82 Morris on the Laureateship [1892 



tion in the House of Commons and secretly by Rosebery at the Foreign 

 Office, against Gladstone and the Radicals for the extension, and 

 eventually succeeded with the results we have seen. 



" 4th Nov. — ' Esther ' is out. I have sent copies to Gladstone, 

 Morley, George Meredith, William Watson, and Knowles. 



" To Sir William Harcourt's, whom I went to see in Downing Street. 

 I found him just going to a Cabinet Council, and in high good humour. 

 ' Well,' he said, ' will you go to Egypt as Commissioner to effect the 

 evacuation?' I said, 'Yes, if you will recall Baring.' He chuckled, 

 ' It is not Egypt alone they want us to swallow, but the whole of East 

 Africa. Rhodes was with me yesterday, and showed me this map ' 

 (pointing to one on the table), 'where you will see the territories he 

 has grabbed. He has put up a telegraph already as far as Niassa 

 ( ? Nyanza), and means to carry it on to Uganda, and then to Cairo. 

 He has offered to run Uganda for £25,000 a year, though he admits 

 there is nothing to be made of it commercially. You know I am not 

 much in favour of these things myself, and am for keeping out of 

 Mediterranean politics, but there are others ' (meaning no doubt 

 Rosebery) ' who won't dance to the music' I said, ' I think you 

 ought to make up your minds on the general policy, and either go in 

 for an African Empire, or leave it alone. If you shilly shally first 

 one way and then another you will get into just the same mess that 

 you did in 1882.' Then we talked about Egypt. ' Baring,' he said, 

 ' has sent in a memorandum, in which he says that the whole country 

 is becoming English, and so it is to remain, the Khedive has lost his 

 popularity as he has become too European.' I. ' Yes, he has brought 

 back a Viennese woman with him from Vienna.' He. ' What, only 

 one? Baring says everything is going splendidly, and he. Baring 

 seems to have his horses well in hand, it would be a pity perhaps to 

 meddle with him.' I. ' Yes, I have no doubt Baring has and is driv- 

 ing merrily, but even a timid passenger when he finds the coach is 

 going to Brighton when it ought to be going to York, may be excused 

 for taking the reins. He will drive you merrily on to annexation.' 

 He. ' I would ask you to luncheon, but Waddington (the French Am- 

 bassador) is coming, and I am afraid your views are too well known. 

 Come on Tuesday.' And so it is arranged. 



" Later to Hammersmith, where I found Morris at his work, but 

 pleased to see me. ' It is all a lie,' he said, ' about their having offered 

 to make me Laureate. Bryce came to see me and talked of it, but it 

 was only on his own private account. I was fool enough to tell Ellis, 

 and he told his son, who must needs repeat it at the National Liberal 

 Club, and so it got into the papers. I fancy from what I heard if they 

 don't offer it to me they will offer it to Swinburne, but perhaps he won't 

 take it.' /. ' It is five to one he will take it.' He. ' That's about 



