poke with immense enthusiasm. He was an honorary fellow of All Souls, and
here he went into residence in his own right with all the zest of a
virtuous freshman bent upon a first class. Though, I daresay, pretty
nearly unanimous against his recent policies, they were all fascinated by
his simplicity, his freedom from assumption or parade, his eagerness to
know how leading branches of Oxford study fared, his naturalness and
pleasant manners. He wrote to Mrs. Gladstone (Feb. 1):--

Here I am safe and sound, and launched anew on my university
career, all my days laid out and occupied until the morning of
this day week, when I am to return to London. They press me to
stay over the Sunday, but this cannot be thought of. I am received
with infinite kindness, and the rooms they have given me are
delightful. Weather dull, and light a medium between London and
Hawarden. I have seen many already, including Liddon and Acland,
who goes up to-morrow for a funeral early on Monday. Actually I
have engaged to give a kind of Homeric lecture on Wednesday to the
members of the union. The warden and his sisters are courteous and
hospitable to the last degree. He is a unionist. The living here
is very good, perhaps some put on for a guest, but I like the tone
of the college; the fellows are men of a high class, and their
conversation is that of men with work to do. I had a most special
purpose in coming here which will be more than answered. It was to
make myself safe so far as might be, in the articles(262) which
eighteen months ago I undertook to write about the Old Testament.
This, as you know perhaps, is now far more than the New, the
battle-ground of belief. There are here most able and instructed
men, and I am already deriving great benefit.

Something that fell from him one morning at breakfast in the common room
led in due time to the election of Lord Acton to be also an honorary
member of this distinguished society. "If my suggestion," Mr. Gladstone
wrote to one of the fellows, "really contributed to this election, then I
feel that in the dregs of my life I have at least rendered one service to
the college. My ambition is to visit it and Oxford in company with him."

IV

In 1890 both Newman and Doellinger died.

I have been asked from many quarters, Mr. Gladstone said to Acton,
to write about the Cardinal. But I dare not. First, I