Preface xi 



Alexandria " Wilfrid Blunt was almost alone in openly taking the part 

 of the Egyptians ; though Lord Houghton, while declaring himself for 

 victory, characteristically told him that if he did go to Egypt he 

 must bring back Arabi with him " and you must both come and dine 

 with me." When after Tel el Kebir the short war was over, and 

 Cairo had fallen and Arabi had surrendered, a rumor went round that 

 he and his officers, prisoners of war in English hands, were to be put 

 to death, and a private letter of Mr. Gladstone's confirmed this possi- 

 bility, some men of honour and good feeling held up their hands in 

 horror yet saw no way to compel the Ministry to abide by justice and 

 custom and avoid this disgrace. But Mr. Blunt found a way and 

 within two or three days he had engaged Counsel to act for the Egyp- 

 tian rebels' defence. He wrote to me at the time, " I have taken the 

 precaution of sending out a couple of lawyers to see what can be done. 

 We are the rear guard of a beaten army where there are plenty of blows 

 and no glory to be won. Egypt may get a certain share of financial 

 ease but she will not get liberty, at least not in our time, and the blood- 

 less revolution so nearly brought about has been drowned in blood." 



When the expenses of the defence of the prisoner began to be very 

 heavy some subscriptions were sent towards it by, amongst others, Lord 

 Wentworth, Lord Wemyss, Frederic Harrison, Admiral Lord Mark 

 Kerr, Lord Randolph Churchill A. W. Kinglake, George Meredith, 

 and General Gordon (who wrote with his, " I suppose Government will 

 not pay it. Arabi himself will repay it within a year's time"). But 

 with a splendid generosity Mr. Blunt took the whole burden upon him- 

 self, paying if I remember aright a sum of £3,000. It was not his last 

 service to Egypt, and that passionate denunciation of the Imperal Gov- 

 ernment in "The Wind and the Whirlwind," though it went past 

 the ears closed to any but an official voice still stands as an indictment 

 and a prophecy. Here are some of his lines : 



Oh insolence of strength ! Oh boast of wisdom ! 



Oh poverty in all things truly wise ! 

 Thinkest thou, England, God can be outwitted 



For ever thus by him who sells and buys? 



Thou sellest the sad nations to their ruin. 



What hast thou bought ? The child within the womb, 

 The son of him thou slayest to thy hurting, 



Shall answer thee "An Empire for thy tomb." 



Thou hast joined house to house for thy perdition. 



Thou hast done evil in the name of right. 

 Thou hast made bitter sweet and the sweet bitter, 



And called light darkness and the darkness light. 



