294 Irish Prospects t^ 10 



about him, especially about his heart. They tell me he is rude and 

 brutal with servants.' I assured him it was not so, and he was glad to 

 hear it. He gave me to read the newly published ' History of the 

 Indian Revolution of 1857 ' [a highly seditious and interesting volume, 

 written by Savarkar, whom afterwards they imprisoned for life]. 



" \th March. — Two more young Indians called, both from Cam- 

 bridge, Mohammedan Nationalists of advanced opinions and ready to 

 join the Hindoos. 



" yth March. — Dillon writes : ' I am glad you consider the party 

 has done well. I am extremely well satisfied. I do not think the party 

 ever occupied a stronger position. We have undoubtedly saved the 

 Liberal party from a catastrophe.' 



" 8>th March. — There seems a good chance now in Egypt, that the 

 General Assembly will reject the Suez Canal Convention and I see that 

 Prince Husseyn has resigned his presidency of the Assembly. He was 

 the Convention's principal advocate. The new Prime Minister is to be 

 Mohammed Said, a Nationalist of the Saad Zaghloul school, this is a 

 gain. [This is the first mention in my diary of Prince Husseyn, who 

 has since been rewarded for his services to the English party at Cairo 

 by being made Sultan of Egypt.] 



" 10th March. — William O'Brien has sent me an article he has 

 written in the ' Nineteenth Century ' in a Union of Hearts sense to 

 which I have answered : ' The older I get the more revolutionist I be- 

 come about the British Empire, and about Ireland the more Fenian. 

 The Union of Hearts is a long while on its way, and unless it is brought 

 about in some violent form, I hardly hope to see it. I often think of 

 good old Dr. Duggan, whom we loved so much, and who used to wish 

 he was not a Bishop so that he might be in the Portsmouth dockyard 

 blowing up English ships. Perhaps he was right, we English are a 

 very stubborn people to convert.' I have also written to Hyndman 

 about the book he gave me. I find it very interesting but at the same 

 time depressing. One cannot help seeing in the account it gives of the 

 revolution of 1857, that if with all the advantages native India then 

 had of taking us unawares and comparatively defenceless it could not 

 succeed, it has hardly any chance now, nor do I think a rising will be 

 attempted. The break-up of the British Empire will come more likely 

 through a financial collapse and troubles nearer home. India will 

 profit by it but will not initiate it. 



" 15th March. — The Debate on the Reform of the House of Lords 

 began to-day, Rosebery making a great oration. George Wyndham 

 came to tea and stayed on talking. The Tories are angry because the 

 Government have only voted supplies for six weeks with the idea of 

 then resigning and leaving their successors in a financial hole. The 

 only thing then, George thinks, will be to get the Rothschilds and the 



