uiting Sergeant" was a
nickname for a canvassing Incumbent. "I tell you how it is with a
State-Parson," cried a Village Hampden: "if you take away his book, he
can't preach. If you take away his gown he mayn't preach. If you take
away his screw, he'll be d--d if he'll preach." A Radical M.P. suddenly
deserted his constituency and took a peerage, and this was the verdict
of the Village Green: "Mister So-and-so says he's going to the House of
Lords to 'leaven it with Liberal principles.' Bosh! Mr. So-and-so can't
no more leaven the House of Lords than you can sweeten a cartload of
muck with a pot of marmalade."

Aylesbury returned two Members to Parliament, and its political history
had been chequered. When first I came to know it, the two members were
Mr. Samuel George Smith and Sir Nathaniel de Rothschild (afterwards Lord
Rothschild). Mr. Smith was a Tory. Sir Nathaniel professed to be a
Liberal; but, as his Liberalism was of the sort which had doggedly
supported Lord Beaconsfield all through the Eastern Question, the more
enthusiastic spirits in the constituency felt that they were wholly
unrepresented. It was they who invited me to stand. From the first, Sir
Nathaniel made it known that he would not support or coalesce with me;
and perhaps, considering the dissimilarity of our politics, it was just
as well. So there were three candidates, fighting independently for two
seats; there was no Corrupt Practices Act in those days; and the
situation was neatly summarized by a tradesman of the town. "Our three
candidates are Mr. S. G. Smith, head of 'Smith, Payne & Co.;' Sir
Nathaniel de Rothschild, head of 'N. M. Rothschild & Sons,' and Mr.
George Russell, who, we understand, has the Duke of Bedford behind him.
So we are looking forward to a very interesting contest." That word
_interesting_ was well chosen.

Now began the most vivid and enjoyable portion of my life. Everything
conspired to make it pleasant. In the first place, I believed absolutely
in my cause. I was not, as Sydney Smith said, "stricken by the palsy of
candour." There were no doubts or questionings or ambiguities in my
mind. My creed with regard both to foreign and to domestic politics was
clear, positive, and deliberate. I was received with the most
extraordinary kindness and enthusiasm by people who really longed to
have a hand in the dethronement of Lord Beaconsfield, and who believed
in their politics as part of their religion.

After my first speech