combined Conservatives and Liberal
Unionists. Under his leadership a home-rule bill for Ireland was passed
by the Commons in spite of the most bitter opposition. It was rejected
almost unanimously by the House of Lords; and for a time it seemed
probable that the Liberals would attack the very existence of that body.
Perhaps this was Mr. Gladstone's intention for he introduced several
popular radical bills. But time was beginning to tell upon the Grand Old
Man; he was now eighty-four years old, and he felt himself unequal to
the gigantic struggle. He resigned his offices and retired into private
life in March, 1894.

Mr. Gladstone will find his fame as a statesman and an orator. We have
taken little account here of his contributions to literature; his
Homeric studies, his various essays in political and literary, in
ecclesiastical, and even theological, criticism. For another man these
in themselves would have made a not inconsiderable reputation; but to
the world they are interesting chiefly as illustrating a marvellous
mental activity stretching itself out in every direction; unresting in
the best sense of the word; incapable of settling down into even
momentary idleness. "Repos ailleurs" seems to have been the motto of Mr.
Gladstone's career--let rest come elsewhere--this is the world of
activity and of labor. His work as a statesman has been almost unique;
probably there is no other English minister who leaves behind him so
long and so successful a record of practical legislation; and, as we
have seen, some of the best legislation accomplished by his political
opponents was initiated by him, was his own work taken out of his hands.
As a parliamentary debater he never had a superior--it is doubtful
whether he ever had an equal--in the whole of the political history of
the British Empire. There have been, even in our time, orators who now
and then shot their arrows higher; but so ready, so skilful, and so
unerring an archer as he, taken all around, never drew bow on modern
parliamentary battle-ground. Nature had given him an exquisite voice,
sweet, powerful, easily penetrating, capable of filling without effort
any public building however large, vibrating to every emotion. The
incessant training of the House of Commons turned nature's gifts to
their fullest account. He was almost too fluent; his eloquence sometimes
carried him away on its impassioned tide; but his listeners were seldom
inclined to find fault with this