irteenth century was better or higher or
worse or lower than the nineteenth?

_Thursday, Dec. 24._--At lunch we had the news of the Parnellite victory at
Waterford. A disagreeable reverse for us. Mr. G. did not say many words
about it, only that it would give heart to the mischief makers--only too
certain. But we said no more about it. He and I took a walk on the sands
in the afternoon, and had a curious talk (considering), about the
prospects of the church of England. He was (M166) anxious to know about my
talk some time ago with the Bishop of ---- whom I had met at a feast at
Lincoln's Inn. I gave him as good an account as I could of what had
passed. Mr. G. doubted that this prelate was fundamentally an Erastian, as
Tait was. Mr. G. is eager to read the signs of the times as to the
prospects of Anglican Christianity, to which his heart is given; and he
fears the peril of Erastianism to the spiritual life of the church, which
is naturally the only thing worth caring about. Hence, he talked with much
interest of the question whether the clever fellows at Oxford and
Cambridge now take orders. He wants to know what kind of defenders his
church is likely to have in days to come. Said that for the first time
interest has moved away both from politics and theology, towards the vague
something which they call social reform; and he thinks they won't make
much out of that in the way of permanent results. The establishment he
considers safer than it has been for a long time.

As to Welsh disestablishment, he said it was a pity that where the
national sentiment was so unanimous as it was in Wales, the operation
itself should not be as simple as in Scotland. In Scotland sentiment is
not unanimous, but the operation is easy. In Wales sentiment is all one
way, but the operation difficult--a good deal more difficult than people
suppose, as they will find out when they come to tackle it.

[Perhaps it may be mentioned here that, though we always talked freely and
abundantly together upon ecclesiastical affairs and persons, we never once
exchanged a word upon theology or religious creed, either at Biarritz or
anywhere else.]

_Pitt._--A strong denunciation of Pitt for the French war. People don't
realise what the French war meant. In 1812 wheat at Liverpool was 20s. (?)
the imperial bushel of 65 pounds (?)! Think of that, when you bring it
into figures of the cost of a loaf. And that was the time when Eaton,
Eastnor, and other great