agreed
in the opinion expressed in a memorandum signed by us both.
Gladstone, as might have been expected, has behaved very well.
_Sept. 19_ [_London_].--Correspondence between Lyttelton and
Gladstone, contained in Lord Devon's letter. Same subject as that
which Lord D. and I came to consult upon at Hawarden. _Sept.
24._--I wrote to Stephen Glynne to the effect that Henry entirely
approved of the scheme agreed upon by Lord D. and myself, after a
new consideration of all the circumstances, and after reading the
Lyttelton-Gladstone correspondence. I showed Henry Glynne the
letter, of which he entirely approved.

In 1874 the death of Sir Stephen Glynne, following that of his brother
two years before, made Mr. Gladstone owner in possession of the Hawarden
estate, under the transaction of 1865. With as little delay as possible
(April 1875) he took the necessary steps to make his eldest son the
owner in fee, and seven years after that (October 1882) he further
transferred to the same son his own lands in the county, acquired by
purchase, as we have seen, after the crash in 1847. By agreement, the
possession and control of the castle and its contents remained with Mrs.
Gladstone for life, as if she were taking a life-interest in it under
settlement or will.

FURTHER LETTERS TO HIS SON

Although, therefore, for a few months the legal owner of the whole
Hawarden estate, Mr. Gladstone divested himself of that quality as soon
as he could, and at no time did he assume to be its master. The letters
written by him on these matters to his son are both too interesting as
the expression of his views on high articles of social policy, and too
characteristic of his ideas of personal duty, for me to omit them here,
though much out of their strict chronological place. The first is
written after the death of Sir Stephen, and the falling in of the
reversion:--

_To W. H. Gladstone._

11 _Carlton House Terrace, April 5, 1875._--There are several
matters which I have to mention to you, and for which the present
moment is suitable; while they embrace the future in several of its
aspects.

1. I have given instructions to Messrs. Barker and Hignett to
convert your life interest under the Hawarden settlement into a fee
simple. Reflection and experience have brought me to favour this
latter method of holding l