ical crises not a whisper of
his private views became known to the million-tongued press or the
curious public. He had known every kind of partisan and been liked by
leaders of the masses as well as the classes--by Joseph Arch and Henry
Broadhurst, as well as by the Earl of Derby or the Marquess of
Salisbury. If he visited Mr. Gladstone at Hawarden on one occasion he
paid the same honour to Lord Beaconsfield at Hughenden at another time.
If Lord Randolph Churchill was a personal friend so also was Lord
Rosebery, or Mr. Balfour. His genial manner and sometimes cosmopolitan
view of society encouraged a popular opinion as to his natural
democracy; while a personal dignity, never forced, or assumed, but
always present, prevented the most courageous person from taking undue
advantage of the freedom from ceremonial which he sometimes liked to
encourage. His preferences in international matters were as little known
as his political opinions, and yet, at times, his influence in this
respect was very great.

SPORTING CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PRINCE

The next and perhaps most prominent characteristic of the Prince of
Wales was his love for sports and his embodiment of qualities which, in
everyday life, constitute the English country gentleman. Some reference
has already been made to his interest in racing, yachting and shooting.
But most of the lesser sports and games were also attractive to him at
different periods, and there was hardly one with which he was not more
or less familiar. Boating and riding in his University days and
fox-hunting at Sandringham from time to time in later years, were
incidents of this record. Croquet he was an expert in, but never very
fond of. Lawn-tennis, when first introduced and for years afterwards,
was a game to which he was very partial, and on the _Serapis_ when
traversing the route to India he played deck-tennis until everyone else
was exhausted. The bowling-alley at Sandringham was one of the best in
England and the Prince was always fond of a game of bowls. Quoits he
played well, and billiards he played with frequency and skill--his
daughters being also able to handle the cue with success. Hockey was a
favourite game, especially on the lakes at Sandringham, and of this
sport the other members of his family were equally fond. Skating and
hockey parties were frequent during severe winter seasons and the Prince
played in many specially arranged hockey matches--one of them against
members of