Trevelyan, "were become intensely interesting to him. Canning's
accession to power, then his death, the repeal of the Test Act, the
Emancipation of the Catholics, all in their turn filled his heart and
soul. He himself longed to be taking his part in Parliament, but with a
very hopeless longing.

"In February 1830 I was staying at Mr. Wilberforce's at Highwood Hill
when I got a letter from your uncle, enclosing one from Lord Lansdowne,
who told him that he had been much struck by the articles on Mill, and
that he wished to be the means of first introducing their author to
public life by proposing to him to stand for the vacant seat at Calne.
Lord Lansdowne expressly added that it was your uncle's high moral and
private character which had determined him to make the offer, and that
he wished in no respect to influence his votes, but to leave him quite
at liberty to act according to his conscience. I remember flying into
Mr. Wilberforce's study, and, absolutely speechless, putting the letter
into his hands. He read it with much emotion, and returned it to me,
saying 'Your father has had great trials, obloquy, bad health, many
anxieties. One must feel as if Tom were given him for a recompense.'
He was silent for a moment, and then his mobile face lighted up, and he
clapped his hand to his ear, and cried: 'Ah! I hear that shout again.
Hear! Hear! What a life it was!'"

And so, on the eve of the most momentous conflict that ever was fought
out by speech and vote within the walls of a senate-house, the young
recruit went gaily to his post in the ranks of that party whose coming
fortunes he was prepared loyally to follow, and the history of whose
past he was destined eloquently, and perhaps imperishably, to record.

York: April 2, 1826.

My dear Father,--I am sorry that I have been unable to avail myself of
the letters of introduction which you forwarded to me. Since I received
them I have been confined to the house with a cold; and, now that I am
pretty well recovered, I must take my departure for Pontefract. But, if
it had been otherwise, I could not have presented these recommendations.
Letters of this sort may be of great service to a barrister; but the
barrister himself must not be the bearer of them. On this subject the
rule is most strict, at least on our circuit. The hugging of the Bar,
like the Simony of the Church, must be altogether carried on by the
intervention of third persons. We are sensible of our dependen