380 Ward's "Life of Newman" t 1 ^ 2 



gotten. Great men and holy men are very like other men, and there are 

 just as many petty interests served in the Government of the Church as 

 in other Governments. One had imagined Newman leading a life of 

 prayer and self-sacrifice. He is shown by Ward dissatisfied with ob- 

 scurity and running from one journalistic scheme to another, neither 

 successfully nor with dignity. Human nature is human nature, whether 

 in a convent or a palace. Newman was a great man notwithstanding, 

 a great controversialist, and a master of English prose. 



" 18th Feb. (Sunday). — I have been a whole week in bed with in- 

 fluenza, and in great desolation of soul, the subject of my delirium 

 being Grey and the Garter he had just been given, and this worried 

 me for two days and nights. I am better to-day, and begin to see 

 things sanely. 



" 23rd Feb. — Parliament has met in London, and Grey's Garter has 

 provoked speculation as to coming changes in the Cabinet. They say 

 Loreburn is to retire and let Asquith be Lord Chancellor in his place, 

 which would secure him £ 10,000 a year for life; Grey to be his suc- 

 cessor as Prime Minister, giving up the Foreign Office, for which he is 

 incompetent, in favour of Haldane. What they want now is to pacify 

 Germany, and Haldane is Germanophil. 



" 1st March. — Things have gone badly. The coal strike has monop- 

 olized attention, and Grey has been allowed to carry on his detestable 

 policy in Persia and Tripoli, almost unrebuked. The latest diplomatic 

 development is an attempted combination of the European Powers to 

 coerce Turkey into ceding Tripoli to Italy, and so making peace. So 

 far the Turks are standing firm. 



" Monsignor Stonor is dead at Rome, where he has lived all his life. 

 I remember assisting at his first mass at Oscott how many years ago. 

 May he rest in peace, good man : they ought to have made him a Car- 

 dinal. 



" I have been nearly three weeks in bed. 



" &th March. — Chapel Street. Bendor came to see me. He has 

 been in Egypt this winter, and brought to show me an antika he had 

 picked up there of the hawk-headed God or Goddess, which by some 

 odd accident had been fashioned into the exact image in caricature of 

 our good Queen Victoria. It amused him much. He is a kindly, good- 

 humoured fellow, like a great Newfoundland puppy, much given to 

 riotous amusements and sports, with horses, motors, and ladies. The 

 fast life clearly suits him, for he looks a model of health and strength. 

 He was at Sheykh Obeyd, and saw the Stud there, which he appre- 

 ciates. 



" 10th March (Sunday). — Syud Mahmud called. He is going back 

 to India in May, very much in earnest about getting his fellow-Mus- 

 sulmans to oppose the Government if it refuses to take up the defence 



