8 John Redmond in Rotten Row l x 9 01 



morning sun was streaming through the windows, which made the 

 rooms very beautiful, the ' Blue Boy ' being especially splendid. 



" 21st April (Sunday). — To see Meynell, who was as usual full of 

 gossip. It appears that the King's debts have been paid off privately 

 by his friends, one of whom is said to have lent £100,000, and satisfies 

 himself with £25,000 in repayment plus a Knighthood. 



" 22nd April. — Hampden dined with me in Chapel Street. As to 

 South Africa he is quite converted now to ideas of peace and economy, 

 the effect of the extra twopence on the income tax. He has two 

 sons still at the war. 



" 15//*. May. — As I was walking in Rotten Row this morning I 

 was accosted by an imposing personage with the face and figure 

 of a Roman Emperor, seated on a huge drayhorse, and I recog- 

 nized in him John Redmond. I had not seen him since 1888 when 

 I knew him in Ireland, and he has since become head of the Irish 

 parliamentary party. He wa,s very cordial in his greeting, and I was 

 able most truthfully to congratulate him on the position of Irish affairs, 

 which have never been so hopeful since Parnell died. We talked 

 about George Wyndham. ' He is a nice fellow,' said Redmond, ' and 

 I like him much personally, as we all do.' 



" 25th May. — Arabi has been pardoned. A fortnight ago I had 

 a letter from him from Ceylon, telling me that the Duke of Corn- 

 wall had given him his royal promise to do what he could to obtain 

 his release, and this is the result. If he had been recalled sixteen 

 years ago, as Gladstone intended, he might have been of great use 

 in reforming Egypt, but as it is the pardon has come too late. Arabi 

 will find that the world has marched far during his absence, and the 

 National Party has followed new lines which are not altogether his. 



" utk June. — To Sotheby's where the Ashburnham MSS. are being 

 sold. They are very splendid, but quite beyond my reach as a col- 

 lector. I intend to confine my purchasing to Oriental MSS., where the 

 field is open to a moderate purse, as for some inexplicable reason no 

 one cares for them. Being in Quaritch's shop a few days ago I heard 

 the Librarian of the Bodleian declare that he was inundated with offers 

 of these, for which there were no buyers. With Cockerell's help I 

 have got together about twenty illuminated ones at prices ranging from 

 £4 to £10, though I gave £50 for one, a very fine ' Shah Nameh,' which 

 had belonged to Morris. Some day these Oriental MSS. will be worth 

 much larger sums, analogous to those given for European ones of 

 equally fine execution. 



" 14th June. — Hampden, whose son has just returned from South 

 Africa, leaving another son still fighting there, and a nephew Campion 

 dead, is now loud in denouncing the war. He would like to have 

 Kruger and Rhodes and Chamberlain tied in a bag together and 



