k Mr.
Chamberlain's mood as I think anybody looking at him could see that he
meant it to be taken; that is to say, I did not regard his speech as in
the least serious; and his allusion to Mr. Gladstone as "Herod" appeared
to me a self-conscious joke, and not, as some earnest Liberals seemed to
think, a gross, foul, and deliberate insult. Indeed, I believed--and
subsequent events have confirmed that view--that Joe was thinking a good
deal more of himself as the centre of a dramatic and historic scene than
of wounding Mr. Gladstone. And, then, the use of the word "Judas" must
be taken with the context. Mr. Chamberlain was talking of the "days of
Herod," and when I called out "Judas," what I really meant was why not
select Judas, and not Herod, who was his contemporary, if you will refer
to this particular epoch of human history. I say all these things, not
by way of extenuation; for really I regard the incident as closed; not
by way of defending myself from rancour, for I felt none; but with a
view to preventing an entirely incorrect view and impression of an
historical evening from being stereotyped.

[Sidenote: "I used it on purpose."]

And I can call a very potent and trustworthy witness as to this being
the proper view of the incident; for I understand that, almost
immediately after the scene, a good-natured Liberal said to Mr.
Chamberlain that he must confess that the use of the word "Herod" was
calculated to produce the retort of "Judas"; and the report is that Mr.
Chamberlain replied, "I used it on purpose," or "That was my intention,"
or some such phrase as that, which implied that he was neither surprised
nor annoyed by the retort, but had rather invited it. I lost sight of
Joe for a good time after this--there were other things which had to be
looked after; but I am told by those who were able to watch him closely,
that his face wore all through the scene which followed a look of almost
beatific happiness--the happiness of an artist who saw slowly unfolding
the drama to which he had given the impetus, and which he had fashioned
out in his own reveries.

[Sidenote: Opening of the row.]

At all events, it was not either Mr. Chamberlain's use of the word
"Herod," nor my use of the word "Judas," which really brought about the
subsequent row--except in the most indirect and remote way. Mr. Vicary
Gibbs seemed possessed by the idea that he should call the attention of
the Chairman to the use of the word "Judas"; a