was a man of absolutely original mind;
paradoxical, prejudiced, and intellectually independent to the point of
eccentricity. His range was wide, his taste infallible, and his love of
the beautiful a passion. He lived, from boyhood to old age, the life of
the Intellect; and yet posterity will know him only as having written
one thin book of delightful verse;[53] a fragmentary History of England;
and some of the most fascinating letters in the language.

A friend and brother-Scholar of mine at Oxford was "Willy" Arnold, son
of Mr. Thomas Arnold, and nephew of Matthew. After taking his degree, he
joined the staff of the _Manchester Guardian_, and before long became
one of the first journalists of his time. He was not merely a
journalist, but also a publicist, and could have made his mark in public
life by his exceptional knowledge of European politics. We had not seen
one another for a good many years, when we met casually at dinner in the
summer of 1887. To that chance meeting I owed my introduction to the
_Manchester Guardian_. My first contribution to it was a description of
the Jubilee Garden-Party at Buckingham Palace on the 29th of June,
1887; so I can reckon almost a quarter of a century of association with
what I am bold to call (defying all allusion to the fabled Tanner) the
best newspaper in Great Britain.

But journalism, though now practised on a more dignified level, was only
a continuation and development of a life-long habit; whereas, though I
had been scribbling ever since I was a boy, I had never written a book.
In 1890 Messrs. Sampson Low started a series of _The Queen's Prime
Ministers_. Froude led off, brilliantly, with Lord Beaconsfield; and the
editor[54] asked me to follow with Mr. Gladstone. Before acceding to
this proposal, I thought it right to ask whether Gladstone had any
objection; and, supposing that he had not, whether he would give me any
help. His reply was eminently characteristic,--

"When someone proposed to write a book about Harry Phillpotts, Bishop of
Exeter, the Bishop procured an Injunction in Chancery to stop him. I
shall not seek an Injunction against you--but that is all the help I can
give you."

Thus encouraged, or rather, I should say, not discouraged, I addressed
myself to the task, and the book came out in July, 1891. I was told
that Gladstone did not read it, and this assurance was in many respects
a relief. But someone told him that I had stated, on the authority of
on