ould fling off the load and at once awake afresh the thoughts
and associations that in truth made up his inmost life.

(M152) Next came the autumn cabinets, with all their embarrassments, so
numerous that one minister tossed a scrap across the table to another, "We
ought to have impeached Dizzy for not taking office last spring." Disraeli
had at least done them one service. An election took place at Bath in
October. The conservative leader wrote a violent letter in support of the
conservative candidate. "For nearly five years," said Mr. Disraeli, "the
present ministers have harassed every trade, worried every profession and
assailed or menaced every class, institution, and species of property in
the country. Occasionally they have varied this state of civil warfare by
perpetrating some job which outraged public opinion, or by stumbling into
mistakes which have been always discreditable and sometimes ruinous. All
this they call a policy and seem quite proud of it; but the country has I
think made up its mind to close this career of plundering and
blundering."(300) Mr. Gladstone described this curious outburst as "Mr.
Disraeli's incomparable stroke on our behalf," and in fact its effect on
public opinion was to send the liberal candidate to the head of the poll.
But the victory at Bath stood solitary in the midst of reverses.

As for the general legislative business of the coming session, Mr.
Gladstone thought it impossible to take up the large subject of the
extension of the county franchise, but they might encourage Mr. Trevelyan
to come forward with it on an early day, and give him all the help they
could. Still the board was bare, the meal too frugal. They were afraid of
proposing a change in the laws affecting the inheritance of land, or
reform of London government, or a burials bill, or a county government
bill. The home secretary was directed to draw up a bill for a group of
difficult questions as to employers and employed. No more sentences were
to be provided for Mr. Disraeli's next electioneering letter.

December was mainly spent at Hawarden. A pleasant event was his eldest
daughter's marriage, of which he wrote to the Duke of Argyll:--

The kindness of _all_ from the Queen down, to the cottagers and
poor folks about us, has been singular and most touching. Our
weather for the last fortnight has been delightful, and we
earnestly hope it may hold over to-morrow. I have not yet read
Renan'