ing on Mr. Gladstone and Mr. Sidney
Herbert sitting side by side, the former with his rather saturnine face
and straight black hair, and the latter eminently handsome, with his
bright, cold smile and subtlety of aspect, I have often thought that I
was beholding the Jesuit of the closet really devout, and the Jesuit of
the world, ambitious, artful, and always on the watch for making his
rapier thrusts.' Mr. Gladstone, in a word, is extremely eminent, but
strangely eccentric, 'a Simeon Stylites among the statesmen of his
time.'[372]

RENEWED PROPOSAL OF OFFICE

In May an important vacancy occurred in the ministerial ranks by Lord
Ellenborough's resignation of the presidency of the board of control.
This became the occasion of a renewed proposal to Mr. Gladstone. He
tells the story in a memorandum prepared (May 22) for submission to
Aberdeen and Graham, whom Lord Derby urged him to consult.

_Memorandum by Mr. Gladstone submitted to Lord Aberdeen and Sir
James Graham. May 22, '58._

_Secret._--Last week after Mr. Cardwell's notice but before the
debate began, Mr. Walpole, after previously sounding Sir William
Heathcote to a similar effect, called me aside in the lobby of the
House of Commons and inquired whether I could be induced to take
office. I replied that I thought that question put by him of his
own motion--as he had described it--was one that I could hardly
answer. It seemed plain, I said, that the actual situation was one
so entirely belonging to the government as it stood, that they must
plainly work through it unchanged; that the head of the government
was the only person who could make a proposal or put a question
about taking office in it; I added, however, that my general views
were the same as in February.

This morning I had a note from Walpole asking for an appointment;
and he called on me at four o'clock accordingly. He stated that he
came by authority of Lord Derby to offer me the board of control
or, if I preferred it, the colonial office. That he had told Lord
Derby I should, he thought, be likely to raise difficulties on two
points: first, the separation from those who have been my friends
in public life; secondly, the leadership of the House of Commons. I
here interrupted him to say it must be in his option to speak or to
be silent on the latter of these subjects