually innocent。 But Sir F。 Pollock； in his amusing 〃Reminiscences；〃 recalls the amicable halving of a wicked word between the Abbess of Andouillet and the Novice Margarita in 〃Tristram Shandy。〃 It answered in neither
case。 〃'They do not understand us；' cried Margarita。 'BUT THE DEVIL DOES；' said the Abbess of Andouillet。〃 〃The Collier scandal narrowly escaped by two votes in the Lords； twenty…seven in the Commons； a Parliamentary vote of censure； and gave unquestionably a downward push to the Glad